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Shabbat was spent mostly at the hotel, but as it happens we were right on the route for Mardi Gras parades.  It was wonderful to experiences the liveliness and celebrations in the city that had endured so much. Gail Chalew, a volunteer from the Jewish Federation and freelance writer who gave us our tour when we arrived here 5 days ago, told us that the lifeline of the city was music. That in New Orleans, being a member of a marching band in high school raises one status well above the football or basketball teams. There was a real worry that with the shortage of low income housing many of the musicians that fled New Orleans during Katrina, would not be coming back, draining the city of one of its most precious resources. During the tour in the flooded areas, we saw a row of brightly coloured houses being called Musicians Village- an effort to bring them back. Despite the efforts, the building is very slow. Many of the high school marching bands were showcased in the Mardi Gras parades and we had a great time watching them go by.  

Havdallah was marked at the hotel, where we were lucky to have Seymour (Epi) Epstein, Senior Vice-President, UJA Federation, The Centre for Enhancement of Jewish Education (Mercaz)speak to us about his work with JDC in building and reviving Jewish communities around the world. His stories were mostly of Jews enduring tremendous obstacles to maintain and nurture faith and culture, and it gave me a sense of optimism for the residents of New Orleans, who I hope, despite the extraordinary challenges that they face will be able to revive their communities.