I have raised my two sons with the core foundations of a strong Jewish identity, but a Jewish preschool, day school and a vibrant synagogue community have not rivaled the impact of Ramah Day Camp Philadelphia.

That’s why, like so many families, we were devastated to receive an email last month announcing the planned closure of Ramah Day Camp Philadelphia after the 2026 season.

Courtesy

Campers at Ramah Day Camp Philadelphia in 2026.

I understand that difficult financial decisions sometimes must be made. I also appreciate that the Board spent considerable time reviewing enrollment and finances. However, I cannot accept that closing this extraordinary institution is the only path forward. 

Today, with 160 campers and 50 staff members creating a community built on Jewish values, joy, friendship, and Israel, the camp is vibrant, far from dead. And despite the impending closure, Ramah Day Camp has continued to thrive over the past four weeks. How do we give up on the magic of Ramah and joyful Judaism in a time when it matters so much?

Ramah runs deep in our family. We subscribe to 10 for 2 — living 10 months of the year dreaming of the 2 months at camp — and we get that burst of pure happiness when we hear the music of “Golden Boy” or “Od Yavo Shalom Aleinu.” We have been part of the Ramah Day Camp family for nearly two decades; it is what has shaped who we are, teaching us to be proud Jews in a safe place while allowing us to find lifelong friends. I say “we” because Ramah is not only about the campers: the Ramah effect is multi-tiered, trickling up to the parents who connect with their Judaism via their children. This is the magic of Ramah. 

In Philadelphia, many people see Ramah Day Camp as an on-ramp for the overnight camp Camp Ramah in the Poconos. I wanted my boys to have the same magical experience I did, immersed in a 24/7 Jewish utopia that molded lifelong friendships. But as it turned out for my boys, like many other children, this would not be their path. The day camp was the best option for my family, and hundreds of families like ours who desire a strong Jewish foundation. We soon learned that the day camp has the same ingredients as the overnight camp: the songs and dances are the same, the love for Israel is the same and the resulting proud Jewish leaders are the same.

In 1947, Camp Ramah was founded because Jewish families wanted environments free from antisemitism while strengthening Jewish identity. At a time when antisemitism is rising, Jewish students are increasingly facing hostility and families are again searching for safe, joyful Jewish spaces, how can our response be to close a camp? This should be the moment when we are investing in sanctuaries of Jewish joy, not cutting off a limb because it requires some support and leadership.

This closure comes at a time when Ramah is thriving elsewhere. Ramah Poconos has continued to see steady enrollment of over 500 campers for the last two summers, according to the 2024 and 2025 annual reports. National Ramah has invested in its day camp network, with two new day camps opening in the last three years (Ramah Day Camp Greater Boston in 2023 and Ramah Day Camp Los Angeles in 2024). 

Finally, Philadelphia has the fourth-largest Jewish population in the United States. There has to be a disconnect here that can be remedied. The closure represents a failure to meet the needs of a growing Jewish population — a direct failure of Ramah’s mission. 

Let’s understand why enrollment is down and respond creatively with the leadership and vision this moment requires us to have. Ramah teaches our children to be innovative leaders with hope for the future. It is our time to practice what we preach.

To the Ramah Day Camp Board: Partner with Jewish Learning Venture to understand where young Jewish families are living today in Philadelphia and what they are looking for. If Elkins Park, Penn., is no longer the right location, let’s explore moving the camp. If operating costs are too high, let’s scale back. Synagogues and the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia need to convene a community-wide effort. Invite philanthropists, alumni, parents and Jewish communal leaders to the table.

Tell us what the financial gap is. Tell us how many additional campers are needed. Tell us what benchmarks must be met to keep the camp open. Give us a goal, and give us the opportunity to reach it.

This should not become a story of decline. It should become a story of a community that refused to let an institution disappear. Let us help build a solution before closing the doors forever. Our children deserve that. Our community deserves that. And Ramah deserves that.

The Ramah Day Camp song declares “Hinei hashemesh,” which translates to “Here is the sun.” The song encourages joy and optimism. It is time the Jewish leaders work to uphold that mission.

Rachel Saifer is the chief operating officer of Penn Hillel and the mother of Max and Asher Goldman, proud Ramah Day Camp Philadelphia chanichim (campers) and tzevet (staff) members from 2009 to the present.