A Day in the Life of a Jacobs Camp Camper

This is an illustration of how a great Jacobs Camp camper spends a day, from early morning to late night. We’ll call our example camper “Josh.”

Wake-up: Sunday through Friday, wake-up is at 7:30 AM (Saturdays, wake-up is at 9:30). Josh’s counselor sets his alarm clock to go off at 7:30 AM before he goes to sleep every night, and tunes it to Jacobs Camp Radio 100.3 FM so the entire cabin can hear the camp wake-up show. Josh brushes his teeth and gets dressed. By 8:00, Josh is walking with his fellow campers on their way to breakfast.

Breakfast (all meals): Josh usually has a few minutes to socialize with his bunkmates and other camps in the breezeway before campers are quieted down for the Motzi and are then called into the dining hall for breakfast. After going through the buffet line, Josh takes a seat with his cabin and enjoys a hearty breakfast. When it is time to clean up, Josh helps get the table cleared quickly.

Song Session: Josh enthusiastically participates in song session. It is one of his favorite times of the day, a fun time to be with camp friends.

Assigned Activities: Josh makes sure to be on time for all his daily activities. When at his activities – be they shiur, sports, swimming, or anything else – he participates fully, and tries to get everything he can out of the experience.

Nikayon: Back at the cabin, Josh first cleans his individual area in the cabin before moving on to his assigned activity for the day; whether it’s the toilets, the sinks, the showers, or another task, Josh does his part. Once Nikayon is over, Josh goes with his cabin to the breezeway to lineup for lunch.

Rest Hour (Menucha): Josh uses rest hour as a time to relax – sometimes he plays quietly with bunkmates, sometimes he reads or naps, and on Sundays, Tuesdays & Thursdays, he takes time to write a letter home.

Canteen: Josh excitedly waits with his bunkmates to get his usual at canteen: a Nutty Buddy and a Dr. Pepper! He hangs out with others from his unit while he eats his afternoon snack.

Assigned Activities: With more activities in the afternoon, Josh has a very busy day!

Prep for Dinner: Josh changes out of the clothes he’s been wearing all day, and puts on clean ones to go to dinner.

Chofesh: Chofesh is free time. Josh sometimes goes to the swing sets or tetherball poles to play, but his favorite Chofesh activity is to play Frisbee with lots of other campers in the valley.

T’fillah: Josh finds nightly worship services to be very inspiring. He sees services as a chance to appreciate and understand his Jewish identity, so he pays good attention and participates actively.

Evening Programs: No matter what it is, Josh throws himself enthusiastically into every one of his unit’s evening programs. He knows that by being excited and involved in the program, he gets the most out of them.

Bedtime: Josh makes sure to shower every night as part of his bedtime routine. He joins with his cabin mates on the floor for cabin prayers, a time when the entire group shares about the day that is coming to an end. It’s a wonderful time for reflection before going to sleep and resting up for another great day at Jacobs!