The Livingston-based chapter of MetroWest NJ NCSY spent last week on a very special mission to New Orleans, LA. This was a chesed and leadership mission that brought together a small group of teens from RKYHS and Livingston High School to explore Jewish life in, and help rebuild, the still hurricane-ravaged community.
Today’s high schoolers were preparing for preschool through second grade when the devastating Hurricane Katrina ripped through Gulf coast communities in the United States, wreaking havoc and leaving nothing but devastation is its wake. The students who were selected to attend this trip may have no first-hand memories of that time but, like many, have heard the horrific stories over and over. MetroWest NCSY decided to make those stories real to these teens, and organized a trip to New Orleans so they could see for themselves what Katrina left behind.
More than 10 years later, the communities in the Gulf region are continuing to rebuild, and welcome assistance from individuals and groups on a regular basis. This mission combined a tour of the Jewish life in New Orleans with a day spent with Habitat for Humanity aiding in the rebuilding efforts, and another day spent with Green Light New Orleans helping the city become more sustainable.
The group not only assisted Habitat for Humanity in putting up siding for a home, it was privileged to experience a Habitat dedication for a family whose home had been completed. Some of the teens were able to participate in the ceremony by handing gifts to the family and reading them well wishes for their future.
“Today we participated in Habitat for Humanity. Our task was to put up siding on a house. The exhausted feeling we all had afterwards came with a feeling of reward. We really did make an impact. After learning about Hurricane Katrina and the disastrous after effects, it was very meaningful to put in a helping hand. The people here depend on volunteers to help them out, and they are always very grateful for it,” said Jillian Sperber, senior at RKYHS.
Added Laura Ackerman, junior at Livingston High School, “Today, we were able to go to a dedication for Habitat. It was for a family that had just gained a house from this organization, and I truly found it to be an inspiration. I felt so lucky to be a part of this ceremony as it really made me so joyous to see how hard this family worked to earn their house and how it paid off. Having Jewish teens volunteer with this organization throughout the year shows how much we care for other people, even people that aren’t Jewish, but people that need help.”
After a meaningful day of work with Habitat, the group toured areas directly affected by Hurricane Katrina. They learned about Brad Pitt’s Project Hope and related it to the levels of tzedakah in Judaism. They visited the site of one of the shuls that was completely destroyed and learned about its history. They continued to the cemetery where the seforim from the shul had been buried and also to the site where its seven sifrei Torah were buried. The takeaway message for the teens was that even if we “lose everything,” the Jewish people will survive because the Torah lives inside each of us.
“We went to a building that is now a medical building but before Hurricane Katrina was an Orthodox shul. It was destroyed in the hurricane but because people cared so much about the shul and the Torahs, people were able to still come together and be a congregation and bury all the Torahs properly. It is amazing to see in the aftermath of a huge disaster people could still come together,” commented Pearl Kustanovich, Livingston High School senior.
“Today, one of the very impactful activities that we participated in was tracing the experiences of sifrei Torah and other holy books through Hurricane Katrina. We heard the stories and visited the final resting place of these books. We learned about the significance and the importance of treating our traditions and spiritual tools with the loving kindness that they all deserve. The respect and care that I provide for them every week will dramatically change,” added RKYHS senior Paul Grad.
Green Light New Orleans focuses on rebuilding the city from a sustainability standpoint. It aids in the recovery efforts by assisting residents in becoming energy and environmentally conscious, one household at a time. The teens were able to work with this organization by installing free energy-efficient lightbulbs in people’s homes.
“Volunteering for Green Light was eye opening. The homes we visited varied financially, yet were all the same in the gracious hospitality we received from the home owners. Some of us discussed with them the meaning of sustainability, recycling the lightbulbs, and encouraged them to spread the word or donate in the form of money or their own time as volunteers. We also made our way through the homes, switching out old light bulbs for new. We left the families with a good impression of who we are as Jews and the importance of doing even the little things to protect and preserve the environment,” said Livingston High School junior Emma Greenberg.
Bringing teens to New Orleans the day after Mardi Gras was a bit of a tease, so the advisors made sure the group was able to sightsee, shop and have fun in addition to touring and volunteering. They ate at the few kosher restaurants in the city, visited Preservation Hall Jazz Club, shopped in the French Quarter and had the opportunity to see a real southern plantation.
“The Jazz club was so much fun! We were able to inch our way up to the front to see the performers as they riffed away to the blues of the night, asking the audience to sing and clap along. The awesome energy was palpable,” commented Sarah Gordin, Livingston High School junior.
“Today for lunch we went to a kosher waffle place! How crazy is it that there’s one in New Orleans. Well, thank goodness there was because it was honestly the best meal I’ve ever had. The combination of Reese’s and waffles was to die for,” gushed Sara Kirsch, junior at RKYHS.
The group spent Shabbos at Anshe Sfard, davening, eating food they had helped prepare (including authentic New Orleans jambalaya) and hearing divrei Torah from fellow students and advisors. Sharing Shabbat together, along with the locals and other visitors, was, for some, the most moving part of the trip. The rabbi even surprised them with authentic Mardi Gras beads to wear on their Motzei Shabbat night on the town.
“Today we were able to visit Anshe Sfard, the synagogue we will be visiting for Shabbat. As we stepped into the shul, we were hit with the grandness of it all. From the incredibly old books to the high ceilings with their perfect crown molding, the shul was magnificent. While standing on the bima, we were able to feel the shul’s over 100 years of history. The experience was like none I’ve ever had before,” stated Austin Altman, a senior at Livingston High School.
“Being able to visit Anshe Sfard this Shabbat was an incredible experience. I was amazed by the building’s gorgeous chapel and sheer magnitude. However, the large, beautiful shul juxtaposed with the tiny congregation was really eye-opening and a little sad. Knowing that there was once such a large flourishing community that has become so small was hard to see. On a more positive side, it was such a great feeling being told by the rabbi how much ruach we added to the congregation. The thing that impacted me the most this Shabbat was actually the simple act of benching. It made me feel so united and proud to be Jewish. The fact that we were all able to bench together, the same words and the same tunes, even though we all come from different parts of the country, was really enlightening,” added Ariella Savitz, RKYHS junior.
MetroWest City Director Jennifer Romanoff accompanied the 11 teens, along with MetroWest Chapter Advisor Aaron Ishida, West Orange Chapter Advisor Sherry Amster and NJ Tech Staff Advisor Zack Schreiber. In an email to parents at the end of the trip, Romanoff wrote, “This trip has been unbelievable and as I told the teens last night, they were an amazing, cohesive group and I am so proud of everything they accomplished.”
By Jill Kirsch
