Jordana & Zach
Camp Ramah in the Berkshires
When/how/where at camp did you meet?
While, combined, we spent over a decade a few years apart as campers, we didn’t really connect until Camp Ramah in the Berkshire’s Annual Alumni Labor Day Weekend. Our first summer there together was in 2004 and while we spent a significant amount of time together that weekend, we didn’t decide to formally start dating until LDW 2009 (and we were engaged before LDW 2010).
Do you find that your time at camp has influenced your relationship/marriage/family?
Camp traditions and values have infused our lives in many ways. We sing the camp bedtime songs to our sons (Rad HaYom followed by the Shema), we incorporated Havdalah into our weekly customs in anticipation of our boys participating in it under the stars at camp, we attend events for the benefit of camp, we maintain strong ties to our friends and family from camp and we feel supported by the camp community. Camp also helped to inculcate Jewish values and dedication in us, which we pass onto our children. Camp is our second home and we smile just thinking about it.
What happened between you when camp ended that summer?
We continued to see each other occasionally over Jewish holidays and camp events, along with other times when our collective friends would get together. Over the years we each took our own path (each embarking on graduate school and on new careers) but would always be sure to catch up with each other when circumstances brought us together. In September of 2009, despite living far apart (Jordana in Manhattan and Zach in DC), we decided to see where our feelings for each other could go.
Did you have any camp themed thing at your wedding?
We had many camp people at our wedding who, at one spontaneous point, turned the dance floor into an homage to CRB’s annual square dance as they led us in the traditional Amos Moses line dance. It was perfect.
Will you send your kids to camp?
Absolutely! We would never even think of depriving our eldest, Ellis (4 years old) from spending the summer swimming in his namesake, Lake Ellis (and we think Sebastian – 1 year old – will have a good time too). We cannot wait for our children to develop the same love and bond for camp as we have and we know our sense of gratitude for what camp will give our boys will (likely) outweigh our jealousy that they get to have more summers there.