I

World

ON THE COVER

Renewal from page 27

News, a Federation newsletter
measuring the pulse of the corn-
. munity, has halted its regular
mail distribution, communicat-
ing only from cyberspace.

Community Cooperation
Still, Jewish•leaders in New
Orleans remain optimistic they
can resurrect their close-knit
community.
"We are confident that the
character of the community will
remain intact:' said Eric
Stillman, executive director of
the New Orleans Federation.
The federation is awaiting
word on a $20 million request for
funding from the United Jewish
Communities and private foun-
dations to address operating
shortfalls at synagogues and •
building repairs that aren't cov-
ered by insurance. •
Barry Swartz, senior vice pres-
ident of the UJC, said the organi- .
zation and its eight to 10 funding
partners are reviewing the pro-
posal to determine how best to
fund it. A decision could be
made by the spring. The UJC, the
umbrella organization for the
nation's Jewish federations,.has

committed $1.4 million to the
area over the next three months.
The Jewish Endowment
Foundation also has committed
$1.4 million in disaster relief,
and the American Jewish
Committee has donated
$575,000. The nation's Jewish
religious movements have con-
tributed millions more.
In Detroit, the Jewish
Federation of Metropolitan
Detroit raised $270,000 for
Katrina relief, plus a combined
Jewish Fund and
Federation/Foundation grant of
another $100,000, said Andrew
Echt, Federation campaign direc-
tor. "We have not determined the
exact designation of where this
money is going to go in terms of
relief in the region; but that
process is well under way."
Some pockets of New Orleans
show signS of a community
resurgence. Gefilte fish has
returned to the land of shellfish,
with all three kosher eateries
open for business. About 600
people attended the New Orleans
JCC's Chanukah party in
December, where artist Gary
Rosenthal distributed free

menorahs.
"It was a reunion,"said Arlene
Barron, executive director of the
JCC, which has been part of New
Orleans for 150 years. Rock
musician Rick Recht highlighted
a free JCC welcome-back party in
January.
Synagogues are spending more
time collaborating and are shed-
ding the congregational labels,
Jewish leaders said.
"Hopefully, we can bottle this
feeling and hold on to it because
it will help us survive," said
Rabbi Mendel Rivkin of Chabad
of Louisiana. "It's not 'mine' and
`theirs' anymore. It's 'ours.'"

Deep Jewish Roots
The first Jews to arrive in New
Orleans were Spanish and
Portuguese traders who migrat-
ed from the Caribbean in the
1700s. The Sephardic Jewish
community thrived, even during
the period of the infamous Black
Code of 1724, which officially
expelled all Jews from France's
Louisiana colony.
During the time of the Civil
War, a wave of Jewish merchants
with pushcarts came seeking

College students participating in the Chabad on Campus National Relief Mission prepare to get back
to work on gutting the interior of Congregation Beth Israel in New Orleans on Jan. 2.

28

February 16 • 2006

the most heavily
damaged of any
synagogue. The
century-old
building was
under 10 feet of
water, and its
mikvah, one of
two in the area,
was destroyed.
In December,
congregants and
hired help were
busy cleaning
up the mess in a
district still
without electric-
ity. They chain-
.
sawed swollen
Joel Brown, owner of the
wooden pews and buried 3,000
Kosher Cajun, is back in
slimy prayer books, along with
business.
all seven Torahs.
Dozens of college students
their fortune, said Irwin Lachoff,
from the Chabad on Campus,
an archivist at Xavier University
National Relief Mission contin-
of Louisiana who co-authored
ued the demolition work over the
the book Images of America: The
New Y&r's weekend.
Jewish Community of New
Silver Torah adornments; brass
Orleans.
menorahs and a handcarved
Jews settled Uptown, Lachoff
table from 1911 are among the
said, then moved near the lake-
few items that were salvaged,
front after World War II and
said congregation President
eventually to suburban Metairie.
Jackie Gothard.
Jews have always been a
She said Beth Israel's rabbi,
minority in this Catholic city,
Yisroel Shiff, lost all of his
and the Jewish population has .
belongings in the flood and took
stagnated for nearly a half centu- another position-in New York.
ry, Lachoff said.
Beth Israel is deciding whether
Still, "this is the first time
to rebuild, or move to the lake-
we've experienced this type of
front district or Metairie. About
loss:' he said.
40 congregants gather for
Unlike some Jewish.communi- Shabbat services every few weeks
ties, Reform congregations have
at a converted social hall at the
always dominated New Orleans
Reform Gates of Prayer.
Jewish life, Lachoff said. Rifts
Beth Israel was considering
developed during the 1960s
merging with Anshe Sfard, a con-
between Reform and Orthodox
- gregation with 40 member
rabbis.
households, but that is no longer
Before the hurricane, the
on the table, said Gothard. The
Orthodox community was aging
majority Of Anshe Sfard's mem-
and shrinking, comprising 5-10 . bership were affiliated for ceme-
percent of the Jewish population, tery rights, said Rabbi Rivkin,
Lachoff said. Leaders now won-
who is also an assistant rabbi at
der whether the Orthodox corn-
Anshe Sfard. He did not know
inunity can hold on.
how many would return, includ-
Six of the eight synagogues in
ing the Synagogue's leadership.
the New Orleans area are open
. Gothard said it's possible as
and offering basic programming. many as two-thirds of Beth
But the two Orthodox syna-
Israel's 150 member families will
gogues, Beth Israel and Anshe
not return because so many are
Sfard, remain shuttered for dif-
retired and have settled with
ferent reasons.
their children and grandchildren
Beth Israel, located on Canal
in other areas.
Boulevard in the lakefront dis-
Gothard is trying to establish a
trict less than a mile from the
building fund to ensure the syna-
breached 17th Street Canal, was
gogue's survival. Her grandpar-