by Jonathan “J.C.” Cohen, Camp Director
I had a great idea for the introduction to this blog post: I would share the history of the “top ten list”, and then give my own top ten for the year. Sounds like a fun idea, no? Well, try googling the origin of top ten lists, and all you get are top ten lists – tons (tens?) of them! Who knew?!? One thing is pretty clear from my research, though, and it’s a good Jewish teachable moment – or, as we would say at camp, a J(i)TM: God wrote the first Top Ten List, and gave it to Moses at Sinai. The rest is commentary. Discuss.
So here it is, Jacobs Camp’s Top Ten for 2010:
#10 – Our Fried Chicken. Given that it’s on every other Jacobs Camp Top Ten list, it had to be included here. Our Fried Chicken even has its own video!
#9 – Our Specialty Camps. It’s been four years since we launched our specialty camp programs – high quality recreation with a fully-integrated Jewish educational component. Acclaimed Jewish educator Michelle Shapiro Abraham helped us develop our educational model, and she has been teaching it to the new incubator Jewish specialty camps that opened this past summer. Our influence is spreading!
#8 – Our Online Presence. You can become a fan of Jacobs and view our photo archive on Facebook. Not only can you follow me on Twitter, you can also follow Jacobs Camp. We even have an iPhone app. (It ain’t Angry Birds, but still…) HSJ is all over cyberspace, giving our community numerous ways to stay connected, and it’s awesome!
#7 – Our Facility & Grounds. Over the last five years we’ve done renovations and upgrades to all of our facilities, and have turned our attention to improving our curb appeal. If you haven’t been to Utica in awhile, you should make the trip – Jacobs has never looked better!
#6 – Our Great Year-Round Team. We are all so lucky (and me in particular!) that the Camp’s year-round team is so strong. I think we’re the envy of many other camps! To Gary, Ellen, Sandy, Linda, Ken, Johnny, Emma, Floyd, & Gloria – thank you for all that you do.
#5 – Our Great Lay Leaders. As the camp business and the summer marketplace get more challenging, we’ve asked our lay leaders to step up more and more, and they’ve done so in grand style! Special recognition to Lou Good, our camp chair since 2007, and our vice-chair Danny Mansberg, who will be taking over the camp committee this summer.
#4 – Our Generous Supporters. Scholarship demand continues to grow – especially given the current economic climate. Thanks to so many, our fundraising has not only kept pace with this demand, but we have also been able to raise significant capital dollars to greatly enhance and improve our facility, and have launched a Legacy Campaign. There’s a reason why the Grinspoon Institute gave us their first-ever award for Outstanding Achievement in Fundraising! We will always rely on the generosity of our alumni & camp families, and are lucky to have such wonderful supporters.
#3 – Our Great Counselors. Jacobs has always been blessed to have outstanding summer staff members – amazing young adults who strive to be exemplary Jewish role models all summer long, and who are wholeheartedly committed to our mission. This past summer they really outdid themselves, and we are so lucky and excited that so many of them will be returning in 2011.
#2 – Our Campers. This summer 459 children spent time in one of our summer programs – the most campers we’ve ever had in one season. Particularly given the economy, this is an amazing achievement, and one about which we are very proud!
#1 – Our Legacy. So many wonderful memories. So many friendships. How Jacobs Camp shapes the lives of those who pass through its gate summer after summer – and how that impact stays with our alumni long after their summers at camp have ended – is a testament to the power of this place. The “Jacobs Magic” is as strong as it has ever been.
2010 has been a great year, and I hope 2011 will be even better! To our entire Jacobs Camp family, I wish you a happy, healthy secular new year.
Let us know in the comments if there is anything you would add to our Top Ten list!
#11 – Jacobs Gives Back. I think it’s so great that urjjacobscamp has set aside dollars to to help weather-affected families send their kids to camp after the recent tornados that wrecked the South. Way to go, Jacobs Camp!