Shabbat Shalom, Jacobs Camp! As much as you have all taught me about gratitude – I can’t help but be sad since June 7th would have been our Session 1 Opening Day.
My calendar is not my friend right now. It’s reminding me that we should be in staff orientation, putting the finishing touches on another amazing summer. With everything going on in the world right now, I know that our Jacobs Camp Magicians, our staff, could help get us on the path to making real change in the world. Jacobs Camp’s long history with Social Action and Social Justice assures me that we will find new ways to connect and take action even though we are not together this summer. This is hard work that this community has always led the way in and we have so much we can learn and do together – please check out some of our family resources.
Our tradition teaches us that all human beings are created B’tzelem Elohim, in the Divine image (Genesis 1:27). The belief that the stamp of the Divine is present in all humans is fundamental to Reform Judaism and teaches us that we cannot tolerate discrimination, injustice or persecution against any person. We embody this by welcoming every camper and staff member into our fun and immersive Jewish camp experiences. Now we must continue to turn our focus to our greater world and our communities at home.
Let me get back to my gratitude – I’m grateful for my health, my family’s health, for finding new ways to connect with our community virtually and finding safe and responsible ways to be together in-person soon. I hope you read about HSJ365 Summer – we can’t wait to connect with our community in this new and exciting way. We are so grateful for all of your support.
All of us who work at camp are incredibly grateful for your concern during this difficult time. The outpouring of support by our parents, professional community, and donors has been beautiful and much appreciated. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the realities facing Jacobs Camp, our families, and the URJ as a whole, we have some important updates to share with everyone. Please read announcements from Assistant Directors Joshua Posner and Sarah Tucker.
I am so grateful for the time our camp family has had with Joshua and so proud of the work he has done to continue to grow and strengthen our community. Even though Joshua let me know it was time for his next chapter and Summer 2020 would be his last summer, I’m still not ready for him to leave! Our office and camp team will not be the same without his constant barrage of high fives and enthusiasm for spreading Jewish Joy in our region. I also look forward to the continued work of Sarah Tucker in her adjusted role. I know that Sarah will maintain her mentorship of our teens as they participate in the co-creation process of shaping NFTY’s future.
Though our world and community are going through major changes, we know that the Jacobs Camp community will continue to seek out moments of Jewish Joy together and take action towards justice for all.
Shabbat Shalom,
Anna