Jeff Dreifus–Director of Jewish Life
On opening day, we kicked off our Jewish learning by introducing the four Jewish values we will be studying this summer, Kehilah (community), Hakarat Tovah (gratitude), Yashrah (integrity), and Musar Avodah (work ethic). We invited one camper from each unit to share with the camp community what the values means to them, and we were blown away by their wisdom. You can find what each camper shared below:
Community is about having fun with family and friends that share the same beliefs. In Montgomery I have my family, temple and our chavurah group. I’m excited to be a part of the Jacobs camp community now also.
–Alyssa Kaplan, Olim
It is important to be thankful for all the blessings God has given us. Hakarat Tovah is gratitude. Being grateful for what you have helps you have a happy life. I find happiness when I am fishing in the river, playing sports outside, and spending time with my family. These things help me appreciate my life and the blessings God has given me.
–Justin Lane, Garin
In Proverbs 28:6, our tradition teaches that, “Better is a poor man who lives with integrity than a rich man whose ways are crooked.” Judaism teaches that there are things in life more important than material wealth. Keeping one’s word and acting with dignity and integrity are among the highest values that a human can live by.
This is saying that a person’s value should be measured by his or her honesty, his or her kindness, and how he or she treats others, instead of what he or she owns, or his or her wealth. It is what’s on the inside that matters, not the outside. At camp, integrity can be shown through good sportsmanship and helping each other out.
–Lindsey Bain, Maskilim
One of the values this summer for camp is work ethic. Although a lot of people believe there is no work at summer camp, there is always work, and that’s not bad! Whether it’s cleaning our cabins so they can look nice and not smell, or taking our clothes off the clothesline before it rains, we have to have good organization and a lot of help to achieve this. We also have to use our work ethic while creating our projects for the showcases later in the session. I know when I come back from camp, I always have a better attitude towards what needs to get done – from small things like clearing my plate, to big things like school and organization.
–Eli Barron, Talmidim
After the campers shared, we passed a Torah scroll from oldest camper to youngest camper. Just as the Jewish people have been transmitting the Torah from one generation to another since Mount Sinai, at Jacobs Camp, the oldest campers pass the Jacobs traditions and Jacobs Magic down to the youngest campers each and every year.
This summer at Jacobs we will create a community filled with Jewish spirit, culture, and joy. We are so excited to continue learning from and teaching our incredible campers!
