Shabbat Shalom Jacobs Family,
I am ecstatic that our second session family has finally arrived! Intersession kept us busy, but Jacobs felt empty without the smiles and laughter of our campers filling the camp. Second session is so special for me, with so many children of my bunkmates and former counselors – the love for HSJ and our history is palpable. We welcomed over 200 smiling faces to camp yesterday, a Jacobs Camp record! Your smiles, high-fives and amazing energy as you drove through the gates makes me certain we are going to have the greatest session ever!
Campers are already settled into their cabins meeting their new bunkmates. They have started to create new bonds and friendships. I look forward to seeing these friendships grow and flourish throughout the summer and beyond. Going with tradition, we ate Grilled Cheese and Fried Chicken on opening day; there are some traditions that continue through the generations!
During our Opening Ceremony, four campers introduced Jewish values that we are focusing on this summer: V’ahavta leorecha kamocha (loving your neighbor as yourself), anavah (humility), shmirat haguf (taking care of one’s body), and bitachon atzmi (self confidence). These four values encompass aspects of our overall theme of every human being made B’tzelem Elohim (in God’s image). At the end of the ceremony, we symbolically pass the Torah, from the youngest camper to the oldest, representing the connection we have to this place and our Jewish traditions. The opening ceremony is a beautiful way for our community to come together and officially celebrate the start of camp. We ended our first day with incredible opening night evening programs by unit. I know after last night’s programs, our campers are in for an amazing session full of Jacobs Magic!
Our camp family will be complete tomorrow when Chalutzim returns from their trip to the Carolinas. Their trip has been full of excitement, fun and unit bonding. They have gone white water rafting, zip lining, kayaking, and have celebrated the 4th of July! When their bus rolls back into camp we will be ready to celebrate Shabbat as a whole community.
I want to thank each and every one of you, parents, alumni, campers, and staff members, for helping to create a perfect start to a great session! I, along with the rest of HSJ staff, look forward to our campers creating everlasting memories and friendships!
Love,
Anna
