Tree felled by Sandy kills Jewish teacher, college student

Published on October 31, 2012

Two young Jews were killed in Brooklyn by a falling tree during superstorm Sandy.

Destroyed New Orleans synagogue to break ground

Published on April 16, 2010

A New Orleans synagogue destroyed by Hurricane Katrina will break ground on a new building.

Once in a lifetime

By Marty Kaplan
Published on December 31, 2008

I don't know about you, but I've had it up to here with once-in-a-lifetime events.

Jazz: Made in New Orleans

By Tom Teicholz
Published on May 29, 2008

Preservation Hall's formula was simple and is followed to this day: No reservations, no food, just music in a small room. Shows began at 8 p.m. Each set lasted around 35 minutes, and tickets were priced low (they're now $10 a show, Wednesday through Sunday)

Realities of poverty and devastation in the Katrina-affected Gulf are still unchanged

By Mitchell A. Kamin
Published on June 7, 2007

Having participated in the Milken Conference in April and traveled to Plaquemines two weeks later, I was struck by the chasm between the viewpoints expressed in these two locales, a divide that I believe underscores one of the most significant challenges to full and meaningful recovery for the Gulf region.

The Book of Jonah: when doves call

By Rabbi Anne Brener
Published on September 28, 2006

It's time for Jonah again. I cherish this prophet, whose Hebrew name, "Yonah" means "dove,"

Polish the Soul for Elul

By Rabbi Anne Brener
Published on September 7, 2006

Elul is traditionally a month for polishing the soul. During this time, we search ourselves for blemishes. Then, through the process of teshuvah, we polish and refine ourselves. The culmination of this refinement is the fast of Yom Kippur, from which we hope to emerge shining and radiant.

Rebuilding New Orleans—With A Little Help From Each Other

By Gail Naron Chalew
Published on August 24, 2006

One year after "the storm," as New Orleanians refer to Hurricane Katrina, Jewish communal leaders describe the health of the community with certain expected terms -- loss, trauma, devastation and challenge.

Power of Vows

By Rabbi Joshua Levine Grater
Published on July 19, 2006

Our ancestors understood that when we make a vow, promising to give something to God, or take an oath regarding our own actions, this was the highest and most serious endeavor, as the power of speech is what separates us most critically from the animal world. "Baruch She'amar V'hayah Ha'olam, God spoke and the world came into being."

Finding Tools That Give Life Meaning

By Rabbi Anne Brener
Published on June 22, 2006

Accepting life's ambiguity has gotten me through a lot over the years, particularly this year, as the extremes of experience challenge any vestiges of hope I have held for things to have predictable outcomes. Say what you will about Katrina and cancer, they can be excellent teachers.

Building Homes, Building Hope

By Rabbi Mark S. Diamond
Published on May 25, 2006

The prophet Isaiah asks: "What is the house which you would build for Me, and what is the place of My rest?" (Isaiah 66:1). In the days following the Easter and Passover holidays, 41 Angelenos traveled to the Gulf Coast to translate their faith into action. We were rabbis and pastors, African Americans and Jewish Americans, high school seniors and senior adults, synagogue and church members from 12 Los Angeles congregations who rebuilt homes in Gulfport, Miss.

The Road to Mississippi

By Sophia Kamran
Published on May 4, 2006

Driving through the deserted streets of New Orleans, we peered through the windows of our charter bus and watched as we drove past miles of destroyed homes. As we approached our destination, Waveland, Miss., the houses became increasingly tattered and decayed; on some lots, only kitchen floors remained. As we approached the shore and our worksite came into view, the entire bus was silenced by the broad stretches of land where only the scattered debris of homes remained.

PASSOVER: 10 Contemporary Plagues

By The Editors
Published on April 6, 2006

In the Passover haggadah, we read of the 10 Plagues that God sent to convince Pharoah to let the Hebrew slaves go free. The plagues -- bloody, violent, magical -- are a dramatic highpoint of the narrative. Mindful of the pain these plagues brought even to innocent Egyptians, Jews have traditionally spilled out a drop of their festive seder wine at the recitation of each plague.

Community Briefs

By Melissa Maroff
Published on March 30, 2006

Community Briefs

Spectator - Fiddle Dee Dee and Oy Vey!

By Gaby Friedman
Published on February 2, 2006

"Truthfully, my grandfather really was the catalyst for the journey," Brian Bain said in a phone conversation from Dallas, where he relocated after his New Orleans home was damaged by Hurricane Katrina. He was referring to Leonard Bain, a retired traveling hat salesman and silent film editor who was 99, in 2002, when the film was made. The elder Bain has since died at the age of 101.

Post-Katrina, Jews Raised Funds Fast

By Larry Luxner
Published on January 26, 2006

Major Jewish organizations have raised more than $30 million to house, feed, educate and relocate thousands of victims of Hurricane Katrina in Louisiana and Mississippi.

Hillel Students Help Rebuild Gulf Coast

By Larry Luxner
Published on January 26, 2006

In addition to Hillel, other Jewish groups were active in Mississippi relief work. Shortly after Katrina struck, the Chabad-Lubavitch movement dispatched a group of emissaries to Biloxi to assist with emergency search-and-rescue efforts.

Letters

Published on November 10, 2005

Letters to the Editor.

Kids Page

By Abby Gilad
Published on October 13, 2005

Kids Page

Balancing Tikkun Olam and Self-Interest

By Andrew Silow-Carroll
Published on October 6, 2005

I'm reluctant to draw lessons from the hurricane, even if the High Holidays are a time of stock taking, and even if Jewish tradition suggests that calamities are "heavenly alarms" meant to arouse repentance.

Messages of Meaning on Rosh Hashanah

By David Finnigan
Published on October 6, 2005

Southern California rabbis used their Rosh Hashanah pulpits to speak on globalization, Africa's drought-ridden refugees and America's hurricane-drenched evacuees as well as Israel's Gaza pullout.

Letters

Published on October 6, 2005

Letters to the Editor

Class Notes - Hurricane Heroes

By Julie G Fax
Published on October 6, 2005

Sarah Rose Isenberg had a sure-fire marketing plan and a product no one could object to.

Fundraiser to Benefit Storm Victims

Published on September 15, 2005

Fundraiser for victims of Hurricane Katrina

7 Days in The Arts

By Keren Engelberg
Published on September 8, 2005

7 Days in the Arts

Nation & World Briefs

Published on September 1, 2005

The United Jewish Federation of Pittsburgh (UJF) has established a mailbox to accept donations for humanitarian aid for members of the Jewish and general communities impacted by Hurricane Katrina in Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi and Western Florida.