The Jacobs blog

Welcome Home Again, Jacobs Camp!

If there is one thing Nadav and I argue about all the time, it is weather. Nadav is constantly monitoring the weather, always looking for potential hazards, while I am always pushing to keep the kids in the pool as long as we can. But on Friday morning at 5 AM, there was nothing to argue about. A major storm was quickly approaching camp and we needed to be prepared. We were very lucky that we did not sustain significant damage to our facilities here at camp, but it was clear that losing power was very likely.

In true Jacobs Camp style, we knew exactly what to do next: breakfast glow stick party! We rented emergency lights “just in case” and planned on pizza for Shabbat dinner. But as the day wore on, things started to get hot. Like many of you reading this, I spent many summers at camp before there was air conditioning, so I know hot. But with the power looking less and less likely to come back on, we needed to pivot. We would take camp on the road, if necessary. We would do whatever it takes to keep the Jacobs Magic flowing, and we would make sure our campers continued to have the summer of their lives.

Our leadership staff kept cool heads and made countless phone calls, and before we knew it, we had two YMCA campuses and a fleet of buses ready to go on Saturday. With support from our amazing community in Jackson, we arrived and hit the ground running. Our staff magically re-created the camp Shabbat experience for our campers with a variety of Shabbotionals and a special sno-cone treat. Everyone was relieved to be back in the cool air, and again our counselors and staff made it all incredibly fun!

Though we had just gotten settled in Jackson, it was becoming clear that the storm damage to the power system was extensive, and we knew there was a chance we would need to pivot again. While the campers enjoyed a special day of skating, bowling and having fun, in Jackson, our leadership team was working hard behind the scenes to solidify a plan.

Moving 380 people on the fly, along with an entire camp’s worth of art supplies, sports equipment, snacks, toothbrushes and loveys, plus our full medical team, was no small task, but we were not working alone. With the Jacobs Camp community, our camp committee and the URJ behind us, we were on the move to Baton Rouge, another city where we have incredible support. After a ride back to camp, we all unpacked and repacked our overnight bags, loaded up an entirely different fleet of buses, and we were off.

Our campers could not have handled the transition to the hotel in Baton Rouge more beautifully. We told them how much we believed in their ability to model good behavior and represent Jacobs Camp. They blew us away, and we are so proud. The hotel staff told us over and over again what a great group we have, and it was no surprise at all.

Though our campers were having an absolute blast, it was an amazing relief to learn that the power came back at camp on Sunday night. We planned for one more special morning of fun in Baton Rouge where our campers enjoyed air hockey, arcade games and more. This gave our operations and food service teams time to reset everything at camp and prepare all of our facilities to welcome our campers back.

There is always a bit of a magical, buzzy feeling when you take that last turn on to Morrison Road, but passing through the Jacobs Camp gates has never felt so sweet as it did on Monday when we brought our campers back home.

As a camp director, you learn to expect the unexpected. We make back-up plans for our back-up plans, and try to prepare for every possible scenario. But back-up plans are meaningless without the people that execute them. Our counselors and staff made every minute of this fun. They kept their own energy high through non-stop days, they kept everyone safe, and they made sure everyone had more fun than we could ever have imagined. They are truly heroes for our kids!

In addition, the support from countless volunteers in Jackson and Baton Rouge, and those that helped from afar, made it possible for us to focus on the kids. Our community’s dedication to Jacobs Camp is unstoppable. I also want to take this opportunity to thank our Jacobs Camp parents. Your trust in us to care for your children is not something we take lightly, and we could not have done any of this without knowing you’d be behind us. The last few days at Jacobs Camp have been nothing short of extraordinary, thanks to our entire community. There is nothing our camp family can’t do together, and I am so grateful.

Welcome Home again, Jacobs Camp. We’ve got a lot more fun ahead of us!

Click here to watch our Week in Review Video to check out the excitement!