October, 2005

Two Odysseys to New Orleans at Yom Kippur: A Young Rabbi and Two Students are Joined by Holiday Prayer Books Returning Home for Services for the Returning Remnant of the Jewish Community

With their synagogue a total loss and their lives in upheaval, 45 New Orleanians held emotional Yom Kippur services at an airport Comfort Inn in their city, with the services led by a young rabbi supplied by the Orthodox Union, accompanied by two Yeshiva University students.

The prayer books they used took a remarkable odyssey from New Orleans, to Monsey, NY, and back to New Orleans.

Yom Kippur services are always emotional, but these services were particularly so, reports Rabbi Robert Shur, Program Coordinator in the OU’s Department of Community and Synagogue Services, who was dispatched to New Orleans when the returning remnant of the Beth Israel Congregation, an OU synagogue, sent an urgent request on Monday for help in running their services. Rabbi Shur, who received ordination earlier this year from Yeshiva University’s Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary, was accompanied by two current YU students, Menachem Butler, a senior, and Elyassaf Schwartz, a junior, both of whom are active in YU’s new Center for the Jewish Future.

They brought with them a Torah scroll, courtesy of YU, and food for the pre-fast and break the fast meals.

Prior to the holiday, Rabbi Shur and the students went to Beth Israel -- which he described as “a total ruin. It looked like at atomic bomb hit it.” They managed to salvage a yarhzeit (memorial) candle (which, in a similarity to the Chanukah story, burned throughout the holiday), Torah covers and menorahs from the shul.

“Everyone at services was remembering the destruction of their shul, and they work they put in trying to salvage it,” said Rabbi Shur, describing the emotions he confronted.

For those who planned to stay in New Orleans, there was good news. Synagogue President Mrs. Jackie Gothard vowed to the congregation that the shul will be rebuilt.

In his sermon, Rabbi Shur spoke about “how the beauty of a synagogue is a reflection of the love people put into it – so the beauty of the Beth Israel Congregation will return,” he said.

“THANK YOU from every grateful member of our Congregation. Rabbi Shur, Menachem Butler and Eliassaf Schwartz were really great. Our services were beautiful and moving. More than the Red Cross, FEMA and State Farm Insurance, our community needed to be together, in a traditional minyan, for a proper Yom Kippur service. Through our hugs and tears and prayers, you could feel the healing taking place and feel some peacefulness re-enter our lives,” wrote synagogue leader Edward Gothard.

The prayer books – the Birnbaum Machzor -- used by the returning congregation, were a remarkable aspect of the proceedings. Seven years ago, a retirement community, Fountain View at College Road in Monsey, NY was setting up its congregation and needed High Holy Day prayer books (called machzorim). “I learned through the Rabbinical Council of America,” said Rabbi Yerachmiel Seplowitz, “of a congregation that was giving away prayer books. The books were available free, to whomever would pay shipping. We took them. Now, having purchased new ones, the time had come to send the prayer books elsewhere. I thought of New Orleans,” the rabbi continued. “The Jewish community of New Orleans, along with their neighbors, has suffered devastating losses.”

After first learning that there would be no High Holy Days services in New Orleans this year, Rabbi Seplowitz received an email from the OU asking if the prayer books were still available. “I mentioned to Rabbi Daniel Rockoff that we had books available because we were honoring the memory of our departed gabbai,” and so had purchased new ones. He told me that one of the tragic casualties of the hurricane was Beth Israel’s gabbai.”

A gabbai is a layman, who helps in the running of the services.

The books were sent with the following inscription:

“This year the shul of our retirement community purchased new prayer books in memory of our beloved gabbai, who passed away several months ago. We have learned that included in your tragedy was the loss of your gabbai. Please accept this gift from our congregation to yours, in memory of our gabbai, Mr. Aaron Steinhart, and your gabbai, Mr. Meyer Lachoff. May God bless this New Year with good health, prosperity and peace for all Israel.”

“As I was preparing the inscription for those prayer books, I looked at the original congregation’s name that appeared in them,” said Rabbi Seplowitz. “That’s when it hit me. That’s when I remembered. The congregation that was no longer using those prayer books, that shipped the books to us across the country – they came all the way from…New Orleans!!!”

“Like the tough-minded members of Beth Israel, those prayer books from New Orleans are going home for the Holidays.”

The Orthodox Union is partnering with the Rabbinical Council of America and YU’s Center for the Jewish Future in raising funds for the victims of the hurricane through the Hurricane Katrina Relief Fund. Contributions may be sent to the Orthodox Union, 11 Broadway, New York, NY 1004, with Hurricane Katrina Relief Fund written on both the envelope and the check.

Elyasaf Schwartz standing on bimah at ruined Beth Israel Congregation


From Left to Right: Menachem Butler, Rabbi Robert Shur,
Mrs. Jackie Gothard, Elyasaf Schwartz

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