Paige Mandelman – Capital Campaign Manager – Welcome Home!

Hi Y’all! My name is Paige Mandelman and I am so excited to join the Jacobs Camp year-round team as the Capital Campaign Manager! I am from Memphis, TN and I attended Tulane University. Since then, my professional journey has been defined by a consistent effort to give back to the communities that shaped my identity.

After graduating from Tulane in 2017, I joined Teach for America and moved back home to Memphis where I taught for a collective 5 years. While the Memphis I knew as a child was still present, teaching there introduced me to the city’s diverse communities, broadening my worldview and deepening my understanding of others, and ultimately, solidifying my pride in the city. Teaching in Memphis was a way to express my deep gratitude to the city that raised me, while simultaneously contributing to its continued growth and success through education.

If the city of Memphis was my home then Temple Israel was the shared space where I gathered with my community, a place of shared identity and purpose. Throughout my formative years, from Noah’s Ark preschool to my time as MeFTY president, Temple Israel profoundly influenced my Jewish identity. When the opportunity to work for Temple presented itself, I took it as another opportunity to give back to a place that shaped my sense of self. In my role as Community Engagement Director, I strategically developed and implemented programs that engaged young adults, building bridges through common interests and a shared Jewish identity. I also deepened existing friendships and forged new connections, cultivating a vibrant and expanding Jewish community around me.

While Memphis was my home and Temple Israel a vital room within it, the deepest connection to my Jewish identity, the hearth around which I felt safe, was forged at Henry S. Jacobs Camp. My Jacobs Camp experience differed from many of my cabin mates, who had grown up at camp since Olim and Garin; mine began in 2008 as a Talmidim camper. Stepping into a space with established bonds initially made me hesitant, but I was quickly embraced by the camp community. Camp became my refuge, a place where I could leave the world behind and revel in the pure delight of being carefree. Following my camper years, I spent two summers as a counselor after high school, and then in 2018, I returned as Olim Unit Head, where I had the rewarding experience of creating Jacobs Magic for our youngest campers and guiding counselors who were former campers of mine.

All of these experiences – teaching in Memphis, fostering community at Temple Israel, and growing up at Jacobs Camp – have led me to this moment. I now get to step into a role that allows me to continue giving back to the places that mean so much to me. As Capital Campaign Manager, I get to play a pivotal role in securing the future of Jacobs Camp, working alongside Jacob and Anna, who have already laid such a strong foundation for this campaign, and ensuring its continued impact on generations to come by raising vital funds for its growth and development.

I am so grateful and excited to be a part of this team! See you this summer!

Paige holding the Talit above her campers on Shabbat in 2014