The Jacobs blog

Hineh Mah Tov Moment

Services at Jacobs Camp typically begin with Hineh Mah Tov, Psalm 133, singing and rejoicing how good it is to be together. Earlier this month, Anna, Nadav and I had the opportunity to attend the Foundation for Jewish Camp (FJC) Leaders Assembly Conference in Atlanta with over 900 Jewish camp professionals from around the world. This was a Hineh Mah Tov moment for me – for the first time in over three years, leaders from Jewish camps gathered to share new ideas, learn about more opportunities and celebrate how good it was to be together. It also was my first conference as Jacobs Camp Assistant Director and gave me the opportunity to network with other professionals for the first time in-person.

The first two days of the conference, I attended sessions focused on MESSH (Mental, Emotional, Social and Spiritual Health) and Disability Inclusion at Camp, as Jacobs Camp received grants to participate in FJC’s Yedid Nefesh and Yashar programs. I gained insight into what other camps both in and out of the Reform movement are doing to excel and came away with new ideas for staff training so that we can support our counselors who in turn do the most important job of all–supporting our campers and bringing the Jacobs Magic to everyday programming.

I also loved getting to meet professionals who I’ve only met online to build meaningful relationships and learn from them and share all about Jacobs Camp and our important mission of spreading Jewish joy to the Deep South and beyond. For me, this was the highlight of my weekend, as the in-person connections were key and I got to see two mentors of mine who influenced my decision to work as a Jewish professional. I am so grateful for the opportunity to be with my colleagues – Hineh Mah Tov U’mah naim shevet achim gam yachad.