Ramah New England oversees three different Jewish camping experiences: Camp Ramah New England, Ramah Day Camp - Greater D.C., and Ramah Day Camp - Greater Boston. All camps are proud members of the international network of Ramah camps, operated by the National Ramah Commission, Inc. under the educational and religious supervision of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America. For over 60 years, Ramah New England campers have shared unforgettable summers filled with learning, lasting friendships, and a love of being Jewish.
Camp Ramah New England is an overnight Jewish summer camp for kids and teens. Built around a beautiful lake in the small town of Palmer, Massachusetts, Camp Ramah offers state-of -the-art programs and facilities that invite campers to explore all sorts of interests — from sports to climbing to theater arts to video production and everything in between. Camp Ramah's co-ed summer camp program welcomes children from across New England, the greater Washington, DC area, Virginia, as well as parts of Maryland and New York.
The communal love for our precious Camp Ramah in New England is writ large here. It’s been central to the life of our family for three generations.
- Ada Beth Zarn Cutler
I would not be who I am today without Ramah Palmer and the leadership and learning opportunities that it provides, as well as the life long friends.
- Benjamin Kane
Day-to-day and summer-to-summer, camp provides fun, life-changing, authentically Jewish experiences that campers treasure and take with them throughout their lives.
- Aaron Kass
To read Camp Ramah's Community Report 2022, click here.
Ramah New England - Day Camps
The Germantown, MD campus, located just minutes from I-270, offers the best in rural tranquility combined with suburban convenience, close to major highways and easily accessible to the areas they serve – Montgomery County, Washington, DC, Northern Virginia, and Frederick. Bus service is included, with local stops at their partner synagogues.
Ramah Boston is hosted at Gann Academy in Waltham, and the campers swim at Bentley University’s Dana Center pool. Gann boasts a world-class facility with modern sports and creative resources, including professional sports courts and fields, a black-box theater, a robust working farm, and a dance studio. Ramah Boston partners with Gann Food & Dining Services to offer a kid-friendly lunch, with multiple entree options, every day of their summer. The Gann kitchen is nut-free and allergy friendly.
Leadership Spotlights:
Rabbi Ed Gelb
Chief Executive Officer
Rabbi Ed Gelb (he/him) has served as director of Camp Ramah New England since September of 2005, and C.E.O. since October of 2018. Ed joined CRNE after a successful five-year tenure as director of Camp Alonim, which is affiliated with the Brandeis Bardin Institute in California. Raised in Wyoming, Ed is a longtime Ramahnik, having served on the staffs of Ramah California and Ramah Canada for many years. Prior to becoming director of Camp Alonim, Ed was a teacher, administrator and basketball coach at Yeshiva University High School in Los Angeles. Ed received his ordination from the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies at the University of Judaism and graduated from UCLA with a BA in History. He lives in Sharon, Massachusetts with his wife, Tami, and their children, Yoni, Emma, Tova and Zachary.
Ed Pletman
Chief Operating Officer
Ed Pletman (he/him) joined Camp Ramah New England as the Director of Finance and Operations in July, 2012. Prior to that, Ed worked professionally as the Director of Informal Education at the Combined Jewish Philanthropies of Greater Boston, the Director of Camp Tevya (Cohen Camps), and for many years at the Jewish Community Centers of Greater Boston. Ed completed his BS in Psychology at Union College and his MSW at Boston University. For many years, Ed has also volunteered as a Standards Accreditation Visitor with the American Camp Association. During the offseason, Ed lives in Stoughton Massachusetts.
Josh Edelglass
Director, Camp Ramah New England
Josh Edelglass (he/him) has been spending his summers at Camp Ramah New England since 1987, and he began working on staff in the summer of 1995. Josh graduated magna cum laude from Brown University in 1999 and received his Masters in Jewish Studies from Gratz in 2022. He joined the year-round team in 2000, and was the Assistant Director from 2011-2022. Josh has worked on the faculty of Prozdor Hebrew High School, Temple Aliyah in Needham, Temple Israel in Natick, Tifereth Israel in Andover, Temple Emanu-El in Haverhill, and Congregation Kehillath Israel in Brookline. Somehow, on top of living and breathing Camp Ramah, Josh continues to work as a freelance illustrator, and to write about movies, TV shows, and lots more at his web-site: www.JoshuaEdelglass.com. He lives in Medfield, Massachusetts with his wife, Stephanie, and their children Tahlia and Reya.
Michelle Sugarman
Director, Camp Ramah New England
Michelle Sugarman (she/her) is thrilled to be joining the Camp Ramah New England team. Originally from Scranton, PA, she was a long-time camper and staff member at Camp Ramah in the Poconos, spending 26 summers there, including 12 as the Assistant and then Associate Director. Prior to starting at Camp Ramah New England, Michelle was the Director of the North American Office of Academic Affairs of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. She completed her BA in Jewish Studies and MSW at Temple University. Michelle brings with her a love of camp, a wealth of experience, and a plethora of innovative and creative ideas that will continue to make Ramah New England a leader in Jewish camping. When not watching the Eagles, Michelle is reading books, hanging out with family & friends, or watching The Office.
