Another Great Week Is in the Books!
Wow…I can hardly believe how fast another super busy week of the best summer ever has flown by! It was a fantastic string of days and everyone had a ton of fun. More than that, we recognized how special our community is and took time to appreciate that after waiting nearly the whole year, we were finally all here together in this sacred place that means so much to all of us. Having said that, we were sad to say goodbye to Olim campers who, after watching their end-of-session video and running to their parents, headed home after an amazing 10 days. We know they’ll be back next summer and we can’t wait to see them! In the meantime, check out this video, which captures some of the highlights of the past week, including the camaraderie and special bonds that exist among all our campers and the rest of the community.
Here’s a quick summary of some of the other things that happened throughout camp this week.
We welcomed Talmidim back from a four-day trip to Florida for some tubing and kayaking. Everyone had a great time traveling and being together on the water. We also said hello to Kochavim campers, who are entering first grade. They arrived at camp on Saturday for a 24-hour stay and somehow, with help from staff, packed an entire session into one day. They were exhausted when they headed home on Sunday, but we were thrilled to have them with us over the weekend!
Chalutzim had “Take a Chalutz to Work Day,” so campers could shadow a staff member for the day to see firsthand what it’s like to be a Jacobs staffer. This week, Garin learned a lot about Israel from Noga, their counselor, and Garin siblings served as role models for our youngest campers. Evening activities for Garin including “Dancing with the Stars,” an incredibly successful bunk night full of special programming, and Chalutzim buddies, which gave Gariners an opportunity pair up with older campers to hang out and spend time together. What a fun time for everyone!
Maskilim had an amazing week that included a tropical themed pool program, complete with smoothies and grilled pineapple, and a Zombies program, during which Taylor was kidnapped by all the Zombies and her campers had to try to rescue her! They also had a “Messy Night” with a spooky theme, so there were some creepy challenges and, of course, a big mess. Not clear on all the details here? Don’t worry, y’all – it’s just what it sounds like!
This week, the entire camp celebrated Israel night, a full evening of Israeli fun led by our mishlachat (Israeli counselors). There was a live shuk and lots of activities, including Israeli dancing, training for the IDF, and practicing for kibbutz life. The night was amazing, and a good time was had by all!
As the week winds down, we’re getting ready for Shabbat and all the special things that means at camp: services, dinner (and a delicious, gooey cobbler for dessert!), song session, and Israeli dancing. We’ll continue our celebration tomorrow with optional breakfast, services, and Shabboptionals, before we wrap-up Shabbat with Havdalah in the evening. The staff and I are thrilled to have a full house here in Utica and couldn’t be happier to see our campers filling these long summer days with incredible fun, outstanding learning, and amazing growth! We’re glad y’all are following along from afar, and keeping track of all the cool activities and events happening at camp. We’re grateful for your support and we wish you a Shabbat shalom.
Love,
Anna
Jacobs Camp Director
