Henry S. Jacobs Camp is the Reform Jewish Movement’s summer camp serving the Deep South: Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Central & Western Tennessee and the Florida Panhandle. Since 1970, Jacobs has provided a caring Jewish community that has become a second home to many. Children from URJ congregations across the Deep South join together each summer to experience the fun and magic of Jewish camping.
For generations, Jacobs Camp has been far more than a summer camp—it has been a cornerstone of Jewish life in the Deep South and an important part of Temple Sinai’s story. In a region without a single large Jewish population center, Jacobs Camp has served as a Jewish oasis, providing young people with an immersive Jewish community that many do not experience during the rest of the year.
Through meaningful Jewish experiences, campers learn traditions such as Havdalah, Hebrew prayer, and Shabbat worship, often returning home inspired to become more engaged in synagogue life. Jacobs Camp has helped shape the religious practice of Southern Reform Judaism, encouraging youth across regional congregations—including Temple Sinai—to embrace deeper connections to Jewish tradition while remaining rooted in Reform values.
Equally important, the camp instills a sense of pride in the history and future of Jewish life in the South. By connecting young Jews to their heritage and to one another, Jacobs Camp ensures that the legacy of Jewish life in New Orleans and throughout the Deep South continues to thrive. For more than 50 years, it has remained a vibrant center of Jewish identity, leadership, and community—making it an invaluable partner in Temple Sinai’s mission to nurture the next generation of Jewish life.
Read all about Jacobs Camp and their programs at https://jacobscamp.org/.
