Camp Ramah Sasson offers support retreats for Jewish families facing loss and illness

As Jewish summer camps wind down for the season, Camp Ramah New England (in Palmer, Massachusetts) is already gearing up for two very special off-season family camping sessions.

The programs, known as Camp Ramah Sasson (“sasson” is Hebrew for “joy”), include the inaugural family weekend for bereaved children. November 1-3, 2024, and the second year of a program for Jewish families facing the challenges of pediatric cancer, taking place April 25-27, 2025. Both programs are free of charge.

According to Riki Wiederhorn, director of year-round programming at Camp Ramah New England and a longtime member of its Camper Care team, the idea for Ramah Sasson “came about when a bunch of us were sitting around one Shabbat at camp, talking.”

She credits Rabbi Ed Gelb, the camp’s CEO, with the idea. “It was always Rabbi Gelb’s pipe dream to have a camp for kids with cancer.”

Wiederhorn is proud of the camp’s mission to serve a wide range of campers and needs. “‘Ramah for All’ is one of our mottoes – we take it seriously.” She concedes that “we are not there yet, but we continue to strive.” The camp plans to seek out populations it has not yet accessed, welcome them to the community, and expand the populations to be served.

When the first Ramah Sasson program, which ran April 12-14, 2024, was announced, the camp was unsure how many families would attend. “People are in flux and can’t always come,” notes Wiederhorn, pointing out that medical and personal situations often change abruptly.

Finding such families was also difficult. “Our biggest challenge was reaching families and recruiting them to come,” Wiederhorn reports. Reaching out to children’s hospitals treating children with cancer and nurturing relationships with the treatment teams proved effective.

In addition to the family member with cancer, their parent(s) and sibling(s) were also invited to participate. Twelve families registered, and eight families attended. They were joined by a large group of volunteer staff, including mental health professionals, clergy, college students, and veteran camp staff members. While there was no specialized infirmary at camp, the families were comfortable knowing there is a children’s hospital reasonably close camp – and that they are able to reach their doctors if necessary.

David Rhodes of Newton, Massachusetts, attended the weekend with his wife, Jeni, and children Nadav (11), Anya (nine) and Seyla (six).

He was impressed with the way Ramah created a safe space for families in similar situations, facilitated discussions, and provided high-quality programming. He appreciated Ramah “bringing people together to connect during a difficult time” and describes the experience as “something unique.” He was impressed with the thoughtfulness and careful planning, which at times “had all of us around a campfire singing, and other times had adults only in a circle, sharing.”

Rhodes describes the range of activities offered, including drumming circles, tai chi, singing, art projects, and “space to just take a walk.” The weekend offered “a really great mix of adult conversation time, which was well-facilitated and had icebreakers and a chance to ‘go deep,’” he says.

Anya, who received her cancer diagnosis at age seven, has attended Camp Simcha, a camp for children with cancer, and is now two years post-treatment. She knew another girl who had cancer from her home community who attended the weekend with her family.

Rhodes is pleased that all of his children “really enjoyed it” and are “excited to go back.”

Rhodes and his wife report that they learned about Ramah Sasson in multiple ways, including from their synagogue and various friends. They are excited to return as well. “There is a recognition that we have a story that has impacted our family. We may have different lenses, but we are all navigating – and sharing the experience.”

Josh Danoff of Boston attended Ramah Sasson with his wife, Clare Storck, and daughters Matilda “Tilly” (five) and Josephine (10). He grew up proud of his Judaism and says of Sasson, “It was nice to have this place where Judaism, which is a big part of my life, intersected with pediatric cancer – and that was really cool.”

Danoff speaks openly, movingly, and passionately of his family’s experience with Tilly’s cancer course. He shares about the sense of community among the families of children with cancer, families from diverse backgrounds, that the Danoffs encountered as Tilly was undergoing treatment at Dana Farber Cancer Institute. Danoff, owner of Union Square Donuts, enjoyed brining donuts to share with the other families on Wednesdays, which were treatment days.

He notes, “The common denominator is that you are there because something has gone awry.” Danoff felt that same sense of “shared experience” at Ramah Sasson. “We all know what it is like.”

A particularly meaningful program at Ramah Sasson

Danoff describes a particularly meaningful program at Ramah Sasson. “There was an activity where each adult brought in an object/picture that could help tell everyone something about themselves and/or their journey with pediatric cancer. I held up my phone and said ‘music.’ I explained how I had an ever growing playlist of songs that we’d listen to in the car on the way to appointments, treatment, etc. and how we are able to track so much of this journey through music – how it feels like music has both informed the medical journey we are on, as well as the journey informing the music.”

Cecily Marbach of Riverdale, New York, attended with her oncologist husband, Eli, and three of their five daughters, including Evy (10), who was diagnosed with cancer at age 7. The family learned of the weekend from friends in Boston who encouraged them to come. “We thought maybe we would help other people since we had been through it. And we know it affects the whole family.”

Marbach was unsure what to expect. She was a bit surprised – and pleased – when the children were separated from their parents early in the weekend to enjoy their own peer experience. She enjoyed seeing all of the children interacting. “We didn’t know whose kids were whose – they were all playing, and happy hanging out.”

Marbach overheard a moving comment from a girl who said to another girl, “I didn’t even know you had cancer!” “That was phenomenal!”

Marbach adds, “The camp rabbis and social workers anticipated everything! We had a diverse, safe space to speak without kids around – it was so moving and powerful. As parents, we are always trying to do for our kids. I didn’t know how powerful and comforting it would be to be with and hear from others about what they had been through.”

She also appreciated that her oncologist husband, “whose whole life is cancer,” had an opportunity to share and hear from other parents of children with cancer.

Marbach enjoyed the programs and activities as much as the conversations. “The icebreakers they chose were perfect and thoughtfully done. It was so warm and nice. We had lovely evening events, including art for parents. They worked to make it nice.”

Wiederhorn observed many touching moments over the course of the weekend. “One woman shared that, three years out, it was the first time she had seen her spouse cry.”

She is pleased with how the first Ramah Sasson program went and that it reached a wide range of Jewish families. “People came from all walks of life. It added a lot to the program.”

RAMAH SASSON will again be offered to families facing the challenges of pediatric cancer (April 25-27, 2025), and will be expanded to the area of bereavement. The November 1-3, 2024, Ramah Sasson is for families where a child is grieving for a parent who has died.

Jeremy Fingerman, CEO of the Foundation for Jewish Camp, is pleased with Ramah’s programs and with Jewish camps continuing to meet the needs of families.

He notes, “Camp Ramah Sasson embodies the best of Jewish camp: leaning on community, ritual, and fun as a way to help families create treasured memories and bond.

“From Camp Sasson and Camp Simcha’s work with families and campers facing illness to Camp Yofi’s work with children on the autism spectrum, there’s a Jewish camp for every person of every background.

“At Foundation for Jewish Camp, we’re committed to reducing barriers to entry and raising awareness so that more families and campers can access the transformative experience of camp. FJC’s JFAM, Jewish Family Camp initiative engages young families, our Yashar initiative has invested over $12 million to increase accessibility for campers and staff with disabilities, and our One Happy Camper incentive grants help reduce costs for first-time campers.”