By Jonathan "J.C." Cohen, Director

With the five year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina upon us, so many memories from that time have come flooding back - and I know all of you who were close to that experience are also taking time to reflect.

I continue to be tremendously proud of the work that Jacobs Camp did. We were really out there making a difference in a time of tremendous need. We were blessed by the opportunity to provide shelter for more than 250 people in the days and weeks following the storm, and doubly-blessed by the opportunity to launch the Jacobs' Ladder Relief Project that brought 4 Million pounds of relief supplies, and hundreds of volunteers into the region - and helped shine the spotlight of the Reform Movement and the organized Jewish community on the Gulf Coast Region.

We felt the storm's wrath in other ways, too.

So many of our camp families experienced tremendous losses - and some of them are still recovering. Thanks to the Foundation for Jewish Camp, the Habayita Fund was set up to help kids return to Jacobs in the summers of 2006 and 2007; but, between the families who took major financial hits, and the others who found relocating the only way to move forward, our camper registration took a hit. Our registration has recovered - this summer we served the most campers we ever have - but who knows when our New Orleans numbers will rebound to pre-Katrina levels.

And, as a result of a tree destroying the lake's emergency drain system, we lost Lake Gary. While a very small matter in the midst of a very big catastrophe, the symbolic value of an empty lake for more than a year after the storm was not lost on anyone.

As I go through all of the emotions that are brought on by thinking about that tragic day, and the days and weeks that followed, my thoughts also turn to the whole five year span, and what it has meant for Jacobs Camp. As the Gulf Coast Region has rebuilt and recovered, the Camp has been rejuvenated as well.

The Jewish community of the region took great pride in the work that we did at Jacobs Camp; and, as a result, there continues to be so much good will for the Camp - yes, we've always been held in high regard, but since Katrina I think the pride and confidence has never been stronger.

The work we did also received a tremendous amount of attention from the organized Jewish community across the country. Jacobs Camp now has a national profile - people know about our little camp, and have great things to say about it.

Our efforts post-Katrina drew the particular attention of the Harold Grinspoon Foundation, which invited us to be part of their great work on behalf of Jewish camping. The first opportunity they brought our way was a donor-matching program that allowed us to raise the funds we needed to repair and revitalize Lake Gary. But that was just the beginning: Encouraged by the folks at Grinspoon, and inspired by our success with the Lake campaign, we launched our 40th Anniversary Capital Campaign which to-date has raised $3 Million, much of which was already been spent on a range of improvements both big and small. The results of this very successful campaign can be seen all over camp! We feel our campers deserve the very best camp facility and camp program possible, and are striving to make that dream a reality.

These last five years have been an incredible time for Jacobs Camp. What started with a disaster of devastating impact has evolved into a period of growth and opportunity. Right after the storm it was hard not to feel hopeless. But now the Jacobs Camp family is filled with hope and excitement about what the future has in store for this little plot of land in Central Mississippi.

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Additional information

From Union for Reform Judaism and Religious Action Center: Hurricane Katrina and New Orleans 5 years later

By Elie Linder

You need a time out! Go to your room! Don’t say another word! You’re grounded! I bet everyone here has heard their parents yell, I mean say these things at some point. And as annoying as it may seem when it’s happening, this weeks’ Parsha has helped me to understand what’s important about a punishment or why it’s important to find a safe place take a step back, to take a look at myself and my motivations, to be still and to be quiet (of course, the quiet part is the hardest). In this week's Parsha, Shofetim, the part that fascinated me was the designation of Cities of Refuge to which people who committed manslaughter could go to avoid those who might seek revenge on them. When I first looked at it, I couldn’t see how I could relate to that situation or to the idea of cities of refuge. I thought of it as a punishment or a prison. But as I thought about it, I realized that we all need cities of refuge, sometimes literally and sometimes metaphorically.

A city of refuge doesn’t have to be a real city, it could be something that brings you joy and peace like music. A few of my cities of refuge aren’t even places! Like I said, you can choose anything as a place of refuge as long as it brings the Shechinah, God’s Sheltering Presence to you. Your city of refuge might be the place you pray, like temple. It could be hanging out or confiding with friends or family. It could be a country like Israel where most people are Jewish and you can feel at home in the majority. A city of refuge is simply a meaningful place to YOU such as your room, a great book, or a float in the pool, and it doesn’t matter where it is or what it is, as long as you can be at home with yourself there, and can express your feelings freely. A refuge is a place where you feel protected, sheltered, and comforted. But it should also be a place where you learn something about yourself so that you can return to and be comfortable with your truest self. The month of Elul is a time to reflect on the Truths about ourselves. If you don’t know what your city of refuge is, Elul is the time to find it because the month of Elul comes right before Tishrei, before Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Elul is that refuge in time when we can find our city of refuge and come home to ourselves.

