Vision,Leadership, and Change: The Case of Ramah Summer Camps

In his retrospective essay, Seymour Fox (1997 Fox, S. and with Novak, W. 1997. Vision at the heart: Lessons from Camp Ramah on the power of ideas in shaping educational institutions, New York: Council for Initiatives in Jewish Education and Mandel Institute.  Google Scholar]) identified “vision” as the essential element that shaped the Ramah camp system. I will take a critical look at Fox's main claims:

• A particular model of vision was essential to the development of Camp Ramah, and

• That model of vision should guide contemporary Jewish educators in creating Jewish educational excellence.

I will draw upon historical accounts and theories of organizational leadership and change to question Fox's first claim about the history of Camp Ramah and to offer an alternative model of vision to guide future leaders of Jewish camps.