View From a Height

New Orleans Jewish Federation

The following email has been posted by the Allied Jewish Federation of New Orleans, temporarily relocated to Houston:

Dear Friends/Colleagues,

Earlier today, I sent the following message to the Jewish community
e-mail listserve for any evacuees from my community with e-mail access:

We hope you are out of harm's way when you read this message from the
Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans. This message is being sent
to you from our temporary headquarters located in the offices of the
Jewish Federation of Greater Houston where they have shown us
tremendous warmth and hospitality.

During the unspeakable destruction of Hurricane Katrina and the long
aftermath of rescue, clean-up, and recovery that will follow, we want
to offer you the opportunity to stay in touch with your community
even though we all evacuated in different directions.

E-mail through the Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans can serve
as a clearinghouse for information. Additionally, when we set-up a
bulletin board system on our web site, we will notify you by e-mail
so that community members can post messages for each other and reply
to those posted messages.

Until the time when we are allowed back into the greater New Orleans
area to assess the damage to our homes, schools, agencies,
synagogues, and businesses, we will wait and continue to share
information with you through e-mail. My temporary Houston cell phone
number is 832-545-2128.

The outpouring of love, concern, and support that has been expressed
for the Jewish community of Greater New Orleans is
overwhelming. From cities throughout the United States, other Jewish
Federations, the Jewish Agency for Israel, the Government of the
State of Israel, and the synagogue movements, we have received
messages and offers of help. Disaster relief mailboxes have been
established for us through United Jewish Communities and the
Federations of North America, as well as the Union of Reform Judaism
(URJ) and the United Synagogue of America.

On behalf of me, Roselle Ungar, and Adam Bronstone, our thoughts and
prayers are with you wherever you are.

I just spoke with Eric by phone, and as soon as I know anything about the Orthodox organizations, I'll post that contact information, as well.

At the same time, the OU reports that:

Attention members of the New Orleans Jewish Community displaced by Hurricane Katrina:

Adam Bronstone from the New Orleans Jewish Federation is trying to locate all members of the N.O. Jewish Community. He can be reached at adam@jewishnola.com.

UPDATE: The Orthodox Union and Chabad Lubavitch of New Orleans have set up a donations page, as well.