Dear Friends,
As we approach the 9th of Av, we have been considering what the message of the 9th of Av is for us, as people working with individuals and communities that have suffered great disasters.
At first we thought that the message was one of commiseration: The survivors of hurricanes, floods, and other disasters, have suffered a great loss; we, too, have suffered a great loss, one that we commemorate even today, 2,000 years later.
But the more we thought about it, the more we realized that the message we needed to learn from Thisha B'Av was not about the 9th of Av at all. We needed to learn the message of the Tenth of Av (Yud B'Av).
Yud B'Av is a day of hope. It is the day when someone comes out into the rubble and lifts the first stone. It is a day still tinged with sadness, when we remember the destruction that has befallen us -- but at the same time, it is the day we begin to look forward, knowing that there will be a tomorrow that will be better than today.
Communities that have been hit by disasters need many things on their Yud B'Av. They need the basics (food, water, shelter), they need manpower (contractors, plumbers, roofers, volunteers), and they need materials. But one thing that is often over looked after a disaster is the need for hope.
We at the JDRC try to bring the message of Yud B'Av to communities affected by disasters. We come in the day after devastation, to pick up the first stone. We don't just tell the community that there will be a brighter tomorrow -- we show them, by rolling up our sleeves and working to with them to help them get there.
Jews, Muslims, Christians unite in flood cleanup project - Disasters don't discriminate, says Dan Hoeft of the Jewish disaster relief group Nechama. The Nashville flood hit Jews and Baptists, Methodists and Muslims, believers and nonbelievers alike.
"Jewish Students Help Repair Ike Damage" 1/30/2010 - GALVESTON - Students from Columbia, Brandeis, Yeshiva and Rutgers universities recently made their way to Galveston as part of a Jewish Disaster Response Corps effort to help rebuild neighborhoods after Hurricane Ike.
"Living a Life of Chesed" (10/2009) - While at Ramaz, I learned the importance of being an involved member of the community. Ramaz taught me how to analyze a problem, and how to being the work to fix it.
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Mobilizing American Jewish communities to lend skilled hands to assist American communities recover from natural disasters.
When a natural disaster strikes local residents and community support networks often are devastated, overwhelmed and unable to adequately respond to the situation without outside assistance. Residents reach out for a helping hand to aid them in getting back on their feet and to begin rebuilding their homes and their communities. It is the moral and social responsibility of the Jewish community, just as any other American community, to extend a helping hand to these communities during their time of need. Visit the About Us page
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March 2010
In March the JDRC continued supporting the One MIssion Galveston's effort and had another team of college students take their winter break to help in the rebuilding effort.
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April 2010
The JDRC deployed to Providence Rhodes Island after the severe flooding throughout the state. The JDRC worked with Nechama and Serve Rhodes Island. We worked with local volunteers both from the Jewish community and the general community. We were graciously welcomed by the local Jewish Federation and Jewish Community Center.
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May 2010
In May the JDRC responded to the unprecedented flooding in Nashville Tennessee. In Nashville we helped victims of the flooding clean out their homes and sanitize them in order to prepare it for rebuilding. In Nashville we were able to work with a wider range of volunteer groups. In addition to our work in the general population we were also able to work with the Local Jewish community to provide help to Jewish community members who were flooded.
