Lessons of Hurricane Katrina for American Jews, 2020 Edition

Abstract

Taken together, the oral histories illustrate how those in the Jewish community drew upon shared resources, historical experience, established networks, and a strong sense of community to assist individuals, sustain institutions, and also attend, in a limited fashion, to the needs of those beyond their own group With these lists in hand, a Baton Rouge-based communal effort was allowed to send rescue boats into New Orleans to seek out those on the list, rescuing scores ofJewish and non-Jewish residents whom they were looking for or whom they encountered during their searches 4 2 The ability to draw upon existing networks to generate a national grassroots fundraising campaign supported short, medium, and long-term efforts to assist the community Most immediately, UJC offered all Jewish residents affected by Katrina $700 in cash-a vital resource at a time when banking systems had collapsed 3 Jewish Family Service agencies across the country, from Baltimore to Ann Arbor to Houston, activated their national network to provide points of contact and welcome (including housing, furniture, clothing, synagogue and JCC memberships, and day school tuitions) for individuals and families arriving as part of an exodus from New Orleans 5 4 The UJC provided two years of support for agencies in New Orleans, Baton Rouge, and the Gulf South Even though most members of the Jewish community were ultimately able to access their bank accounts, insurance, and other resources to rebuild, it is important to remember that "getting off easy" could mean something on the order of months of displacement, followed by a return home to find a refrigerator full of maggots, a house full of mold, and rugs that had been eaten by rats 9 One of the most striking aspects of both Katrina and the COVID19 crisis has been the disconnect between perceptions of shared vulnerability ("we're all in it together") and the hugely disproportionate impact of each disaster