As opposed to many of those Camp Chairs who preceded me, I did not became a member of the Jacobs Camp community as a camper or counselor.
When I married Susan Phillips from Dumas, Arkansas in 1975 she agreed to live in New Orleans. That would hopefully mean that when we had children they would be born at Touro Infirmary, we would belong to Touro Synagogue and they would attend Isidore Newman School. Susan’s only request was that our children become campers at Henry S. Jacobs Camp.
The Shamash is a reminder to past Camp Committee Chairs of blessed memory. The first was Julian Allenberg who passed away before ever getting to appreciate the real joy of being a Camp Chair. Jerry Tanenbaum succeeded him and served for ten years, followed by David Grishman from Jackson. Ten years later Rich Lewis from Little Rock was elected to the position. When Jerry was chair, my mother-in-law, Elsie Phillips z’l became the camp board secretary. She and Harry z’l, Susan’s father, wanted to spend more time with our family at Camp. Therefore I was asked to join the Camp Committee when Steve Orlansky, my fraternity brother at LSU, was chair.
On this fifth night, the first candle goes to Susan who is an alumni, having attended the first Softy Camp in Utica. The second goes to our children Jenny and Jeff who brought home from Camp their love for Judaism and their friends. The fourth goes to Jenny and Lee’s girls, Ellie and Megan whose love for Camp is unparalleled. Summer 2021 I look forward to the fifth as Jeff and Caroline’s son Benjy will be a first time camper and the following year, I hope their daughter Claire will join the others.
I have been blessed by the light and warmth which Jacobs Camp has given me and my family. Happy Hanukkah!
Lou Good served as the Chair of the Camp Committee from 2007-2011. Lou lives with his wife, Susan, in New Orleans, LA.