TORONTO — Ron Polster, whose history with Camp Ramah in Canada goes back to his bar mitzvah year, when he first attended the camp, has been hired as Ramah’s next director, effective June 1.
Polster, a 45-year-old father of three who is currently director of education and family programming at Beth Tzedec Congregation, was director of Jewish camping initiatives at UJA Federation of Greater Toronto from 2007 to 2011. He spent the preceding five years as director of URJ Camp George and also served as assistant director of Camp Ramah in the Berkshires from 1994 to 1997.
A native of Cleveland, Ohio, Polster, who succeeds Michael Wolf as director of Ramah, has a PhD in religion from the University of Toronto and is an alumnus of the Foundation for Jewish Camp’s Executive Leadership Institute.
He said that his focus this summer – aside from learning the names of some 450 campers and 150 staff members – will be on staff training, “customer service,” and looking at offering more specialized programming in areas such as sports and performing arts.
“That’s one of the directions in Jewish camp in the States… having the Jewish mission, but being able to cater toward a niche market,” he said.
Another trend he’s seen is an increase in the amount of funding required for camp fees. “There’s a constant need for fundraising to make sure we cannot leave any children behind,” he said.
For parents who are also paying day school tuition, the cost of summer camp – as high as $1,500 a week at Ramah – is “a challenge,” Polster said.
He acknowledged “a concern in the community” that Jewish camp might become an attractive alternative to Jewish day school education because of the relatively lower cost, but he hasn’t seen that happen.
“Everbody’s looking for the golden ticket. I think the key is making sure there’s formal and informal education. Both provide literacy and identity.”
He noted also that, in Jewish schools, “the lines are blurring” between formal and experiential education. He cited school Shabbatonim geared to leadership training as one example.
“I’m just thrilled to be the director of the camp that I literally grew up at,” said Polster, who – after his years as a camper – returned to Ramah as a staff member.
