Jews for New Orleans

Sharing a meal

Corps members live communally in their Jefferson Avenue house uptown

Purim Masks

Corps members prepare for Purim celebrations by creating masks

Planting trees in Central City

Rachel Glicksman works with residents to beautify the neighborhood

Celebrating Chanukah

Corps members welcomed coworkers and community members to their home

Learning about Bayou Bienvenue

Alum David Eber teaches the group about deforestation in the cypress swamps

Highlighting the Jewish Community's Involvement in Rebuilding New Orleans

This site is hosted by AVODAH: The Jewish Service Corps, which launched its New Orleans program in the fall of 2008. AVODAH engages young people in direct work on the causes and effects of poverty in the United States. This work partners Corps members with service providers and residents in low income communities and equips our Corps members and alumni to emerge as lifelong agents for social change, whose work for justice is rooted in and nourished by Jewish values.

Volunteers help with Jazz Fest food experience

May 5th, 2009 by admin | 0

Volunteers Diane Dileo and Marie Brousseau prepare for the Donald Link presentation at the food stage at Jazz Fest. At left is Kay Roussell, the stage manager for the Food Heritage Stage and the Cajun Cabin for the past 12 years. (Photo by Kathy Anderson / The Times-Picayune)

Every year, Jazz Fest depends on volunteers to help make the festival happen. And every year, volunteers swarm in, benefitting from free entrance to the festival as a perk for donating their time and energy.

A recent article in the Times-Picayune highlights the seasoned volunteers, who come back year after year to work with local chefs at the food tents. Of course, there are always new volunteers in the bunch. This year, AVODAH Corps member Meredith Grabek was among the food volunteers interviewed in the newspaper article:

Although there is a core group of volunteers, there also are newcomers. “We have several new ones this year, ” Roussell said. “Two are young women who came to New Orleans to work, one with Rebuilding New Orleans and another one with another group. And we had Americorps volunteers right after the storm.

“Some people go all around the country and volunteer at festivals, because it’s a good way to get to know local people, ” Roussell said. “We have had a woman at the Cajun Cabin the last couple of days who’s from San Francisco.”

This year, Meredith Grabek of Avodah, the Jewish service corps, checked in with Roussell on the first day of the festival.

“I’m living on a stipend, and I wanted to come to Jazz Fest, ” she said. “It’s been a great experience so far.”