September 12, 2005

OU Leader Brings With Him First Disbursement from Hurricane Relief Fund:
Report From Memphis: OU’s Rabbi Weinreb Visits Displaced Jewish Community; Presents $20,000 Check to Yeshiva Which is Educating Children Driven out by Katrina; and Emphasizes that OU Will Assist Community Members in Rebuilding their Lives

Orthodox Union Executive Vice President Rabbi Tzvi Hersh Weinreb Thursday evening presented a check for $20,000 to the Margolin Hebrew Academy/Feinstone Yeshiva of the South in Memphis, which has taken in 21 students from New Orleans. The money came from the Hurricane Katrina Relief Fund, jointly sponsored by the OU, the Rabbinical Council of America and Yeshiva University’s Center for the Jewish Future.

In his visit to Memphis, in which he met with many members of the city’s Jewish community, Rabbi Weinreb also presented a generous check to a special discretionary fund for Memphis community rabbis to access to assist the New Orleans evacuees.

“The Memphis community is amazing in its commitment to meet the needs of fellow Jews who are now homeless, jobless, and in many cases suddenly destitute.” Rabbi Weinreb said. “The stories I heard from victims were heartbreaking and many are still too numbed by trauma to even talk about it. Many told me the hardest thing of all for them is to ask for help and to take ‘hand-outs’ from others.”

Shimon A. Kaminetzky, Executive Director, Margolin Hebrew Academy, Feinstone Yeshiva of the South, declared: The $20,000 grant “speaks volumes about the support of the Orthodox Union, Rabbinical Council of America and Yeshiva University to the resettlement of the 21 children from New Orleans who are registered in our school. The partnership we are forging with the three organizations will only grow stronger in time through their support for our work.”

In his visit to Memphis, Rabbi Weinreb met with Rabbi Yisroel Shiff of Beth Israel Congregation of New Orleans, an OU member synagogue. In a message to OU leadership and staff, Rabbi Weinreb wrote, “The shul is ruined, the Rabbi’s house is totally submerged and the homes of many of his congregants destroyed. I met with many of those affected by the storm and sat in on a counseling session with parents led by Dr. David Pelcovitz of Yeshiva University.”

Rabbi Weinreb also met Jordan Katz of New Orleans, a young woman who is National President of the OU’s highly respected youth program, National Conference of Synagogue Youth, and who is now in Memphis. After arriving in Memphis, Ms. Katz sent the following email message to NCSY friends:

“I can’t say for sure, but it looks like we, along with the rest of New Orleans, have lost everything that was in our homes except for pictures and some clothes. Please, please I'm begging you, have me and my family in your thoughts and prayers, and if you can spare a moment, maybe say some Tehillim (Psalms). At this point we really have no idea what's in store for us, or what we're going to do next. It's an incredibly devastating event, and I really appreciate all of your support.”

Regarding the Hurricane Katrina Relief Fund, Rabbi Weinreb declared in his letter, “Our fundraising campaign has been very successful, but I must stress that the needs of the displaced families will persist for many months. I told as many people as I could of the numerous offers of help from Orthodox communities across North America that can be viewed on our website – www.ou.org. These offers include all sorts of job opportunities. While many of the evacuees are looking to relocate, there is a core group which is still open to returning to New Orleans and to rebuilding the community. Right now, the entire situation is very uncertain.”

Rabbi Weinreb vowed, “We will continue to stay in touch with the displaced New Orleans Jewish community, in Houston and elsewhere as well as in Memphis; continue to identify needs; and disburse the funds we collect in the most effective manner possible.”

Contributions to the joint fund may be sent to Hurricane Katrina Relief Fund, Orthodox Union, 11 Broadway, 14th Floor, New York, NY 10004. Credit card contributions may be made on the OU website, www.ou.org.

Refuge from the Storm: In Memphis, following presentation of $20,000 check from Hurricane Katrina Relief Fund to the Margolin Hebrew Academy (MHA), Rabbi Weinreb gathered with the school’s leadership:

From left: Rabbi Yisroel Shiff of Beth Israel Congregation in New Orleans; Pace Cooper, MHA Immediate Past President; Rabbi David Israel of Yeshiva University’s Center for the Jewish Future; Michael Stein, MHA President; Rabbi Weinreb; Rabbi Nosson Schreiber MHA Dean; and Shimon Kaminetzky, Executive Director, MHA.

Rabbi Shiff and Rabbi Weinreb meet with Jordan Katz of New Orleans, National President of the OU’s National Conference of Synagogue Youth.

Photos by Barry Markowitz

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The Orthodox Union, now in its second century of service to the Jewish community of North America and beyond, is a world leader in community and synagogue services, adult education, youth work through NCSY, political action through the IPA, and advocacy for persons with disabilities through Yachad and Our Way. Its kosher supervision label, the , is the world’s most recognized kosher symbol and can be found on over 400,000 products manufactured in 83 countries around the globe.

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