Contest promoted inclusion of campers with disabilities

The Ramah Camping Movement and the Ruderman Family Foundation have announced the winners of “TIPTOE (The Inclusion Project: Through Our Eyes),” an inclusion-themed video contest for participants from all Jewish camps. The goal of TIPTOE is to increase awareness of the inclusion work happening at Jewish camps across North America. The Ruderman Family Foundation will award a cash prize to the winners and make donations to the inclusion programs at the winners’ camps.

The winning videos can be viewed at http://bit.ly/1mcDnYf

Camper Winners

• First place prize: Matthew Warshay (Providence, RI), Camp Ramah in New England, Palmer, MA
• Second place: Shafer Gootkind (New York, NY), Camp Twelve Trails, Pearl River, NY (a day camp of the YM & YWHA of Washington Heights and Inwood, formerly Camp Yomawha)

Staff Member Winners

• First place prize: Jennifer Kreinik (Scarsdale, NY), B’nai B’rith Beber Camp, Mukwonago, WI
• Second place: Jonah Goldman Kay (Orlando, FL) & Itai Zwecker (Tel Aviv, Israel), Camp Ramah Darom, Clayton, GA

Campers and high-school and college-age staff members who participated in a North American Jewish summer camp program in 2015 submitted videos that showed their view of inclusion of children with disabilities in their Jewish camp. Representatives from the Ruderman Family Foundation and the Foundation for Jewish Camp selected the winners based on three criteria: demonstrating inclusion, creativity, and visual appeal.