Other Views

The Hurricane And Hunger

Los Angeles
he gut-wrenching scenes of
human suffering witnessed in
the aftermath of Hurricane
Katrina are not only the result of the
levee failures at Lake Pontchartrain,
but also the failure of a nation
numbed to the growing division
between "haves" and "have-nots in
our society.
What is appearing on television sets
across America is the inevitable impact
of decades of ignoring a stark differ-
ence in economic realities.
While wealthy, predominantly white
Gulf residents were able to escape to
higher ground, it was poorer, largely
black, elderly and sick Americans who
were left behind to fend for them-
selves.

T

H Eric Schockman is president of
MAZO1V• A Jewish Response to Hunger.
E-mail him at mazonmail@mazon.org

In the case of New Orleans,
2004, bringing the total
high poverty rates already
number to 37 million.
existed before the storm: more
Hunger rates in this coun-
than 30 percent of the popu-
try closely track the poverty
lation lived below the federal
index, and both numbers
poverty line. These are the
have seen steady increases for
bodies of the victims we saw
four years running. The
floating in the Mississippi
Census Bureau also reported
River and dying for lack of
DR. H. ERIC that income inequality is at
basic necessities at the New
S CH OCKMA_N an all-time high, with 50
Orleans Convention Center.
percent of income going to
Special
If you couldn't tell what you
the top 20 percent of house-
Commentary
were looking at from half-sub-
holds.
merged landmarks in the French
So when natural disaster strikes, it is
Quarter, you could swear footage from all too easy to predict who will bear
New Orleans and beyond came right
the brunt of the devastation. It won't
from Haiti or some other Third World be the high-flying corporate raiders
country.
and image-obsessed celebrities that
Further stressing the economic fault
occupy the typical front-page real
lines exposed by this horrible tragedy,
estate. It will be the person who fixes
it is ironic that the U.S. Census
your car, or who serves you lunch or
Bureau has just released staggering
who takes care of your friend's mother
new poverty data. The numbers show
at the local old age home. These will
that 1.1 million more Americans
be the people we read about, our new
slipped below the poverty line in
"celebrities," fellow citizens who hold

down multiple minimum-wage jobs
and are still unable to make ends
meet.
As these divisions become more evi-
dent from the images we have been
waking up to, growing numbers of
Americans are asking hard questions.
They are moved by the realization that
we are witnessing the coming out of a
national underclass, one that has long
existed and will no longer be confined
to the margins.
The recovery is already under way,
and efforts to rebuild will be years in
the making. But as we repair the
cracks in the levees and begin the dif-
ficult work of restoring people's lives,
we will be remiss if we do not seize the
opportunity to heal the fractures run-
ning deep through our society.
We have a chance now to fashion a
society that addresses inequality and
values the contributions of every indi-
vidual. We ignore that chance at our
own peril.

❑

A Summer To Remember

T

oo wise for his own good and
I, too rebellious for mine, my
father, Henry, and I are often
involved in a sort of tango with each
other: he suggests far-fetched fatherly
ideas, and I shoot each one down in
my own daughterly manner. Most
often, my complete lack of interest
and unimpressed tone is enough to
send the thought back somewhere into
the swirling chaos of my dad's mind.
Occasionally, he pitches an idea that
he finds irresistible and, dare I say it,
brilliant, despite any refutes I may
offer.
.
Mid-April brought us long, warm
spring days, small pink buds and
another of my dad's ideas. "Arianne,"
he had said. "You're going to camp."
In my friends' homes, camp is a
sacred oasis. For my peers, it means up
to two whole months of parental-free
bliss and for parents, it most surely
offers equally reversed solitude. But for
an individual who has spent every
summer of her existence at home,
watching movies with friends until all
hours of the night, sleeping till noon
or later the following day and general-
ly acting in a lazier manner than most

Annie Traurig is a junior at the Jewish
Academy of Metropolitan Detroit in
West Bloomfield. Her parents are Diane
and Henry Traurig of Huntington
Woods.

9/15
2005

74

of you would deem humanely possi-
ble, the idea was horrifying.
I put up my usual protest. But when
June arrived and my dad still had not
relented, I knew there was no reason-
ing.
And so I packed my bags for a small
camp held at Williams College in the
Berkshires of Massachusetts. It seems
dear old Dad and my English teacher
had been conspiring against me and
had stumbled across a program called
BIMA (Berkshire Institute for Music
and Arts). Although only in its second
year, it featured my dad's two favorite
things; a chance for me to explore my
creative medium in a beautiful and
inspirational setting, and the reason
you subscribe to this publication:
Judaism. He seemed so excited, I
inquired if maybe we had all made a
mistake and he should be the one
packing his bags. His twinkling eyes
seemed to laugh off my anxiety; he
smiled, reassuringly, "You can do it,
girl."
And so I boarded the plane, dread
and resentment in my heart.
The first day meant name games,
more than I knew existed. "Marvelous
Mel from confident California, Jesting
Joel from old Oklahoma ..." You get
the picture. I thought I was going to
die, right in the middle of introducing
myself as Amazing Annie from magical
Michigan. Somehow, I managed to
survive, and thank goodness I did. I

experienced more in the fol-
scantly have to make the
lowing four weeks than I have
choice of either concentrating
in any successive period of my
solely on their art or their
life; both culturally and social-
Judaism, but never both.
ly.
For me, BIMA came to
BIMA was created by Rabbi
mean understanding the
Danny Lehmann who, among
depth and breadth of each
other things, serves as the
person and of myself. I
headmaster for the Gann
crossed the barrier of simply
Academy-the New Jewish High
looking
around and seeing
ANNIE
School of Greater Boston, and
boys
and
girls to seeing musi-
TRAURIG
by Shirah Rubin, who has
cians,
painters,
dancers, writ-
Community
developed many workshops
ers and, collectively, Jews. And
View
and curricula at Jewish schools
maybe that's what I take away
across the country. Rabbi
most: we must recognize not
Lehmann is an incredibly tal-
who we are, but all that we
ented violinist and vocalist. Shirah
are, each aspect of ourselves.
Rubin is a sculptor. They established a
On that last day of BIMA, my tear-
sanctum where teenagers in grades 9-
filled eyes met my dad's and he
12 could explore this relationship in a
grinned, a grin that we both under-
pluralistic setting. They hired some of
stood to mean, "I told you so."
the most talented instructors to teach
Though it was excruciating to admit
music, painting,.dance, and creative
that he had been right, the impression
writing, developed elective classes,
that BIMA left on me was impossible
arranged guest artists to visit and con-
to conceal. He inquired later what the
struct workshops and exhibitions and
best part of camp was. I shrugged, try-
coordinated countless trips to so many
ing to appear nonchalant, "I guess the
of the Berkshires' cultural attractions,
fact that I feel like my world has
one of which included a James Taylor
expanded." He nodded deeply and
concert at Tanglewood.
replied, "That's all I wanted for you.'! I
Daily minyans were accessible and
will forever remember his earnest tone
Shabbat worship services ranged from
and modesty for someone who had
Orthodox to Conservative; for those
been right.
who felt less comfortable in a tradi-
In the end, my summer experience
tional prayer service, there were medi-
reinforced the importance of friend-
tation and discussion. BIMA is a safe
ship, adventure, discovering identities
haven for those individuals who con-
and expanding one's universe.

