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.

Author Archive

Gillian Locascio, from Tacoma, WA, earned a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies from Emory University. A semester abroad in Panama inspired Gillian to work with an Engineers Without Borders program there, as well as to earn sponsorship for her thesis research on indigenous home gardens. While in college, Gillian helped plan an environmental seminar series and served as President of the Culinary Club. Gillian will serve as the Community Coordinator at the Tulane University Community Health Center at Covenant House, where she will manage outreach efforts to improve the value of the clinic for the community. The Health Center was established in the days following Hurricane Katrina and provides continuous high-quality, holistic, accessible, community-centric care.

Do Not Cry Alone

Jul 20th, 2010 by Gillian Locascio | 0

It seems strange to say about the saddest day of the Jewish calendar, but I’m actually excited for Tisha B’Av tonight.

This year we have thrown ourselves headfirst into the exploration of everything in this world that doesn’t work quite like we say it does. We have explored the history that has expanded the difference [...]

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The Interpreter

Nov 18th, 2009 by Gillian Locascio | 0

For the last four years, most of my food advocacy has been on a college campus. I worked in my community. I had a stake in the aesthetics, the educational priorities, the social and environmental footprint, and, of course, the food itself. No one questioned if I had a right to be there, voicing [...]

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It’s nice to be happy: Second lining

Oct 30th, 2009 by Gillian Locascio | 0

We’d walked maybe a couple of miles under the ever-thickening gray clouds, bouncing slightly to the barely audible rhythm of the brass band that drifted from somewhere out in front of us and trying desperately to stay ahead of the mounted police or, better said, their horses—the horses that, unsympathetic to the slow pace [...]

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