From the Other Side of the Lens: What Brings Us Back to Jacobs Camp

There’s something about Jacobs Camp that’s impossible to define — we call it Jacobs magic. It looks different for everyone, yet somehow, it unites us all.

For me, that magic revealed itself in quiet moments — like watching the ducklings I saw on day one grow a little each day. I couldn’t help but feel the symbolism: how we all grow, often without realizing it, just by being in the right environment.

Then there was the pull — that deep, indescribable feeling that brought me back after seven years away. I didn’t fully understand it, but I felt it in my gut. 

When I applied for the summer, I had no idea how transformative it would be. I knew I was craving Jewish community and something grounding after a rollercoaster year. I didn’t know exactly what I was searching for — just that camp held something familiar and special I needed.

The first sermon I heard put everything into words: camp exists in the in-between. For many, it’s a place of transition — where you say goodbye to who you were and begin to become who you’re meant to be.

As a ladybug landed on my shoulder, I listened, realizing exactly what I had stepped into after all these years. Memories came rushing back from childhood, and in that moment, I started to understand. It’s emotional, confusing, and sometimes painful to live in-between phases of yourself. But somehow, camp makes space for all of it — holding you while you transform.

When I was a camper, I thought the camp photographers were the coolest people around. I’d go out of my way to talk to them and dreamed of being one. And this summer? I led the media team. If that’s not full-circle, I don’t know what is. There’s something powerful about becoming someone your inner child would look up to.

Camp is both a refuge from the outside world and a place that challenges you to grow — no matter your age. Knowing how special these moments are for campers, and being able to capture even a glimpse of them for their families, was an incredibly meaningful role.

Jacobs magic isn’t just in the traditions, songs, or memories. It’s in the people, the challenges, the growth. It’s in the way this place meets you where you are — and gently nudges you toward who you’re becoming.

I’m leaving with a full heart, a deeper appreciation for how camp has always been home, and the comfort of knowing there are no forever goodbyes here. What an incredible summer it’s been!

Until next time, Jacobs Camp.