Jacobs Camp is a place where I can be unapologetically myself. It’s been my home away from home for five years now and I’ve made friendships there that will last me a lifetime. This past summer I reunited with my friends as a Solel in the brand new Solelim Program. I wasn’t a camper anymore, so I was nervous to find my new place at camp. However, I ended up having one of the best summers of my life. I loved the program because it improved my leadership skills and prepared me to be a future staff member at camp. A super helpful part of Solelim was the Limmud learning hour. With the help of Lexi, Josh, and Devorah, the wonderful Solelim advisors, I learned impactful lessons on how to be a self-advocate, a program leader, and a successful counselor at camp.
My favorite aspect of the program was the hands-on experience of working with staff and campers. I was assigned a cabin in Maskilim and created meaningful bonds with campers in and out of my assigned cabin. I would look forward to eating with my campers daily, dancing with them during song sessions, and helping them experience the magic of Jacobs Camp. In the Adventure Department, I was proud watching campers work together during teamwork activities that my friends and I got to lead. An incredible part about my personal Solelim experience was the opportunity I had to explore my passion of song leading and share that with camp. Leading song sessions and unit services for camp with my guitar are still some of my happiest memories to date. I had fun working with the amazing Head Song leader, Jacob, and improving my song leading skills which I brought back home to my local temple. Thanks to the Solelim program I gained confidence in my ability to lead and make a positive impact on camp. The constructive advice, constant support, and ability to connect with Jacobs Camp’s incredible staff made my Solelim year meaningful. Thanks to the program I am excited to come back to camp next summer and continue being a leader in the place I love the most.
Erika Rosenzweig, 17, is currently a Senior at Marjory Stoneman Douglas Highschool in Parkland, FL and loves music, art, and science.