Rosenthal, Schlefstein honored at AVODAH jazz brunch
AVODAH, the Jewish service corps, held its annual Partners in Justice luncheon on Sunday, April 19, honoring two community members who have made a difference in reporting on environmental issues or advocating for change to prevent possible future disasters.
Honorees Sandy Rosenthal, second from left, and Mark Schlefstein, right, stand with event chairs Hugo and Liz Kahn. (Photo by Alan Smason)
Times Picayune environmental reporter and author Mark Schlefstein and Levees.org founder and civic activist Sandy Rosenthal were both selected for their contributions on the occasion of the fifth anniversary of the British Petroleum Gulf disaster and in advance of the tenth anniversary of the failure of the levee and drainage canals following the passage of Hurricane Katrina.
The reception held for the first time at Congregation Beth Israel, 4004 West Esplanade Avenue in Metairie, began with a jazz trio providing background music to the nearly 200 attendees.
Following an invocation and welcome from Beth Israel Rabbi Gabriel Greenberg, New Orleans AVODAH director Dani Levine welcomed guests as well as acknowledging AVODAH’s executive director Cheryl Cook and national board chair Benetta Mansfield, who were both in attendance.
Rachel Kipnes, an AVODAH corps member, discussed her experience within the structure of living in the AVODAH house and working in the outside public to ensure justice and freedom.
Naomi Orlansky, the New Orleans Advisory Council Chair introduced Rabbi Ethan Linden of Shir Chadash Conservative Congregation, who, in turn, introduced Schliefstein.
The rabbi noted that Schlefstein is his congregant and reminded them of his many journalistic awards including a 2006 Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News and Public Service News Reporting as well as a George Polk Award for Public Service Reporting. Schlefstein’s work as an environmental reporter for the Times-Picayune and Nola.com led to his publication of “Path of Destruction,” a book that recounted the landfall and flooding of the area from the failure of the federal system of levees put into place and maintained by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Following on the heels of Schlefstein’s acceptance of a special painting made to honor him, Dan Silverman, one of last year’s honorees, was called upon to introduce Rosenthal, the woman who founded Levees.org, a volunteer organization that attempted to hold the Corps of Engineers responsible for the destruction to the city. She also received a special painting dedicated to her honor.
Schlefstein and Rosenthal have both been active in reporting on the British Petroleum catastrophic oil spill five years ago and in Rosenthal’s case, attempting to hold them responsible for damage to the environment.
Closing remarks were made by Lynne Wasserman, who now serves as a member of the AVODAH national board.
