Author: kskeen

Dear Ranch Camp Families,

As I digested the news and continue to learn more about the events and violence of this past weekend, I’ve felt my heart ache for our friends and families in Israel. There are no words big enough to comfort each other or provide solace for our emotions. Our Israeli staff, campers, and families, both past, present, and future, have left an indelible impact on our community’s relationship with the people and land of Israel.

Like so many other Ranch Campers, my connection to Israel was born from living with and learning from an Israeli staff member who worked with my cabin during my first summer at camp. The Israeli staff helped create a portal of understanding for me into what it means to be Jewish in the United States, and what it means to be Jewish in Israel and call Israel home. The Ranch Camp experience would not be the same without our Israeli counterparts.

The words of the song that we sing to close all our campfires are closer to me, now more than ever. It’s a song that’s been sung at Ranch Camp for as long as anyone can remember, and it illuminates the core of everything we do:

Olam chesed yibaneh

I will build this world from love

And you must build this world from love

And if we build this world from love

Then G-d will build this world from love

Olam chesed yibaneh

Every summer, we strive to create a community built on a foundation of love. It is our hope that everyone who comes through our gates – be they campers or staff – leaves feeling connected and loved for who they are. This song emulates what we hope to teach our campers and staff: what it means to practice chesed (kindness) toward one another and really live our values.

We practice a tradition on the last day of the camp session where everyone picks up a small rock or rubs a pinch of dirt into their clothes. This signifies the idea that wherever they go, a piece of Ranch Camp will now always be with them and that the community they built at camp is always with them. My hope is that our Ranch Camp community living in Israel finds strength in that small piece of camp – and that they know we are thinking of them and standing in solidarity alongside them. My hope for our broader Ranch Camp community is that everyone knows they are not alone.

In the coming days, as registration for Summer 2024 opens, we have already begun the first steps of creating our Ranch Camp community for 2024. And, like all other summers, we are putting together the elements that spark the Ranch Camp magic that lends to a tight-knit, warm, and connected community. Our team is here and available to listen and process. Lastly, for our returning campers and families, we know how much the Israeli staff have meant to you and want to give you a channel to send your love and support to them. Please use this online message board to share your messages with our Israeli staff.

With love,
Katelyn Skeen
Interim Director | JCC Ranch Camp
kskeen@jccdenver.org

Camp is in my blood. Like many east-coast Jewish kids, my mom attended summer camp throughout her entire childhood. She started the first year she was old enough for the camp to take her, and she continued as a staff member until she finally had to enter the adult world. Comparing camp stories with her, I’ve found that we’ve had a lot of experiences in common. The camaraderie between staff and cabin-mates, the closer connection to Judaism and nature, and the opportunities for growth in confidence and ability remain cornerstones of a Jewish summer camp experience. But, given the several decades of separation between my experience and my mom’s, there are many differences, too.

For one thing, camp is safer now, with much more supervision – my mom once wandered all the way to a different property and got in trouble when she showed up an hour late to dinner with a stranger’s horse in tow. And, of course, we go to camp for a much shorter length of time. When my mom was six years old, she went to camp for the first time and stayed for six weeks. Here at Ranch Camp, minis of the same age (or even older) stay for only one. 

When I meet parents on drop off day, many of them share similar stories, telling me about how long they went to camp when they were younger than their own children. To some, a week at Ranch Camp doesn’t sound like nearly enough. If kids could handle six weeks away from home back then, why can’t they do it now? How could a camper have the life-changing experience of camp in just seven days? What’s the point?

In my potentially slightly-biased opinion as the Chalutzim unit head, I think there is a very important point in sending kids to a mini session at Ranch Camp. A mini session is like an appetizer before a full meal. For kids who are nervous about being away from home for the first time, being here for just one week whets their appetite for more without overwhelming them on the first go. 

They get to experience some of the touchstone programs of camp, like Maccabiah, Gold Rush, and campfire. They still get to bond with the other Chalutzim campers during unit programs like Ranch Camp Jeopardy or Wishboats. And they have enough time to get used to the day-to-day schedule of camp, so that when they come back next year they know which songs we sing at degel and which shower stall has the best water pressure. Full-session Chalutzim campers who attended a mini session the summer before are some of the most successful campers to come through the front gates. Armed with the knowledge and confidence that the mini session has given them, they are much more easily able to adjust to the rhythm of camp, and to help their cabinmates do the same. 

Out in the real world, adults attend orientations all the time. At a new job, a college tour, or a new house, people take the time to make themselves comfortable before settling in. For campers, that’s exactly what a mini session is for – it’s a week of orientation, hand in hand with discovery, adventure, and a rousing welcome into the Ranch Camp community.

JCC Ranch Camp’s Sports Track allows our sports loving campers to fully embrace their passions through various different athletic activities. Not only do campers get to experience new forms of athleticism, they also learn new skills and improve their coordination. Together and with a fun spirit, the sports track campers play all kinds of games. These games consist of capture the flag,  basketball, and even water kickball! Some of our more exciting sports include lacrosse, soccer, ultimate frisbee and many more! Ranch Camp’s sports staff really enjoy the Sports Track because of its flexibility in scheduling and because they feel like they have more fun than all the other tracks! Kids gain the unique experience to also learn from staff from all over the world during the sports track. They are able to learn different games from many different cultures and can take this knowledge back home with them! In addition to learning various games, kids are able to learn many valuable traits. These traits include team work, good sportsmanship, communication, and Ruach (Hebrew for “Spirit”). These are not skills specific just to games, but are applicable and beneficial to their daily lives. With a variety of games, absorbing knowledge of varying cultures and perspectives, plus gaining valuable life skills-what more could a sports loving camper want from a program?