Personally, when I think of a place that makes me feel at home with myself, there’s only one place that comes to mind, and that’s Jacobs Camp. If you didn’t know, Jacobs Camp is in Utica Mississippi in the middle of nowhere. So, what would make this place feel like home? All I know is I fell under the spell of the Jacobs Magic right away. Even though last year was my first year to go to camp, I feel as though I’ve been going there forever. It is home to me because it’s the city of refuge for my truest self and the place where I feel renewed and refreshed even when the temperature outside is 200 degrees. What also makes the experience special is the people I meet; they will be lifelong friends, and I can tell that this is their city of refuge as well. My feelings are really unexplainable during camp. I’m not just plain happy, I feel more than that, and i’m not just proud to be Jewish, its more than that, and the feeling is always good. Even on my last day of camp I was happy just to share the experience with other people who felt as I did. And Jacobs has it’s own refuge within a refuge. That’s the refuge in time which Jews are privileged to honor each week – that’s Shabbat. My favorite time at camp is Shabbat, when everyone comes together and sings and celebrates. You can almost touch the joy. Shabbat is where you feel the real Jacobs magic, and once you have tasted it, it’s like Rikki’s Challah, you can never get enough. Whenever we observe Shabbat, we create a refuge in time, but when it’s Shabbat at Jacobs, time stands still in a sea of white. All in all, Jacobs camp is my refuge for space and time, and I am blessed to have a place to run to every summer and to feel invincible.

When I have to leave the refuge of Jacobs Camp, It affects my life a lot. Leaving my sacred space, leaves me with an empty feeling. There is a big difference from Jacobs to Memphis. Things just aren’t the same. They’re not bad, but the magical moments are fewer and farther between. However, I must admit there are also some good things about coming back from camp. I get to see my parents, I get to show my newly acquired independent skills, and I get to practice what I’ve learned Jewishly and personally. Last year I learned how easy it is to make friends, and be myself, and that being myself was the best person to be. This year I learned that my journey is just beginning because my best self is always changing and growing and learning and singing.

My favorite city of refuge when I’m not at camp is not a place at all. It’s music. Music is something everyone can escape to. When I’m in my room just thinking about my day, I just listen to music, or play my guitar. When I’m angry at a friend or a friend’s angry with at me, writing a song will put things in perspective for me. When I have a lot of things on my mind, friends that are willing to listen are my cities of refuge. Luckily I’ve got lots of refugee friends!

How is the torah a city of refuge? During the years of learning before becoming a Bat Mitzvah, I realized that the Torah can be a refuge as well. 

Before, I thought of the Torah was a bunch of stories about a about a place far away from a long ago time, but now I have found out that the torah can be a refuge as well. It is a refuge because its stories teach about life’s lessons no matter what time we live in. It’s like an app that never needs an update because the most important things in life stay the same. You can count on them to be a refuge and to shelter you with wisdom – like the Torah. The Torah called for 6 cities of refuge. All five books of the Torah are like the first 5 cities of refuge. Genesis is about commitment, and everybody makes some sort of commitment, - at this point in my life mine is Judaism, Jacobs, and music. Exodus is all about wandering, or a journey; I can relate because my whole Bat Mitzvah has been a true journey. The book of Numbers is about taking an accounting of your life, and I’ve just begun this process with my Bat Mitzvah. Leviticus is all about respect for order and rules, which I have to follow in my everyday life, or else my parents will send me to a City of Refuge. And Deuteronomy is about renewing our future. This is a key element in my life because I do want to be successful while being true to who I am, and I want to share that sense of purpose with my community as well.

That brings me to my mitzvah project. I recorded a song that I wrote which talks about these themes. It's about committing to making the choice to make the world a better place, while living life to the fullest, because we only have one chance. My song, called "One Chance" is now available. All the profits from the digital download sales will will go toward my city of refuge, Henry S. Jacobs Camp. (Download the song now.) CD sales profits will go toward the Memphis Jewish Home’s pet organization. The Jewish Home serves as loving refuge to many people from generations before mine. I encourage you all to buy the song on Nimbit or buy the CD. (Hey, If you buy it, I’ll be sure to give you a shout out at the Grammy’s!)

Remember when I said the Torah called for 6 cities of refuge? The first 5 could be the five books of Torah, or Jacobs, or Music, or friends or family. But the final city of refuge must be yourself, your truest self; so take the time this month in Elul to find your inspiration, that hidden city inside. I know I’m just beginning to uncover the treasures in mine. Shabbat Shalom.