Rabbi Jill Levy
Director, D.C. Day Camp
Rabbi Jill Levy (she/her) joined the Camp Ramah New England staff in September 2019, after five years as Rabbi at the Evelyn Rubenstein JCC in Houston, where she also served as Director of their largest day camp, Camp Kaleidoscope. Rabbi Jill spent three summers on staff at Ramah Darom and one summer on staff at Ramah Nyack. Prior to her position at the Houston JCC, Rabbi Jill was Director of Congregational Learning at Herzl-Ner Tamid in Mercer Island, WA. Rabbi Jill received her ordination from the Jewish Theological Seminary in 2011. While in rabbinical school, she was a Wexner Graduate Fellow and served as student rabbi in several different congregations. In addition, she completed a summer of clinical pastoral education at St. Luke’s and Texas Children’s Hospitals in Houston. Rabbi Jill also earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Washington and a Master of Public Administration from Columbia University. She currently lives in Rockville with her husband, Matt, and two daughters (and eager campers), Nava and Miri. In her free time, you can find her running or bike riding on one of the many trails in the D.C. area.
Rabbi Rachel Silverman
Director, Boston Day Camp
Rabbi Rachel Silverman (she/her) first joined the Camp Ramah New England staff as a Rosh Edah at the overnight camp from 2005-2010. Many years later, she’s thrilled to be back as the Director of Ramah Boston, our newest day camp. Rabbi Silverman previously served as a congregational rabbi in both Brookline and Sharon, MA, after receiving her ordination from the Jewish Theological Seminary in 2010. When she is not at camp, she is a ceramic artist and enjoys biking, cooking, and gardening. She lives in Sharon, MA, with her husband Josh, their three kids (Anna, Danny, and Benjamin), dog (Abby) and six chickens.
Ramah New England - Director of Development - Job Description (PDF Download)
Ramah New England seeks a Director of Development who is a highly motivated, mission driven, experienced and strategic fundraiser and non-profit leader. Ambitious and entrepreneurial, the Director of Development will have the opportunity to elevate a culture of philanthropy, enhance the structure of the Development Department and build a pipeline of the next generation of major donors including and not limited to alumni, parents, grandparents and community leaders.
The Director of Development is responsible for planning and implementing all fundraising strategies and activities including the capital campaign, annual fund, major and planned gifts, grant-writing and the engagement of current and alumni families to engage in philanthropic support.
The Director of Development will join Ramah at a pivotal time as the camp enters the final stage of their $6M Capital Campaign. The incumbent will report to the CEO, and work closely with the Board of Directors, and other senior leadership in inspiring sustained and increased philanthropic support and creating new opportunities for greater engagement of alumni and funders with a passion for supporting capital, operating and programmatic support.
We are seeking candidates who are motivated to take a strong fundraising program, raising $1.2M annually, to the next level of performance. The incumbent will have a strong background in systems, processes and technology to maximize opportunities to identify and qualify the next generation of major funders. The incumbent will revitalize cultivation and stewardship activities and will elevate opportunities to increase Legacy giving and alumni engagement.
Additionally, the Director of Development will be a key strategic partner to the Camp Directors and the Board of Directors. The incumbent will be relied upon to strategically engage professional and lay leadership in the cultivation, solicitation and stewardship of donors. The Director of Development will play a key role in governance and board management.
The ideal candidate will have high emotional intelligence coupled with strong fundraising and managerial skills and an appreciation for and a love of Jewish camping. The incumbent will be a stellar communicator and collaborator and be able to articulate the vision and values of Ramah New England to internal and external stakeholders. Lastly, the Director of Development will have experience working in small and nimble organizations and an enthusiasm to take on additional roles and tasks as a member of a lean and collaborative management team.
The Role and Responsibilities
Expectations and Qualifications
Ramah New England has partnered with Boyden Executive Search. For more information about this opportunity or to submit a cover letter and resume, please email:
Wendy Wilsker
Managing Partner, Boston
wwilsker@boyden.com
LinkedIn
Wendy Wilsker has dedicated her entire career to the non-profit sector, serving in leadership roles within charitable organizations and working alongside them as an executive recruiter and consultant. She excels at identifying the unique challenges and opportunities non-profits face, and partners with senior leadership to build successful organizational structures, teams and advancement programs.
Don’t check off all the boxes or meet every single requirement? We have learned that potential candidates hesitate when applying for a job unless they meet every single requirement. Boyden Boston is dedicated to inclusivity and valuing diversity and equity in the workplace. If this opportunity excites you, but your background may not be a perfect match, we still encourage you to apply.
