UJABlog.com

From Sally Szuster, Media and Public Relations, UJA Federation:

Yesterday, our group of Impact Toronto, UJA Federation’s young adult division with Hillel of Greater Toronto spent a dramatic first day exploring New Orleans. We are here on a mission to help with the rebuilding effort and to meet with members of the community.

On our descent into New Orleans, looking out of the plane there was a striking scene of a highways almost suspended over enormous swamp land -bare trees growing out of what looked like green and brown sludgy water. None of us on the flight were sure whether this was natural occuring or as a result of Katrina.

One of the first things that we did when we arrived was to take a bus tour of New Orleans to understand the impact that Hurricane Katrina had on this once vibrant and thriving city. But as we drove further towards lower ground, to the areas near the river, where the levies broke, the starkness and devestation of this city was in plain view. In the lower 9th district, a once bustling community of homes and families have been replaced by bare fields of rubble, and shattered homes that sit amoung ruins, like an open wound. It was heartbreaking.

Our bus driver, Leroy, who was from this district casually said to us: “My family lost everything. We had to start all over again”. He told us that all of this retirement savings had to go into a new home. He thought of himself as lucky though, because he had savings. Many are now completely destitute. Because of the mass amount of building going on in the city, housing prices and rent have skyrocketted and many residents are still very desperate for housing.

As our tour guide Gail, a volunteer from New Orlean’s federation, guided us through the city, we were all struck at what a city of contrasts we were experiencing. Near the French Quarter, the mythic colonial homes and festive colours of Mardi Gras was inviting and exciting. But just outside the perimeter the touristic centre, the environment was bleak. Shattered glass, children’s toys, small appliances, evidence of a once busy neighborhood littered the muddy streets and boarded up buildings all over town. In Lakeview - a middle class neighborhood that got as flooded as the less affluent 9th district, there was enormous amount of rebuilding and reconstruction and there was an over-all sense of a community being revitalized.

In the evening, we gathered for dinner at Cajun Kosher, and heard from a gentleman from Jewish Children’s Services who had has done extraordinary work in the community -helping families financially, offering councelling support and also sending children to overnight Jewish camps. The Jewish community in New Orleans was 10,000 before Katrina. It is now about 6500.

Today, we will spend time rebuilding homes.