Statement on the death of George Floyd

Update on Reopening

 
With cautious optimism, and with the health of our community members continuing to be the top priority, we are pleased to update you on the status of the Goldring-Woldenberg Jewish Community Campus during Phase I of the statewide reopening process. Our building reopened on Tuesday, May 26 in a limited capacity, from 5:30 a.m. – 10:00 p.m.

 
Temperature checks will be required to enter the building, and masks will be required in all public areas. Social distancing – six feet apart – will also be a requirement. In addition to hourly maintenance of the building, the facility’s maintenance staff will be overseeing a weekly deep cleaning, as well as enhanced disinfecting of shared surfaces.
  
We have also created a recommended reopening guideline document for our Jewish agencies and synagogues, which covers a range of topics, including suggested protocols for individuals, facilities, human resources, legal liability, security, and religious services. These guidelines were primarily produced by culling best practices from varied sources like the CDC, the State of Louisiana, GNO Inc., JFNA, and other Jewish communities, and applying them to our local circumstances. It’s very important that everyone continue to monitor the ongoing mandates and recommendations from the State and your Parish. 
 
As always, the safety of our community remains paramount.

Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans and the Jewish Endowment Foundation of Louisiana partner with the Consulate General of Israel to the Southwest, Metairie Bank and Humana to feed New Orleans’ frontline workers

In partnership with the Jewish Endowment Foundation of Louisiana, Humana, Metairie Bank, the Consulate General of Israel to the Southwest, and generous individual donors, the Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans is pleased to announce the expansion of the Greater New Orleans Jewish Community Healthcare Workers Take Home Meal Program to include East Jefferson General Hospital. This program currently serves Tulane Medical Center, Touro Infirmary and Ochsner Health System. Since its launch on April 21, the program has served 1,200 take home meals to frontline medical staff and healthcare workers and, over the expected eight-week program period, will serve in excess of 6,000 take home meals to these community heroes. 
 
 

"There's a Jewish value - tikkun olam - which means that we're all asked to do our part to repair the world, Jewish and non-Jewish alike," said Arnie D. Fielkow, CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans. "From helping area small businesses to tending to healthcare workers too exhausted to cook, this program allows us to help so many people in a unique way, across three major healthcare systems in our community. Every meal is a step towards repairing the world."

This is a way to support small Jewish businesses in our community in a way that reflects our Jewish values.

Joshua S. Force, Chair of the Jewish Federation Board of Trustees, agreed, noting that, “The COVID-19 pandemic reminds us that we truly live in one, interconnected world – and that the needs created by this difficult time create an opportunity for us to collaborate creatively with area partners and businesses to solve problems.”

Three local kosher restaurants and caterers – Kosher Cajun, Rimon at Tulane Hillel and Dvash Catering – are providing 200 healthy, delicious meals for the four hospital campuses each Tuesday, for a total of 800 meals per week.

“Recognizing that we have all been impacted by this pandemic, the Jewish Endowment Foundation of Louisiana is pleased to support a program that shows our solidarity with the wider New Orleans community,” stated Jewish Endowment Foundation of Louisiana Executive Director Bobby Garon. “Our Board and staff are tremendously grateful for our frontline workers and first responders.”

“This meal program not only allows us to express our appreciation to healthcare workers, but also supports local restaurants and business owners, and hopefully inspires others to work together during this time,” added Larry Lehmann, Board President of the Jewish Endowment Foundation of Louisiana.

The Jewish Federation is accepting donations to keep the program running past the expected eight-week window via the form below.

Greater New Orleans Jewish community COVID-19 Response Initiative

The Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans, Jewish Family Service of Greater New Orleans, and the Jewish Endowment Foundation of Louisiana have partnered with a number of area synagogues to create a Jewish community response helpline program for problems related to the novel coronavirus pandemic.
 
Our collective goal is to provide connection during a time of distance, as well as practical assistance (food/meal assistance, supplies, and prescription pick up for those who need it). These efforts are not intended to duplicate emergency or crisis services. In the case of an emergency, please call 911 (for a medical emergency) or 211 (for a mental health emergency).
 

Here are the details:
 
What: Jewish Community Response Volunteer Initiative
 
Who’s eligible: Members of a Jewish household who currently reside in Orleans, Jefferson, St. Tammany, St. Charles, Washington, Tangipahoa, St. Helena, Livingston, and St. Bernard parishes
 
How: Call or email the helpline (at one of the options listed below) and carefully follow the directions provided. You should receive a response within 48 hours, except during Shabbat and Jewish holidays. A volunteer will be in touch to coordinate addressing your need, whether it’s picking up a grocery order or just having someone with whom to talk.
 
Helpline options:

• 504-780-5672

• covidresponse@jewishnola.com

All questions should be directed through the helpline.

Interested in volunteering with our COVID-19 response program?

New Orleans Jewish Communal Response to COVID-19

The Federation continues to be open for business, but obviously the top issue for us all right now is our response to COVID-19. Our communications outreach and professional efforts have been refocused on how to support and lead our community during this extraordinary time. Below you will find a listing of upcoming Federation events that we have now postponed. Additionally, while most Federation business meetings have not been cancelled, all eligible meetings will be held by phone or through Zoom. Staff will reach out to you if you are scheduled to participate in these meetings.

We’ll be communicating frequently with you to disseminate community announcements and important information. We’re updating our community resource page daily, so if your Jewish organization or synagogue want to share updates with our wider distribution list, please send them directly to the Federation’s Marketing and Communications Director, Cait Gladow, at cait@jewishnola.com.

We are committed to keeping everyone connected during this time of social distancing. If your Jewish communal organization or synagogue does not have access to a web meeting platform like Zoom, please reach out to Cait. Until the CDC guidelines for isolation are lifted, the Federation is happy to help facilitate your interactive activities.

As you know, we have created a task force to coordinate localized Jewish efforts, with community leaders, medical professionals, and New Orleans City Council Member Joe Giarrusso. We welcome your input as to how we can best serve you as we collectively navigate this crisis – none of what the Federation does happens in a vacuum.

Finally, we’re working hard with our community partners to create a volunteer program that will allow us to respond to individualized Jewish member concerns in the weeks ahead. We will have more information for you on this program in the coming days.

Stay safe, and as always, please let us know how your Jewish Federation can best serve you and your family.

We have also created a resource page to help our community organizations, synagogues and schools share announcements and news related to COVID-19.