Last spring I was fortunate to attend Hillel’s Alternative Spring Break in New Orleans with three other F&M students. My Hillel Director recently asked me to write up a reflection on this trip for their newsletter. I feel it is appropriate to share on this blog and hope you all can gain knowledge from it.
As I was very stressed with midterms prior to spring break, I never really got a chance to collect my ideas about what I was expecting for the trip. Consequently, I was utterly blown away once we got there.
The conditions in New Orleans are nowhere near where one would expect them to be five years after a hurricane. Obviously, I saw all of the destruction on the news but did not imagine the extent of damage that I saw first-hand. This trip made me realize that the media is always obsessed with focusing on the present, however never takes time to reflect on travesties that happened in the recent past, such as with Hurricane Katrina.
Meeting numerous survivors of Katrina and hearing their stories gave me more of a reason to work harder each day. So many New Orleans residents gave up and abandoned the few remnants of their homes, giving the ones who stayed tremendous courage.
I was particularly inspired by a story we heard about torahs being rescued during the storm from Beth Israel Congregation. The only reachable person at a harsh time during the storm was the rabbi’s secretary’s neighbor, who is not Jewish. She willingly volunteered to rescue the torahs, as she recognized the sacredness they represented for so many people. While having so many other worries such as her own safety, the condition of her house and her belongings, along with those of her close friends and family, this individual had the kindness to do this mitzvah for people she barely knew nor had a connection to. This clearly shows the sense of concern and consideration Hurricane Katrina stirred in the community. Ultimately, attending Hillel’s Alternative Spring Break was a challenging privilege that I hope other F&M students experience in the future.
Every night at dinner we were able to share a prominent moment from our day with the entire group of roughly 100 student volunteers. One night a girl from the University of Arizona stood up and started off her expression of appreciation for this trip with “I could have gone on a booze cruise with all of my friends to somewhere like Mexico, or Cuba…†Though it may not be the most appealing trip at the forefront, the knowledge I gained from it, and what I think all attendees gain from it, made an everlasting impact on my perspective on humanity. Attending this trip to NOLA was such a rewarding experience that I highly recommend to any other eligible students.
Hillel offers alternative break trips in both the winter and spring. Over 3,100 students have already taken advantage of this experience, and you could be the next to join this group! Please check out this site or consult your Hillel Director for more information regarding Hillel’s alternative breaks.
