We have an amazing “problem.” JOLI 2020 is filled for both sessions with waiting lists too! At the same time, we know that so many of you have expressed interest in joining the program and have yet to register. We do not want to turn away members of our community.
On Wednesday, we sat and brainstormed how to expand JOLI for 2020 and open an additional ohel each session. Nina First, the JOLI 2020 Rosh Edah, is playing an active role in the development of the program.
At its core, JOLI strives to equip each chalutz/a with personal awareness and leadership, and then bring those skills into our camp community. The WFA course, JOLI masa, and JOLI group development accomplish the initial goal. In years past, the second part has been achieved through the CIT experience – an opportunity to mentor younger campers in base camp and on masa, hopefully teaching them a piece of what has made each of your own camp experiences so special.
This year, in response to feedback from you and the increased demand for spaces in JOLI, we are adding an additional way to give back to the camp community – through physical service projects to enhance our camp program spaces. This will involve construction and beautification projects – an opportunity to leave your physical mark on Ramah in the Rockies. We believe that this opportunity to give back is just as valuable as the CIT experience.
This new track will be structured slightly differently than the CIT track. While JOLI CITs will spend the masa week with the younger chalutzim, JOLI in the service projects track will spend about half their day working on their group service project, and about half their day participating in our basecamp activities. We hope that this will provide the opportunity to experience our chuggim for the last time as chalutzim – we have heard from many of you that this was missing from the JOLI experience.
The first half of the JOLI experience will remain the same as in previous years – the WFA course and epic 5-day JOLI masa, as well as JOLI group activities in basecamp, a fourteener, and other adventures. Both tracks will live in the same ohelim, sit together at meals, and participate in basecamp programming together. We are committed to giving all Jolimers their first option and no one needs to decide between the tracks before coming to camp this summer.
We are excited about this new JOLI option, and hope that those of you who are already registered will share your feedback (program development is still in its beginning stages), and those of you still deciding will register for Kayitz 2020! (Remember, our rates go up on December 15th).
