Federation marks Katrina anniversary with JCC program
By DEAN M. SHAPIRO
With a showing of both solemnity and celebration, a crowd of nearly 300 members of the Greater New Orleans Jewish community turned out for a “Katrina 10” observance at the close of the anniversary weekend.
The New Orleans rabbinate and cantors reflect on the tenth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina at the JCC. (Photo by Dean Shapiro)
The observance, at the Jewish Community Center on Sunday evening, August 30, included the rabbis from all of the area’s major congregations, along with high-ranking officials from the Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans and other dignitaries. Former New Orleans City Councilman-at-Large Arnie Fielkow and his wife Susan were among those in attendance.
The evening featured speeches by the two Federation presidents whose terms ran during and immediately after Katrina. There were also brief remarks from each of the rabbis, as well as singing and dining on complimentary food from the Kosher Cajun Deli. Music that followed the speakers was provided by renowned Zydeco accordionist and vocalist Bruce “Sunpie” Barnes and his band, the Louisiana Sunspots.
All 19 local Jewish organizations co-sponsored the standing-room-only event. Guests were given complimentary copies of a commemorative booklet, “Ten Years Later: Jewish New Orleans After Katrina.” A collection of “reflections from Jewish leaders,” the booklet published by Federation contains over 50 short vignettes from prominent individuals in the local Jewish Community, including most of its clergy members.
During the speeches, Bobby Garon, Federation president during Hurricane Katrina, served as emcee. In his opening remarks, he thanked and paid tribute to the many individuals and organizations that helped restore the Jewish community to its pre-Katrina prominence. Community leaders and professionals who contributed to the city’s rebuilding efforts were recognized by name and applauded for their accomplishments and contributions.
Former Federation president Bobby Garon. (Photo by Dean Shapiro)
“We commemorate the memory of Katrina and the tragic loss of precious lives and the hardships that all of us who were here ten years ago certainly endured,” Garon said at the opening of his remarks. “But we’re also here tonight to celebrate. To celebrate the tremendous success and progress that this great city and our Jewish community has accomplished in these past ten years.”
Garon went on to thank all of the synagogues and Jewish agencies, “all of whom contributed, not only volunteers to our (Katrina 10) Committee, but also funding to make this night happen.” First and foremost among those thanked was the JCC for hosting the evening’s event.
Also gratefully acknowledged for taking in many evacuees from the New Orleans Jewish community immediately after the hurricane was the Jewish Federation of Houston, which had a representative on hand, . “They adopted us as their own for so many months,” Garon said, adding wryly that “They kept some of ours and we’re hoping to get them back.”
Garon went on to thank the Jewish Federations of North America (formerly the United Jewish Communities) for the nationwide fundraising efforts that raised several million dollars for the recovery efforts of the New Orleans Jewish community and that of the Gulf Coast. Other individuals and organizations were praised and thanked for their efforts as well, including the Fielkows, for whom Garon expressed hope they would once again make a home in New Orleans.
Garon was followed at the dais by members of the New Orleans Rabbinic Council, each with short remarks and observations from their own Katrina firsthand experiences and remembrances. First responders and others who performed rescue operations were praised and thanked by several of the clergy during their presentations, along with those persons and organizations in other locales who took in evacuees from the community.
Cantor Joel Colman at Katrina 10 event. (Photo by Dean Shapiro)
Cantor Colman led the gathering in the singing of the Shehecheyanu prayer of blessing and later, at the conclusion of the evening’s formal program, he invited those present to sing along with him on “God Bless America.”
Allan Bissinger, Federation President during the years immediately following Katrina, was presented with a “Tree of Life” award by Garon prior to making his speech to the gathering. “Before we get into celebrating tonight with good food, good music and good friends, we need to look back and remember where we came from, what we went through and why we had the opportunity to celebrate tonight,” Bissinger began. He invited those gathered to think back to what they were doing and where they were going during the evacuation of ten years earlier. He recounted some of the horrors the city endured when the floodwaters rose and engulfed about 80 percent of the city.
“People were stuck in New Orleans and people could not get back to New Orleans and lives were in turmoil,” Bissinger continued, recounting his own experiences of swimming from his flooded home and being rescued by a passing boat. He recalled arriving in Baton Rouge four days after the storm and finally being able to contact family and friends. Others around him were in similar situations, being scattered and unaware of the whereabouts of friends and relatives.
Former Federation president Allan Bissinger with Etz Chaim award. (Photo by Dean Shapiro)
“But, in every city and every community where we found ourselves, there was an outpouring of heartfelt compassion,” Bissinger said, citing the speed at which monetary donations began pouring in from both inside and outside the local Jewish communities. The donations helped the temporarily exiled Federation to set up a website aimed at helping individuals and families locate other missing family members and friends. Disbursements of cash also enabled evacuees to take care of urgent and basic needs for themselves and their families, Bissinger explained.
Altogether, over $19 million was allocated through the New Orleans Federation’s 19 synagogues and support agencies, Bissinger pointed out. “This allowed us to survive for the three years following Hurricane Katrina and begin our rebuilding phase,” Bissinger said.
“All Jewish institutions that were here before Katrina are here today, plus new ones,” Bissinger said. He cited the collaboration between Shir Chadash Conservative Synagogue in Metairie, Orthodox Congregation Beth Israel and its neighboring Reform Congregation Gates of Prayer as an example of the cooperative spirit that prevailed within the Jewish community, despite differences in observance.
Bissinger also noted that New Orleans has surpassed its pre-Katrina Jewish population of 9,500 and now stands at around 10,300 and growing every year.
“One thing I learned early was, no matter how bad you had it, the person sitting next to you or in front of you or behind you had worse,” Bissinger said. “So don’t feel sorry for yourself. Learn from your experiences and those of others. Get over it and get past it and, as a community, we have.”
“We can be proud of where we have come from and optimistic for a glowing future,” Bissinger said. “The whole Katrina episode reminds me of an old Jewish holiday story, ‘They tried to kill us. We won. Let’s eat.’”
Following the speeches, attendees were treated to beef jambalaya, brisket on a bun, corn, potatoes and soft drinks donated by the Kosher Cajun Deli and served free of charge. Dessert was birthday cake from centenarian Sarah Stone. During and after the meal, attendees socialized, swapped Katrina memories and danced to the joyful music coming from Sunpie Barnes and his band.
