Ma’agal: The Next Step in Israeli Dance – Ramah Day Camp in Nyack

Registration for Ma’agal closes at 12 PM Eastern on Friday, May 23, 2025

Ma’agal: The Next Step in Israeli Dance is a unique opportunity for camp staff from Jewish camps of all kinds — from the dance-obsessed to “What does rikud mean again?” (it means dance!) — to learn everything they need to take their camp’s Israeli dance program to the next level. This two-day, in-person seminar will be held from June 8-9, 2025, at Camp Ramah in Nyack, NY. Designed for anyone responsible for teaching Israeli dance at a day or overnight camp, whether as a specialist, shaliach, or any other role, this program will include teaching technique, dance repertoire for campers of all ages, grounding in the history of Israeli folkdance, and tips on how to make dancing accessible and exciting for all. Ma’agal’s curriculum is centered on utilizing Israeli dance as a fun, community-building activity as well as a vehicle for teaching Israeli culture, Hebrew language, Jewish values, and more.

In addition to completing an application, you must meet the following requirements in order to register for and attend this program:

• Be at least 18 years of age.
• Be employed for summer 2025 at a Jewish day or overnight camp in FJC’s network
• Have the approval of your Camp Director/Supervisor to participate in this program

There is a $50 registration fee to participate in Ma’agal. This fee covers:

• One night of accommodations at Camp Ramah in Nyack (double occupancy)
• Kosher meals and snacks at Ramah Nyack, starting with lunch on Sunday
• All instruction and programming during Ma’agal

Participants are responsible for their own transportation to Ramah Nyack.Coming from outside of the New York area? FJC has travel subsidies available available to support attendees coming from outside of the greater NY area which are on a first come, first served basis. To inquire about a travel subsidy, email amy.meltzer@jewishcamp.org.

About Erica Goldman: Director of Ma’agal

Every year, Erica teaches Israeli dances at events and workshops for audiences young and old, both in the Jewish world and beyond. In addition to Israeli dance leader, Erica has been an engineering linguist, a high school English teacher, and a nonprofit Chief Program Officer. Erica was the Director of Dance at Camp Alonim, the Jewish sleepaway camp where Israeli dancing is a shared obsession, for twelve summers, and has been an Educator for the Cornerstone Fellowship, a program of the Foundation for Jewish Camp, for over a decade.

After earning her MBA and an MA in Jewish Professional Leadership from the Hornstein Program at Brandeis University, Erica launched Ma’agal, an initiative to improve Israeli dance education at schools and camps across the nation. She is a grateful Wexner Fellow/Davidson Scholar and a proud alumna of the Ruskay Institute for Jewish Professional Leadership, a program of UJA-Federation of New York that she now directs (when she’s not dancing). In 2023, she taught Israeli dance on her fifth continent (so far!).

Questions about the content of the Ma’agal training? Contact Erica Goldman: ericagoldman@gmail.com
Questions about all things logistics? Contact Amy Meltzer: amy.meltzer@jewishcamp.org