Activism

Our goal is to produce educated American Jews who live lives of Kiddush Hashem -- sanctifying God's name -- in a manner that brings personal satisfaction and endows them with a sense of responsibility to others. A Ramaz graduate hears the question God asked of Isaiah, "Whom shall I send and who will go for us?" (Isaiah 6:8) and answers as Isaiah did, "Here I am; send me."

In keeping with our mission, Ramaz has a longstanding tradition of social activism and a commitment to doing chesed, beginning in nursery and continuing through the Upper School years. As part of our pledge to engage with the world around us, our school carries on the legacy of activism that the RaMaZ himself sparked in the early 1930s. This spirit of activism was rekindled in the 1960s as the school culture came to emphasize political awareness, Jewish consciousness, and social reform — a culture that endures today. In the '70s and '80s, students became actively involved in the Soviet Jewry movement, attending political demonstrations and rallies, as they continue to do today on behalf of the State of Israel and other causes. The last twenty years have also witnessed the rise of a re-invigorated social activism within the New York community as students prepare daily food collections, work in soup kitchens, and help developmentally disabled youth. Ramaz has always sought not only to educate children, but to train the leaders of tomorrow.