Last week, our community in New Orleans and across the country commemorated Hurricane Katrina, which made landfall 20 years ago along the Gulf Coast. New Orleans was forever changed.
I’ve had the privilege of listening to the stories of New Orleanians impacted by the storm through my work at Avodah. People show me the water lines in their homes, the place where the levees broke. They share the memories they carry — and everyone has something to share. Everyone. Katrina is etched into the story of New Orleans, woven into the souls of many I’m proud to call friends today.
And while the storm impacted many, it was the poorest residents who suffered the most. Entire neighborhoods were swept away, and some remain unrebuilt. Countless people could not evacuate because they didn’t have cars. And so many people were left with nothing after the storm cleared.
I’ve served as CEO of Avodah for a decade, and without a doubt, one of the things I’m most proud of is that Avodah showed up in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, and we never left. I recently came across an email from my first year at Avodah, written around the 10th anniversary of the storm. I was humbled to be reminded that Avodah honored Mark Schleifstein, the renowned environmental reporter who covered Katrina, who said of Avodah: “I can’t think of a better organization that expresses what the Jewish community is all about.”
Ten years after Mark said this, Avodah has continued to have the honor of partnering with locally-led organizations. 165 Jewish young adults have participated in the Avodah New Orleans Jewish Service Corps. And like Avodah itself, so many of those alumni who came, stayed. We have worked with 45 local nonprofit organizations, including partners like The First 72+, Southeast Louisiana Legal Services, UNITY of Greater New Orleans, and many others, where our Jewish Service Corps members continue to address the direct and systemic effects of Katrina and the hurricanes that have followed. We have become longstanding members of the Jewish community; our alumni serve on our local leadership board, and have committed their lives to strengthening New Orleans.
For Avodah, the privilege of learning from the people of New Orleans has been truly transformative. There is tremendous beauty in the city’s “we’re all in this together” spirit — a deep, shared commitment to lifting one another up. I can’t imagine a better environment for our young people to discover the power of community than among the extraordinary people of New Orleans, who are fiercely devoted to their city and to the collective work of rebuilding and rising.
We must continue to remember the lessons of Katrina. Let us take this anniversary to reflect, to honor, and to carry forward what New Orleanians have taught us: to stand up, rebuild, and keep showing up for each other.
For those interested in hearing more about the 20-year anniversary of Katrina, NPR ran this beautiful story (part of a series) featuring Mark Schleifstein and another former Avodah honoree, Sandy Rosenthal.
Together in community,
Cheryl Cook
CEO, Avodah
