HELP REBUILD NEW ORLEANS

Echoing the slogan of the Zionist pioneers who created the State of Israel -- "Livnot v'lehibanot," to build and to be built – Jewish volunteers from across the country, both young and old, both students and professionals are not just transforming New Orleans but also transforming themselves.

Filling the vacuum left by government agencies, Jewish synagogues, Hillel groups, high-school classes, and families are fixing up damaged houses, building playgrounds, cleaning yards and parks, and distributing food to the hungry as our city recovers.

To learn about how you can help rebuild New Orleans, please visit www.fixnola.org, a site designed to match civic-minded individuals with volunteer opportunities throughout the city. On the left hand side, just put in zip code 70115 and go from there.

Most of the volunteer opportunities are now found outside the Jewish community. Please see the attachment for a list of organizations that offer a safe and rewarding opportunity for volunteers to make a difference in the rebuilding effort.

We appreciate the efforts of groups and individuals who continue to visit the city. If volunteers come to New Orleans as part of a group we will make every effort to provide groups with a disaster tour and briefing on the current challenges facing the New Orleans Jewish community, should your group make such a request. Volunteers that are not part of a group will be welcomed to attend any briefing programs that take place during their stay in New Orleans.

If you need further assistance, we are requesting that potential volunteers fill out and email back our Volunteer Information form. The forms should be emailed back to jennifer@jewishnola.com.

To read about the experiences of a Baltimore synagogue group that volunteered this past spring, go to http://www.bhcong.org/Habitat_2007/

Click here to download printable file to submit to us with your information, which will help us provide you with information and opportunities as a potential volunteers.