Do’s and Don’ts for Talking to Your Child about Grief
Do: Identify, validate, and normalize the feeling. Ask open questions. Children’s behaviors are a window into how they’re feeling; they often use their actions to communicate when they don’t yet have the skills to do so verbally. When you notice your child might be...
It’s Okay to be Sad. I’m Sad, Too
Anna’s letter announcing the cancellation of in-person programming this summer hit me harder than I expected. I had anticipated that Covid-19 might disrupt the plans for Summer 2020, but getting the official news filled me with dread and a lot of tears. I sat in that...
Update Regarding 2020 Tuition
We cannot say it enough: thank you. The outpouring of support from our Jacobs Camp family has been incredible. Whether this would have been your family’s first summer or 50th, you are an important part of our family, and we are so grateful for you. As we shared in our...
2020 Update
Dear Jacobs Camp Family, This is the hardest letter I have ever had to write. It is with broken hearts that we share our plans to cancel all in-person activities held in Utica for summer 2020. If at any point new information emerges and conditions change that lead us...
10 Ideas – Activities for Families at Home
Hello Jacobs Camp Family! I hope everyone is safe and healthy, during this time of unknowns. Here in DC we are staying home, and always looking for the joyful moments that carry our family through the day to day. My husband, Jacob, is a Jacobs alum, our son, Hersh,...
Ten for Two, a Memoir of My Jewish Summer Camp Experience
[siteorigin_widget class="SiteOrigin_Widget_Image_Widget"][/siteorigin_widget][siteorigin_widget class="SiteOrigin_Widget_Image_Widget"][/siteorigin_widget] Maimonides once said “there are good ships and wood ships, ships that sail the sea, but the best ships are...
When We Make Music Together
Over the past several days, I’ve been told to leave school in Indiana, head back to California, and stay put in my house. I’m thousands of miles away from friends and several of my communities, but I’ve never felt closer to Jacobs Camp. When I joined the Jacobs Camp...
What I Love about Jacobs Camp…
In December, Temple Beth El in Pensacola, FL hosted a Jacobs Camp Shabbat with their congregation. Families were encouraged to wear white and Jacobs Camp campers were asked to share a few words about what they love about camp. Below are some of the prepared responses...
Jacobs Magic in Denver, Colorado
Dear Anna, After Thanksgiving, I flew home with my family from Little Rock to Denver. We were waiting for our bags and I saw a bag that looked like a bag that I take to Jacobs Camp. I asked my mom if that bag reminded her of anything. She said, “yes, of course.” I...
What Jacobs Camp Does Best
Growing up and working at Jacobs Camp, I have had the privilege to experience the Jacobs Magic in a variety of ways for nearly 2 decades. Currently, I am humbled to serve on camp’s year-round team as one of our Assistant Directors. In the non-summer months, the...