Keeping our Campers & Staff Safe: Our Partners
The mental, emotional, social and spiritual health of our camp community is our highest priority. Here is information on some of the organizations & consultants with whom we work:
- Sacred Spaces – Sacred Spaces provides Jewish institutions with the professional services necessary to develop robust policies and training to prevent opportunities for abuse and guide them responsibly should abuse occur. Aleinu: Safeguarding Our Children campaign is a program of Sacred Spaces that enables youth serving organizations to implement 10 best practices for child protection. The pioneering web-based platform provides a wide range of resources that empower Ramah professionals to create their own internal child protection practices and policies by following step-by-step directions and advice, networking with other youth serving organizations, and having access to Sacred Spaces’ team of child protection specialists. Ramah is currently focusing on three of the ten best practices. They are forming a child safety committee, screen employees and volunteers, and training staff. Our Assistant Director, Michelle Sugarman, is spearheading this work with Sacred Spaces on behalf of National Ramah.
- Lindsay Fram – Sexually Smart — Lindsay Camp spends time at camp each summer to run consent training for staff and older campers. Lindsay is an educator and sex educator with an MA in public health. Her training for staff focuses on: healthy relationships, fostering an atmosphere of consent, boundaries and for staff, social sexual pressure, how to talk to campers about these topics, and more. Lindsay will also be running sessions for campers about boundaries and healthly relationships.
- Dialogue Arts Project – http://www.dialogueartsproject.com — Identity Intersectionality and Race at Ramah — DAP training for campers and staff focuses on race, racial justice, and antiracism. The customized training for Ramah oriented around identity intersectionality, racial justice and equity at camp. Training center texts and participant “diversity stories” that focus on racial identity, and offer several tangible tools and strategies for participants to implement, use, and apply at camp.
- Keshet – Keshet works for the full equality of all LGBTQ Jews and our families in Jewish life. We strengthen Jewish communities. We equip Jewish organizations with the skills and knowledge to build LGBTQ-affirming communities; create spaces in which all queer Jewish youth feel seen and valued; and advance LGBTQ rights nationwide.
- AMSkier — Every staff member is required to participate in a training with Skier, our insurance company, about appropriate behaviors with campers. Skier covers topics about the care and safety of other people’s children and maintaining a culture of safety at camp.
- Secure Community Network — The official safety and security organization of the Jewish community in North America.
- Stuart Katz — All staff are required to participate in sexual harassment prevention training run by Stuart Katz. Stuart has been recognized as a leading lawyer in Connecticut in the area of Labor & Employment Law, by Chambers USA – America’s Leading Lawyers for Business (since 2008) and is listed in Best Lawyers in America (2013-2019) for his work in the areas of Litigation (Labor & Employment) and Employment Law (Individuals and Management). In addition, Mr. Katz has been recognized by Super Lawyers since 2009 for his work in the area of Employee Litigation: Defense. He is listed as one of Super Lawyers “Top 10 Connecticut Lawyers” (2013-2015) and “Top 50 Connecticut Lawyers” (2012-2018). Benchmark Litigation, The Definitive Guide to America’s Leading Litigation Firms & Attorneys, named Mr. Katz a “Local Litigation Star” in Connecticut (2011-2019), and a “Labor & Employment Star-Northeast” (2019), in areas including Employment and General Commercial Litigation. Mr. Katz often lectures on employment law topics and has authored numerous articles in this area.
- Dr. Alan Jacobson – Our Consulting Psychologist — Dr. Jacobson is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist who has been treating adolescents, adults, couples, and families for over 20 years. He is trained in a wide variety of techniques that are designed to produce measurable and meaningful results. He also works with families and couples to help improve or repair relationships. His approach is positive, empathic, and solution focused.
- Our overnight camp is accredited by the American Camp Association.
- Our overnight camp is licensed by the Massachusetts Board of Health, and our day camp is licensed by the Maryland Dept. of Health.