Please read all of this information before registering for the Shabbaton. We will ask if you have read and understood this information before preceeding.
For the past six years, we have been running programs for Ramah Tikvah alumni and their families as part of TikvahNet and our Tikvah Family Speaker Series. We have had 200+ Tikvah alumni and 200+ families attend our programs in the past five years. We are so proud of our amazing virtual community.
We regularly receive requests for TikvahNet participants and families to meet each other in person. We are excited to announce our second-ever Tikvah Alumni and Families Shabbaton in Philadelphia, PA, in March 2027. Our first shabbaton in November 2025 was a huge success, and we are so excited to offer another one. We hope that many of our Tikvah alumni and their families will join us for a wonderful Shabbat filled with joy, friendship, and meaningful programs.
See the text below for detailed information on the Shabbaton. We require a minimum number of participants to make the shabbaton happen - we encourage families to register early (see registration details below). Until December 2026, when we confirm the Shabbaton, consider booking changeable flights and accommodations.
Where and when is this happening?
Where?
The shabbaton will take place at Temple Adath Israel on the Main Line in Philadelphia, PA, USA (250 N Highland Ave, Merion Station, PA 19066, United States).
When?
The shabbaton will begin at 3:30pm ET on Friday March 12th 2027 at the synagogue , and our final program will conclude by 9:00pm ET on Saturday March 13th 2027.
Who is this Shabbaton for?
This shabbaton is open to two groups of people:
1. All past and current participants of our Ramah Tikvah programs and vocational training programs ages 18+ (known by such names as Ezra, Atzmayim and Voc-Ed). This means that any Tikvah alumni from any Ramah camp can attend!
2. Guardians or parents of Ramah Tikvah alumni from any Ramah camp attending along with a Ramah Tikvah alumni.
We are including both Tikvah alumni and their families for several reasons.
First, we want to create an amazing program that serves both groups - we have heard from TikvahNet participants and families that both groups want more opportunities to connect in person. Second, we want to ensure that each participant can attend the shabbaton and receive any support needed to attend from their family. As detailed below, we are not able to provide support for transportation and accommodations for our large and diverse group of participants. We wanted to provide flexible options for families to attend in whatever way is best for them.
We know that the location and structure of this program will work well for some, but not for everyone. We hope to offer more programs in the future in different locations and with various transportation and housing options. If you’d like to share feedback on what you’d like to see for future in-person offerings, please email maya@campramah.org.
How many people can attend from each family?
To ensure that we can accommodate as many families as possible, each family can register a maximum of 3 people (e.g., 1 Tikvah alumni, 2 family members)
Tikvah alumni are welcome to attend by themselves/without a parent or guardian joining our shabbaton. However, it is important to review the support we do, and do not provide, and decide if this is the right fit for you.
Shabbaton Highlights to look forward to
Who will be there?
We are excited to welcome amazing staff for our Shabbaton to help lead engaging programs and facilitate social connections. Staff will include:
- Some Tikvah directors from Ramah camps
- Some TikvahNet staff
- Rabbis and other Jewish leaders
- Invited guest speakers to lead programs focused on housing, navigating work, and other topics related to adulthood.
Program highlights:
- Tefillot (praying) - Tikvah style!
- Havdalah, Zmirot, and singing together!
- Enjoying delicious meals with new and old friends
- Many networking and socializing opportunities with staff to support
- Exciting surprise motzei shabbat program
- Ramah Tikvah trivia
What does registration include, and what is not included?
Registration includes:
All meals:
- Snacks & dinner on Friday
- Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner on Saturday
- Any other refreshments during the program
Attendance and all materials needed for our programs from Friday-Saturday (separate tracks of programming for Tikvah alumni and their families)
Staff to support all programs and transitions between programs.
Registration does NOT include:
Transportation:
- Participants will need to arrange their own transportation (e.g., driving, airfare, trains depending on where you live)
- Participants are responsible for getting to and from their choice of accommodations.
Hotel accommodations:
- There are several hotels in the area that are available for accommodations. You are welcome to stay wherever you would like - there is no official shabbaton hotel. No programming will take place at hotels, and participants will be responsible for traveling to and from their accommodations to programs.
For participants wanting to stay closer to the synagogue (1.5 miles), the closest hotel is the Hilton Philadelphia City Avenue (4200 City Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19131, United States). There are several other hotels in the area you are also welcome to look into.
Registration cost:
The early bird price of the shabbaton (until November 30th 2026) is $75 USD per person. Starting December 1st 2026, the fee will be $90 USD.
We never want cost to be a barrier to participation. We have limited financial assistance available for families - please be in touch with maya@campramah.org if you require financial support to participate.
Thanks to a generous donation, the registration cost is lower than the actual cost per family. The true cost is around $150 per participant. If you are in a position to pay that full cost, which will help support the attendance of other families, please consider making a tax deductible donation at the end of the form.
Cancellation policy:
If you cancel your registration before January 31st 2027, we will refund 100% of your registration fee.
If you need to cancel between February 1st and February 28th 2027, we can refund 50% of your registration fee.
If you need to cancel less than two weeks before the event (after March 1st 2027), we are unfortunately not able to refund your registration costs because food, supplies, and staffing will have been finalized.
Additional considerations for attendance
Travel independently: Participants are required to travel to and from the shabbaton, and to and from their accommodations, independently or with their families who also attend.
Meals: Meals are buffet-style with open access to food. Participants with dietary restrictions will be offered appropriate meal options, but participants must be able to manage situations where there is unrestricted food access.
Activities of daily living/personal care: We are not able to support activities of daily living/personal care. Families are welcome to support participants however they need in these areas.
Behavior: No aggressive or inappropriate verbal, physical, or sexual behaviors will be tolerated.
Thank you for taking the time to review this detailed Shabbaton information. Please fill out the registration form below!