Following the inspirational summers he experienced at Camp Ramah in California as a rosh edah and rosh tefillah, Rabbi Mitch Cohen left his work at a NYC law firm in 1985 and began rabbinical school at The Jewish Theological Seminary, returning each summer to Ojai. Upon ordination in 1990, Mitch answered the call of the National Director Rabbi Shelly Dorph, and served as the Director of Camp Ramah in Canada for 11 years. After the summer of 2000, Mitch became the founding principal of the new Solomon Schechter High School of Westchester, NY. In 2003, he returned to Ramah as the Director of the National Ramah Commission.

Ramah camps have experienced a period of unprecedented growth and development over the last two decades. New day camps, Tikvah programs, and specialty overnight camps were created, enrollment increased substantially, and programs in Israel were strengthened. Ramah has expanded LGBTQ+ inclusion efforts, and there has been an explosion of innovative Ramah initiatives year-round. 

Ramah’s growth has been accomplished to a large degree by strengthening camp leadership. Mitch has worked in partnership with individual camp boards to hire outstanding new camp directors and has helped create a supportive and collaborative professional environment for camp leaders.

In large part, as a result of Mitch’s relationships with funders and foundation leaders, NRC has raised over $30 million that has been distributed to camps and camp staff for training, Israel education, Tikvah, camper scholarships, and other programs. These include many new cohorts of Ramahniks coming together for training and sharing best practices, Reshet Ramah (alumni engagement), Ramah Service Corps (partnering with synagogues), The National Ramah Tikvah Network, Ramah College Network, Kerem (cohort for young adult Ramah professionals), the Ramah Israel Shabbaton, the Ramah Mental Health Network, and the Ramah Israel Bike Ride and Hiking Trip, all of which are staples of the Ramah movement offerings, providing thousands more opportunities for engagement with Ramah.

Perhaps most significantly, Mitch strengthens Ramah with his trademark warmth and sense of humor, helping to bring more and more people into the Ramah family. 

Early in his tenure as Director, Mitch articulated three key challenges for National Ramah, to strengthen existing camps, build new camps, and extend the Ramah mission. By all measures, Ramah, during the last two decades, has been overwhelmingly successful, poised to continue on a trajectory of growth for decades to come.