From Camp Counselor to Political Creative

How much has Jacobs meant to me?

The truth is it’s impossible to overstate.

Not only do I owe camp for the closest friends I still have to this day, but it’s at camp that I developed the self-confidence I needed to thrive and through a weird twist of fate the creative inspiration that’s helped me succeed professionally.

Camp, Creativity, and Lasting Memories

I grew up in New Orleans during the 1980’s and spent nine summers in Utica, starting as a Gariner and closing full circle when I returned to camp after college in the summer of 2001 as the Garin Unit Head.

In most respects my Jacobs experience is completely ordinary, and I mean that in an exceptional type of way. From the first summer I spent at camp I formed amazing friendships with extraordinary people. I was guided through the fun and the challenges of being a kid by caring and inspiring counselors. And the specialness of being Jewish was ingrained in me explicitly through Jewish learning and implicitly by a community like none other.

But to me, the special sauce that made it all work so well is that during the 80’s and 90’s
Utica, Mississippi was America’s hotbed of creativity. Because the truth is while we couldn’t have felt luckier to be there, any objective look at things would reveal most days it was close to 100 degrees or pouring rain, you fought with your cabinmates at night to get access to the one box fan, the staple piece of athletic equipment was a series of generic bouncy red balls and among the required activities were waking up at 7am to start the day with fitness and to write handwritten postcards or letters to your parents at least three times a week.

None of that really matters, because as a result of the creativity and energy of the staff, every night we were transported to worlds away at thoroughly thought out and unique evening programs. We competed against each other in made up games and told stories of camp legends, were peer-pressured into acting like we enjoyed the taste of things like Puckeroo Pops and even took pride in waking up from rest hour drenched in sweat.

And perhaps the most important staple of all that creativity was the skits, the many many skits. Whether it be the Opening and Closing Night Jacobs themed re-writings of popular songs, to every unit having a respective skit for their nightly evening program, to each year having a separate Letter Day theme and Camp Torah, and Special Day, there was just an amazing amount of creative content being churned out on a daily basis.

When it was me and my friends turn to take over the mantle as staff we couldn’t have been more excited to make sure our campers would recount our performances the same way we could from our counselors. There was almost a level of competition into who could do the funniest or most absurd thing to make the campers most excited.

Almost 30 years later I could sing you the chorus of the first song to Opening Night of 1998 that I helped write to the tune of Chumbawamba’s “Tubthumbing” or the theme song of that summer’s Letter Day skit of the President of Jacobs Camp. I have the Championship Belt from the 2001 Letter Day skit of the World Wrestling Federation behind my desk today and every summer when I spend time with Rachel Fink I get to laugh at how the lunch skit for a program called “Honey Mustard, The Condiment of the Future” resulted in her running off the stage to vomit after consuming three packets of said condiment (I also take it as a point of pride that when given the option between a packet of honey mustard or a rice crispy treat for snack an overwhelming majority of Maskilimers went with the condiment of the future).

From Camp to Career

Fast forward a couple decades and I find myself working in politics in the unique field of being a political media consultant, writing and producing TV commercials for Democratic politicians across the country. And when people ask me how I trained for the job I have, the answer can be found back in Utica.

Because if you look closely at Washington State Attorney General Nick Brown pole vaulting with his kids in the lead up to the Olympics (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JXnBZIkq5hk) or Chuck Schumer tailgating outside the Buffalo Bills stadium (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DxbCbWqVM9k), or Reverend Raphael Warnock walking a dog down the street in Georgia as he responds to attacks from his opponent (https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=N-D2bS48ZsA) these are all things you could have found performed on the blocks or stage of the dining hall.

In short, I owe camp everything, and I know it’s providing the same foundation to my three daughters today that it did for me back then.

Our Camp. Our Home. Our Future.

That brings me to the current Our Camp. Our Home. Our Future Capital Campaign to ensure that Jacobs is able to serve the same foundational role in the lives of the next generation of kids that it did for us.

When Laura and I were approached about participating our decision was a no brainer, but the more we looked into the thoughtful plans that have been developed, the more we were inspired by what’s taking place.

The projects that are being prioritized are specifically designed to address the challenges camp faces. A new athletic center and modern sporting features to attract families looking for more than just those red bouncy balls, new living quarters for Solelim to make sure we retain soon to be counselors during a critical summer of their growth, an updated infirmary and modernized cabins because kids aren’t as strong willed and inoculated as we were, and the list goes on and on.

Laura and I made the decision to make a commitment commensurate with the impact Jacobs has made on our lives which is a fitting way to honor all the time, energy and creativity that were poured into me. Please join us in helping insure the future of Jacobs.