Jews for New Orleans

Note from the Editors: We are pleased to present this guest post from AVODAH alumn Michal Boyarsky (NOLA ‘09-’10). As with all writing on jews4neworleans.org this post reflects the personal experiences of the author and does not reflect the opinions of AVODAH: The Jewish Service Corps.
What’s going on in Sheikh Jarrah is nothing new. [...]

Sukkot is proving to be a time for both celebration and reflection this year. Minyan Nahar (The River Minyan), Moishe House and LQBTQ Jewish Nola sponsored a series of events in the backyard sukkah of David Eber (AVODAH ‘09), Yaeli Bronstein (’09) and Jordan Aiken (’10). Ranging from Sangria in the Sukkah to a lively [...]

Is this the kind of fast I have chosen,
only a day for a man to humble himself?
Is it only for bowing one’s head like a reed
and for lying on sackcloth and ashes?
Is that what you call a fast,
a day acceptable to the LORD?
Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:
to loose the chains [...]

As the second year of AVODAH New Orleans comes to a close, here are some updates on your friendly neighborhood Corps Members (and intrepid bloggers).
Rachel Glicksman, a native New Yorker, blogged about falling in love with a new city, hosting a pumpkin parade for her placement organization and helping to build a community garden. She [...]

As the fifth anniversary of Katrina approaches, local media is taking stock of progress in the city. The Times-Picayune ran an editorial entitled “New Orleans is a Happy Place to Be” in response to a new report from the Kaiser Foundation. Over at the Louisiana Justice Institute blog, Lance Hill has a very different interpretation. [...]

This video is my take on the importance of grassroots fundraising. Please enjoy, and then consider donating to one of our incoming Corps Members.

Dana Keren: Learn about her placement with the Tulane Community Health Center at Covenant House and donate on her firstgiving page.
Mollie Flink: Learn about her placement with the New Orleans Women’s Shelter.
Rachel [...]

When my sister came to visit a few weeks ago, I had one of those beautiful AVODAH moments, where different worlds came together in a quietly harmonious kind of way. Over the past few years Sophie has become increasingly more observant of Jewish traditions. She adheres to strict standards of Kashrut and is shomer shabbas [...]

Rachie Lewis’ placement, the Orleans Public Defenders office, was featured on WWL TV because of their decision to refuse new cases over the legal caseload limit.

For more on OPD, check out this article from The Gambit.

Rebecca Waxman, a former AVODAH Corps Member, now works with UNITY of Greater New Orleans. This editorial by the Times-Picayune Editorial page staff highlights their extraordinary work during last weekend’s freezing temperatures.

The frigid temperatures that gripped the New Orleans area for five nights last week dipped to a deadly level. But apparently only two [...]

Here’s a taste of a thoughtful article that Rachie Lewis wrote for the Philadelphia Jewish Exponent:
“New Orleans is a small town disguised as a city. It has its own culture, its own rituals and its own flavor. People sincerely ask you how you are doing, and will capitalize on any excuse to have a party. [...]