Federation recruiting for Civil Rights Trip

Federation will inaugurate an annual, day-long educational field trip for Jewish and African-American middle school students to various sites in Alabama that are significant to the civil rights movement. This year's trip will be held over Thanksgiving break, on November 20, and students will be visiting the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma; the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham; the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute; and the Anne Frank Tree in Birmingham. Transportation, meals, and admission fees will be provided.

If your sixth to eighth grader is interested in participating, please contact Michelle Neal at michelle@jewishnola.com.

Federation launches partnership with WBOK

As part of Federation's continuing focus on expanding relationships throughout the wider New Orleans community,  we have launched of a formal partnership with WBOK 1230AM to highlight and explore African-American/Jewish relations monthly on the Good Morning Show with Oliver Thomas. The six-part series, called Shalom: A Cross Cultural Conversation, features monthly segments, welcoming different guests and topics each time for an hour-long discussion on shared history, challenges and goals.
 

Download the November 14th segment here.

Federation/ADL Joint Statement on Mass Shooting in Pittsburgh Synagogue

On Saturday morning, October 27, 2018, during Shabbat services a gunman opened fire on the historic Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, PA.

Our hearts are with the victims and their loved ones, and we pray for the full recovery of all those injured.

We are horrified by this act of wanton bloodshed and grotesque anti-Semitism. While this appears to be an isolated incident, the effects are far-reaching. We urge all Americans to stand together with their neighbors against senseless violence and hateful rhetoric.

“This despicable act of hate and violence has shattered the sanctity of the Sabbath and the congregation of Or L’Simcha will be forever changed.  With the emboldened voices of hate being heard throughout society, the possibility of people acting out on that hate increases.  We must do everything in our power to combat hate and extremism so that acts of violence like this do not become normalized,” said Aaron Ahlquist, Regional Director of ADL’s South Central Region. “Our heart goes out to the community in Pittsburgh, and to the families of the victims of this terrible act, including the families of the police officers shot in today’s violence.  We pray for healing and peace in the aftermath of this hateful act.”

Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans CEO, Arnie D. Fielkow, added, “Shabbat is a time for peaceful worship. This morning should have been a joyful time, as congregants gathered for the bris (baby naming ceremony) of an infant. Instead, that moment was tragically shattered, transformed into a scene of terror and grief. We can and must do better. Together we must drown out hate with love.”