Ever wonder what your Ramaz classmates actually do once summer begins and their school lives are put aside? From when that final bell rings in June to the start of the fall semester in September, it turns out not everyone spends the break sleeping in and scrolling on the couch. Some students chased passion projects that never quite fit into a school-year schedule, others served their communities. Some launched new ventures, spent time in places that would not be expected, or got up close with marine life. Apparently, summer can be just as full of ambition as the school year. 

This feature highlights a handful of those stories: Behind the relaxed schedules and empty hallways, members of the school community are quietly doing things worth talking about. Here’s a look at how a few of them spent their summer.

Sara Kleinhaus ‘27

Sara Kleinhaus made her way to Camp Mesorah in Guilford, New York to be a vocational job coach for Yachad participants, Jewish adults with special needs. Last year she went on Yad B’ Yad, a separate program which takes place in Israel and she “fell in love with Yachad and everything that they do.” A typical day for her consisted of accompanying participants to jobs and activities, and helping them through different tasks. The day would be split into two: The first half focusing on building life skills such as sorting mail, packaging ice for the infirmity- things that might seem intuitive to people like us, but were very difficult  for the participants. The second half of the day then allowed for them to have some fun. They went swimming, played games, and just hung out all together. For Sara, the most meaningful part of her experience was spending time with the participants. “They are just so fun and enjoyable to be with. Just getting to spend time with them meant so much.”

Harry Honig ‘27

 Harry Honig spent two weeks in Thailand coaching soccer for kids through Together Sports, the nonprofit he founded to bring sports instruction to underprivileged youth. Harry started the organization in memory of a coach he had growing up, who passed away in 2020. “He made every kid feel like they belonged, regardless of their background,” Harry said. “I’ve been trying to do the same thing ever since.” Dr. Nancy Block, Upper School Chesed Coordinator, aware of the work H arry had put into building Together Sports, suggested he bring the organization’s programming to the school’s Thailand mission trip, and it ended up being the perfect fit. Mornings were spent running drills and playing with the kids, afternoons were spent with the local community, and evenings were used to plan for the next day. “Most people have no idea the organization even exists, let alone that it’s expanding to Southeast Asia” he said when asked about the organization. 

Charlotte Farber ‘27

This summer, Charlotte Farber took part in the Abarbanel Summer Seminar, a three week academic program for observant high school students in the Netherlands,  drawn to it because it seemed like a great fit for what she wanted for her summer. A typical day began with philosophy and history seminars in the morning, leaving afternoons and evenings for touring, relaxing, or pursuing electives. The group was based in Leidan which Charlotte described as a “cute little university town with a lot of nice cafes and museums,” and also took weekend trips to Belgium and Amsterdam. “It was an amazing experience, I really miss it,” she said. Reflecting on what she gained, Charlotte said she made a lot of friends and learned about “the history of the Netherlands and the way their communities were built.” She added that “It was just nice to learn so much in the classes and then go out with my friends and actually experience it in Europe.”

Ben Abayev ‘27

Ben spent his days interning at the district office of state Sen. Liz Krueger, D-Manhattan, where the work ranged from fielding calls from constituents to drafting informational pamphlets and researching proposed legislation. “I got the internship by emailing every single representative of my area, at every level, everything from city to state to federal level representatives,” he said. A typical day started at 10 a.m., when interns gathered in a conference room for a list of tasks before being given time to work on their own initiatives. For Ben, the internship tied into a larger goal: “I hope to one day be a politician myself,” he said, adding that since no one in his family has political connections, he felt he needed real experience in the field to start building his own. “The political industry is one that very heavily relies on connections,” he said. Outside his internship, Ben spent about two hours a day writing roughly 10 pages of a sci-fi thriller about four teenagers drafted to fight a war on Mars that explores the idea of unnecessary conflict. Now around eight chapters in, he’s hoping to finish and publish the book by December. “I’ve always wanted to author my own work, and I hope to improve my ability to write,” he said.

Hannah Katz’27

This summer, Hannah worked downtown at the YIVO Institute for Jewish Research, a museum and archive dedicated to preserving Eastern European Jewish culture, an opportunity she learned about through a family friend involved with the organization. “The idea of being immersed in history at the archives and getting real life work experience was super appealing to me,” she said, adding  being so close to all the primary sources and Jewish history also gave her insight into potential careers as she plans to study history in college. Her average day involved organizing, labeling, and photographing historical documents. “It is really cool to hold history in my hands; I never know what will be inside each box I open, and each day is a surprise,” she said.

Eleanor Goldfarb ‘27 

This summer, Eleanor interned at Monterey Expeditions, a diving business based in Monterey, California, helping with promotion and assisting in leading tours including diving, tidepooling, and snorkeling. “I have always had a deep love for the ocean and the life it holds,” she said. The opportunity grew out of personal love for marine life. After getting a scuba certificate a few years earlier while visiting a cousin who works for a marine biologist in Montenary California,  Eleanor became connected to the local diving community and knew who to reach out to when she was ready to come back for a summer job. “As soon as I swam through that kelp forest, over the rocky reef teeming with life, I knew this was something I wanted to continue doing,” she said. Eleanor also explained that this internship offered something a typical pre- college program couldn’t. “This internship allows me to do both what I love while gaining work experience.” Beyond the hands-on experience, Eleanor said the internship deepened both her personal connection to the ocean and her professional skill set.

So while the hallways at Ramaz were quiet this summer, Ramaz students were filling other places with their voices, passions, and pursuits.