Our volunteer coordinator Daniel Gavin joined Mendel Traxler to spend Shabbos in Baton Rouge to supply kosher food and a Shabbos environment for the many rescue and relief workers on the ground there.
They joined the American Red Cross Spiritual Response Team and offer services for Jewish evacuees in the Baton Rouge area, specifically for the upcoming Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur services.
As Shabbos approaches a combination of doctors, Red Cross, FEMA, and Federal Logistics personnel come together to experience Shabbos together.
They daven a beautiful Kabolas Shabbos… everyone gets involved, singing together. An amazing meal is served catered by Southern Star Kosher Food (the first normal food our guests have eaten in a while.)
Everyone talks about their breath taking experiences of the past 2 weeks, while trying to wind down and relax.
Tzvi and Adina tell us about the thousands of patients that they have seen through the triage/emergency hospital that they set up by West Jefferson.
Mimi is teaching at a temporary school set up in one of the huge shelters in Baton Rouge.
Dr. Ginzburg, himself effected by the hurricane, but nevertheless has been seeing hundreds of people and will be going to speak at a National Conference this week by the Capitol in Washington.
Everyone is so happy to be around other Jews for Shabbos, and is just thrilled to be in heimish surroundings.
They continuously keep saying "a great yasher koach to Chabad, for bringing us some Shabbos warmth", among the Hurricane Katrina chaos.
