It’s Summertime at Camp and All’s Right in the World
Time is going too fast! We love First Session and we are not ready for it to end! All of us are going to be soaking up every last minute of the best Summer yet! Check out the fun from this week in our week in review video.
We started the week saying goodbye to Olim until we meet again. We miss them and we know they had a great time (and so did we!), and we can’t wait to welcome them home again next summer!
Garin got to choose from some super cool Chugim activities this week including Cooking, Wacky Science, Mackanayim (Israeli Dodgeball) and Archery. Evenings were filled with a Super Mario Brothers-themed pool party, Zombie Messy Night, Bunk Nights, and Campouts.
Maskilim continues to enjoy their Arts, Sports, and Adventure Specialty Camps while finding some time to work in some awesome Chugim like Film Making, Songleading, and Adventure Chugim. They also had a blast swimming in Lake Gary and playing on the Lake Obstacle Courses. Evenings brought an Olympics sports program, a program organized by Solelim CITs to find the Jacobs Magic, and a staff appreciation program that gave Maskilim a chance to write and talk about why they appreciate their counselors.
Talmidim spent their days participating in Adventure, Arts, and Sports Specialty Camp, relaxing in the pool, and competing in Maccabiah! This week, Counselors planned Bunk Night, where each cabin has a special evening program just for their cabin! There were paint balloons, fancy dinners, night swims at the pool, special snacks, and tons of cabin bonding.
Our oldest campers, Chalutzim, arrived this week and we are so excited to welcome them home! They jumped right into camp life starting their own Chugim activities, swimming in the lake, showing their talents at the talent show and learning in a social justice program about civil disobedience. Welcome home, Chalutzim!
Although they were only here for 1 night, I have to mention our Kochavim Campers who visited this week for their first ever Jacobs Camp experience! In their short 22 hours at camp, they got to see all of the Jacobs Magic from swimming in the pool and lake, making friendship bracelets, having a dance party evening program, eating in the dining hall with all of camp and sleeping overnight in a cabin! We can’t wait to welcome them back home in Summer 2024!
After the Stalent Show this week, the craziest thing happened… There was an open spot in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and four different bands (The Arctic Monkeys, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Green Day, and Sublime) competed to win it! That’s right! It’s MACCABIAH! Everyone at camp was divided into 4 teams, Yellow, Red, Green, and Blue and they competed by units in exciting competition like wacky sports,minute to win it quiz games, tug of war competition, all-camp relay race, followed by Haggigah, the arts showcase. The event was a huge success, and at the end of the day, the winning band was The Arctic Monkeys, the Blue Team!
Phew…that was some adventure, and now all the bands are back on the road! Another week’s nearly in the books, so we’re getting cleaned up for Shabbat and looking forward to a slower pace tomorrow. But first comes Shabbat dinner—Roast Brisket with all the fixins—with a yummy cobbler for dessert. It’s summer at camp, and all’s right with the world. Wishing all our families a Shabbat shalom from Jacobs Camp!
Love,
Anna
About the Author
Anna B. Herman
Anna is so excited to be the Executive Director of the URJ Henry S. Jacobs Camp. Anna grew up in Dothan, AL, and began attending the Henry S. Jacobs Camp at age 11. In addition to being a camper, Anna also was a counselor and unit head. Following graduation from the University of Alabama, she became the assistant director at Jacobs, after which she served as a congregational youth director and as the assistant director of the URJ Meetings and Conventions Department. Anna then transitioned to the assistant director of business operations for the URJ’s camping system. In this role, in which she partnered with our 14 URJ camps across North America, she gained a wealth of camping knowledge.
Throughout, she remained connected to Jacobs Camp as a lay leader, serving as the Camp Committee – Development Committee Chair. She also met her husband Nadav at Jacobs Camp, and surrounded by family and many friends from Jacobs and the URJ, they were married at the chapel on Lake Gary.
Anna is thrilled to be home to lead the Jacobs community, and to inspire generations of future campers to create Jacobs “magic” every summer.
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