Ramah gauging interest in NorCal camp

If you’re looking for a Jewish overnight camp west of the Mississippi, well, take your pick. But if you’re looking for a Conservative camp, it’s SoCal or bust.

That might soon change.

Along with a group of Northern California lay leaders, Ojai-based Camp Ramah in California is conducting a market survey to determine local interest in a Ramah camp that would serve the Bay Area, Sacramento area and northern Nevada.

The survey, which takes 10 to 15 minutes to complete, can be accessed at www.vitalresearchsurveys.com/ramah. It will be available until the end of June.

Currently, Camp Ramah in California is the only camp in the West that is affiliated with the Conservative movement. The idea for a potential site in Northern California comes from the growing waitlist for the Ojai camp, and the fact that the Bay Area is now home to the third-largest Jewish community in the country, according to recent demographic studies.

“There are two excellent Jewish summer camps serving Northern California, but a Ramah would hopefully fill a different niche,” said Rabbi Daniel Greyber, director of Camp Ramah in California. “It would be a kosher camp that would provide a more intense Jewish experience and would contribute to creating future professional and lay leaders for the community.”

JCC celebrates Israel with family pool day

To celebrate Israel’s 60th birthday, the Osher Marin Jewish Community Center will host a family day at the pool. Israel at the Pool will be June 29 from noon until 4 p.m. at 200 N. San Pedro Road, San Rafael.

There will be games and races in the lane-free pool, a “jumpy house” on the lawn and a DJ spinning Israeli music. There also will be indoor sports and an arts and crafts area. Food and snacks, including barbecued meats, popcorn and falafel, will be for sale poolside.

The event is free for members, $5 for a children’s public day pass and $15 for an adult public day pass. For details, call (415) 518-7915 or visit www.marinjcc.org.

CJM invites families on museum tours

The new Contemporary Jewish Museum reserves 1 o’clock on Sundays especially for families, when children of all ages and their parents are invited on interactive tours of the museum’s exhibits.

Each Sunday, Family Gallery Adventures will have families exploring a different aspect of the museum. On Sunday, June 22, CJM docents will take visitors through “Shapes and Angles — Exploring Architecture,” an introduction to the physical space of the new building.

Next Sunday, families are invited to tour two exhibits celebrating the many faces featured in Jewish artwork: “From the New Yorker to Shrek: The Art of William Steig” and “Being Jewish: A Bay Area Portrait.”

After the Family Gallery Adventures tours, which meet at the Shenson Welcome Center, families are encouraged to participate in hands-on art projects at the Sala Webb Education Center.

The Contemporary Jewish Museum is located at 736 Mission St., S.F. The family tours are free with the price of admission.