This article originally appeared in The Jewish Herald Voice on April 4, 2019.
By Michael C. Duke
Hillel students from California participated in an alternative spring break program that brought them to Houston, where they spent a week rebuilding a home that was destroyed by Hurricane Harvey.
This article originally appeared in The Jewish News on October 23, 2018.
By Rabbi Moshe Givental
I joined the Houston Service Trip, aimed to rebuild after the floods of 2017’s Hurricane Harvey, just a few days before we were set to go. Excited, but not completely prepared, it has left a deep impact on me. Each of our days combined some good hard work, fun, great food, and deep learning.
This article originally appeared on Tikkun on September 25, 2018.
By Avital Ingber, Kari Saratovsky, and Sacha Bodner
In his beloved book, The Sabbath, Abraham Joshua Heschel poignantly writes: “Judaism is a religion of time aiming at the sanctification of time. Judaism teaches us to be attached to holiness in time, to be attached to sacred events, to learn how to consecrate sanctuaries that emerge from the magnificent stream of a year.”
This article originally appeared in The Jewish Exponent on September 20, 2018.
By Joshua Needelman
Hurricane Florence has left thousands of people displaced from their homes and dozens of towns flooded in North Carolina and South Carolina. As of the morning of Sept. 18, the storm’s death toll was 32.
This article originally appeared in The JTA on September 17, 2018.
(JTA) — More than a year after Hurricane Harvey hit Texas, Jewish groups are still assisting in relief efforts while expressing concern for the victims of Hurricane Florence.
The Act Now Houston coalition — a partnership of national Jewish organizations including BBYO, Hillel International, JDC Entwine, Moishe House, OneTable, Repair the World, the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation, and the Jewish Federation of Greater Houston – are still sending volunteers to the Houston area to support the victims of the devastating flooding that destroyed more than 300,000 homes in Houston alone.
This article originally appeared in eJewish Philanthropy on September 13, 2018.
Act Now Houston, an initiative started earlier this year, plans to build on a series of successful summer volunteer efforts and encourage additional groups to participate in the future.
This article originally appeared in The Jewish News on June 14, 2018.
By Max Feber
I got involved with Repair the World through the PeerCorps program when I was only a sophomore in high school. Since then, I’ve volunteered dozens of times with RTW and have worked hard to help bridge the gap between the city and the suburbs. The work was always very hard. Whether we were building an ice rink, farming at one of the urban gardens or painting a mural, we always left feeling tired and rewarded. Tired after a long day’s work, I would go home, eat dinner and crawl right into bed.
This article originally appeared in eJewish Philanthropy on June 14, 2018.
By Jeremy Wood
Eight months after Hurricane Harvey swept through Houston, the major news networks’ focus has moved on. Yet amid national silence, the local crisis continues, festering like the mold behind flooded walls that were covered up too quickly while their foundations rotted inside. Many Houstonians remain unable to return home and the city predicts a 10-year recovery, barring future calamities.
This article originally appeared in the Jewish Herald-Voice on June 7, 2018.
A group of alumni from Repair the World’s PeerCorps Detroit went to Houston May 30, Memorial Day Weekend, to volunteer and aid in the continued recovery efforts from Hurricane Harvey. They volunteered with Door l’Door (which provides new mezuzahs to families that may have lost them in disaster), Undies for everyone, SBP and West Street Recovery.
This article originally appeared on This Week in Texas on May 30, 2018.
By Steve Pardue
A group of alumni from Repair the World’s PeerCorps Detroit (they were high school students during the program and now are college students) went to Houston for volunteer service and learning to aid in the continued recovery efforts from Hurricane Harvey. In Houston they volunteered with Door l’door, Undies for everyone, SBP, and West Street Recovery.
