mrs. orkin was an important leader for the state’s jewish youth, and she quickly became excited about the prospect of a camp, helping to start the camp association of southern temples (cast). orkin was the driving force behind significant fundraising for the camp's construction, but it was still not enough. she recognized that, despite the leaders’ best efforts, mississippi jews alone could not put together the necessary funds, so she called her friend henry switzer jacobs for help. jacobs was a long-time youth worker, organist and religious school director at temple sinai in new orleans, louisiana. he quickly got much of the “big city” energy of new orleans behind the camp idea. in the early 1960s, jacobs called upon rudi scheidt of memphis, tennessee for more help. scheidt, in turn, suggested that the leaders of cast call julian allenberg to galvanize the memphis community.