Our Camp. Our Home. Our Future. – The Work Begins

Our Jacobs Camp family — campers, alumni, parents, grandparents, and friends — have come together to officially launch the Our Camp. Our Home. Our Future. Capital Campaign. It’s a once-in-a-generation moment years in the making, and we can’t wait to share it with you.

We are proud and excited to announce our campaign goal of $18 million!

With these funds, we will do nothing less than sustain Jewish LIFE (18) in the Deep South by attracting and retaining more Jewish children for the Jacobs Camp experience, strengthening their Jewish identities, and securing Camp’s future. Thanks to incredible leadership donors and early supporters, we have already built a state-of-the-art Athletic Complex, a beautiful new Bayit (Counselor-in-Training House), and begun camper cabin renovations — with a Lakefront Pavilion on the way!

But this is just the beginning. With your help, we will:

• Renovate and modernize the kitchen and dining hall — the heart of our daily community.
• Refurbish and expand the tennis courts (adding pickleball, of course!) — ensuring safe and more exciting athletic options for every camper.
• Build the Beit Am — a “living room” for camp, a gathering place for visitors, campers, and leaders, with accommodations for the Director’s family.
• Continue vital infrastructure and resilience upgrades to keep camp safe, accessible for all and thriving for decades to come.
• Grow our Sustainability Fund to protect our investment.

Why Jacobs Camp? Because in the Deep South, where many Jewish children have few Jewish peers and face increasing antisemitism, Jacobs is more than a camp. It’s a home — a place to live Jewishly, to grow in confidence, to lead, and to build friendships that last a lifetime.

Why Now? Because our facility is 56 years old. We’ve stewarded it well, but it is time for some upgrades and additions. This sacred space must continue to be a warm and welcoming home that attracts new campers, and meets the living and programmatic needs of the next generation.

Why You? Because since our founding in 1970, Jacobs Camp has always been built by us — the families, congregations, alumni, and friends who believe in its sacred mission.

Every gift matters. It will take our full community coming together and making transformational contributions to bring this vision to life. Whether you can make a stretch gift of $500, $5,000, $50,000, or even $500,000, your commitment today builds the foundation for tomorrow!

We hope you’ll consider joining us in making a multi-year pledge or a one-time donation today. Pledges can be made over three years, or up to five years for gifts of $100,000 or more. If you would like to sit down with anyone in camp or campaign leadership to discuss your gift and dream with us about the future of camp, we would love to talk with you!

Together, we can ensure Jacobs Camp remains a home of Jewish joy, community, and resilience for generations to come.

With gratitude and excitement,

Diane and Alan Franco
Robin and Billy Orgel
Linda and Mark Posner
Campaign Co-Chairs — Our Camp. Our Home. Our Future.

Susan and Macy B. Hart – Honorary Co-Chairs