My Friendships, Jewish Identity and Home: A Bat Mitzvah Project

I grew up in the small town of Clemson, SC. Out of the 1,000 people at my school, my sister is the only other Jewish person. People assume I’m Christian and they get uncomfortable when I say that I’m Jewish. My family has to drive an hour away just to get to our temple, where there are only a few people my age. Jacobs Camp is the only place I can go where everyone around me is Jewish.

I started going to Jacobs Camp when I was eight years old. It became my home and a place where I could freely express my Jewish identity. I made lifelong friendships and made so many memories that I wouldn’t be able to make anywhere else. I hated not being able to go to Jacobs in 2020 because of Covid, but it just made it so much better to come back in 2021. Seeing everyone at camp after 2 years made me realize how special Jacobs Camp really is.

When I was trying to decide what I wanted to do for my bat mitzvah project, I immediately thought of raising money for Jacobs Camp. Jacobs Camp has helped me immensely throughout my Jewish journey and I want to give back to the camp that has given me so much. All the money that gets donated will go to the Jacobs Magic Fund. The Jacobs Magic Fund gives camp scholarships to kids who can’t afford to come to Jacobs. I want to raise money for Jacobs Camp so that other kids can go to camp and experience the Jacobs magic and so that the kids that go to Jacobs can have the best summer ever.

Please join me in supporting my home away from home so other kids can have the same amazing experience that I have had!