Forgo Camp? Not on our watch!

by Jonthan “J.C.” Cohen

A lot has been written about the incredible power of Jewish Camp. (Camp Works: The Long-term Impact of Jewish Overnight Camp.) A summer at Jacobs is an amazing experience, one that has lifelong benefits for the child, and meaningful reverberations that positively impact families, congregations & communities.

In difficult financial times, some families choose to forgo camp; as important as camp is or could be to their kids & families, they view what is a major expenditure as a luxury, and decide to make other plans.

But they shouldn’t! The camp experience is powerful and transformative no matter the state of the economy. And, particularly for families in which all members are feeling the impact, a summer spent at camp is a break from the stress for the kids, and an opportunity for parents to relax and regroup – knowing that their children are being taken care of, fed, entertained and educated in a safe environment, with no rides to activities needed and no cries of “I’m bored” to be heard.

• For new campers, there are first-time camper incentives available that are NOT need-based – they are meant to be incentives to get families to try out camp.

• Our region is filled with scholarship partners who so greatly value the camp experience and want to make sure families who want to send their kids to camp get the support they need and deserve.

• And the Jacobs Camp Scholarship Fund is available to both cover the scholarship shortfalls from our scholarship partners, and to provide those extra dollars that make camp a possibility for families.

At Jacobs Camp, we truly believe that a summer spent at camp – and, preferably, multiple summers – changes the lives of children for the better. There is no more impactful setting communally, educationally, Jewishly, personally, recreationally, socially, & spiritually, than camp. It’s more than okay to ask for scholarship assistance – it’s the right thing, and one of the best things, a family can do for their child. 

You can contact Ellen, Gary or me regarding scholarship for summer 2012. It is our duty and pleasure to help every child have the summer of their lives by experiencing the magic of Jacobs.  We have the resources, skill and knowledge to make this happen for the children of the Deep South.