Student delegates who participated in the junior chesed trip to New Orleans—part of a mission with NCSY—had a truly meaningful experience helping the community recover from the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. Students worked with Habitat for Humanity, spent Shabbat with the Jewish community and had a rewarding time bonding with each other as they engaged in a beautiful example of tikkun olam.

Rabbi Joshua Schulman, a member of the Talmud faculty, junior grade dean and director of chesed programming, accompanied the students on the trip.

“While the New Orleans Jewish community felt enriched, moved, and inspired by the divrei Torah, zemirot, and overall ruach of our students, the 15 juniors who participated returned home having had their entire perspective changed,” said Rabbi Schulman. “They had a life-changing experience in which they got to feel the unbelievably potent power of giving and leadership, and recognize the great responsibility and vast potential opportunities that lie before them to enhance the lives of others.”