As many of you may know, at 2:00 am MDT Monday morning, a fire broke out in the lodge at Ramah in the Rockies, the parent program of BaMidbar Wilderness Therapy. The building, which included administrative offices, the camp kitchen, and dining hall, was destroyed. There were no injuries, and no other buildings or camp facilities were damaged. The immediate implementation of emergency protocols resulted in a calm and quick camp evacuation. Camp leaders also retrieved Torah scrolls and other important items, and all animals were released to safe areas away from the fire.
We feel blessed that the first responders were incredibly supportive and effective in containing the fire, and that the entire camp community remained safe and comfortable throughout.
For more information about the incident and Ramah in the Rockies emergency protocols, please see Rabbi Eliav Bock’s live address to the machane (camp) on Ramah in the Rockies’ Facebook page.
Throughout the day, I received many questions regarding the impact of this fire on BaMidbar Wilderness Therapy. While this incident raises many logistical questions, BaMidbar Wilderness Therapy will still open its doors to students in January, 2018 as planned.
Updates about the fire will be provided at Ramah in the Rockies’ facebook page.
Rebuilding
While Ramah in the Rockies’ primary objective today has been the health and safety of the campers, we know we will need to rebuild. There will be plenty of time to figure out next steps. However, we are certain that we will need to raise significant funds in order to rebuild. For those interested in making a donation, please mail checks payable to “Ramah in the Rockies” to 300 S Dahlia St #205 Denver CO 80246, or make a donation to The National Ramah Commission, and select the “Rockies Relief Fund” dropdown. 100% of donations made to this fund will be used for rebuilding.