Miriam Shwartz
Miriam Shwartz was born and raised in Cedar Rapids, IA. She received a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology from the University of Arizona, graduating Summa Cum Laude and with Honors. Miriam attended the JCC Ranch Camp as a camper and has worked as a staff member since 1999; she met her husband and now co-director, Gilad, while working at the camp in 2001. This upcoming summer will be Miriam’s 17th season at Ranch Camp. She and Gilad live at the camp year-round with their 2 dogs, 3 cats, 3 horses, 2 cows, 2 goats, and 7 seven chickens. She considers camp to be instrumental in the development of her Jewish Identity and commitment to working in Jewish Education.
Articles by Miriam Shwartz
8 Days of Hanukkah Challenge: Be the Light You Want to See in the World
In the camp world, we are more about actions than words. Our days are full of learning and exploring through ...
Gratitude
“Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgiving, turn routine jobs into joy, and change ordinary opportunities into blessings.” -William Arthur ...
Sukkot and Home
Shana tova and chag sameach! The Jewish fall calendar is full of celebration and festivities and one of my favorites ...
Reflecting to Look Forward
The summer Torah portion, Matot, opens with Moses giving the following instructions to the Israelite tribal heads: “If a man ...
Our Common Purpose
Our staff have arrived for training and summer is soon underway! All year long I work hard to recruit staff, ...
Surrender
“At fifteen life had taught me undeniably that surrender, in its place, was as honorable as resistance, especially if one had no choice.” ...
Celebrating Tu Bishvat
Gilad and I welcomed our baby girl into the world on January 1st. Sivan Amali Shwartz arrived just in time ...
O’have Liot B’Bayit (Love to be Home)
Have you ever felt immediately welcomed in a new place? Well recently, Gilad came back from a recruiting trip to ...
thanksGIVING
We continue our series on giving. Autumn is definitely my favorite time of year. I love the change in weather, ...
Teaching Our Children How to Swim
In addition to beginning to plan for the upcoming 2014 camping season, Gilad and I find ourselves also busy preparing ...