(JEWISH GROUP) 20 years after Katrina, Jewish New Orleans is bigger than it was before the hurricane

Two decades ago, Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans. The storm killed almost 1,400 people and caused an estimated $125 billion in damage. Damage to Jewish communal institutions totaled $20 million, including the near-total destruction of Congregation Beth Israel and its seven Torah scrolls. An estimated 80% of Jewish residents’ homes were damaged. Within six months, the area lost about 3,500 Jews — more than a third of its Jewish population.

Today, Jewish life in New Orleans is thriving. Between 12,000 and 13,000 Jews live in New Orleans, up from around 9,500 before Katrina. The area is home to seven synagogues and two Chabad centers — matching pre-Katrina numbers, according to Sherri Tarr, COO of the Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans. Congregation Beth Israel has a new building.

“There are people who are still moving back, who moved away after Katrina,” Tarr said. “It’s a wonderful place to be Jewish.”

The resurgence comes despite the fact that New Orleans as a whole has yet to return to its pre-Katrina population size. Tarr attributed the revival in part to support provided by Jewish institutions and an influx of young Jews who moved to the area in Katrina’s wake, driven by a desire to aid in recovery.

In the immediate aftermath of the storm, United Jewish Communities (now Jewish Federations of North America) stepped in with fast, direct support — offering $700 in cash to every Jewish adult affected, no questions asked. Globally, the American Jewish community mobilized, raising $28 million for relief efforts. In 2007, the Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans launched an incentive program for Jewish newcomers, offering a stipend for moving expenses, discounted tuition at the Jewish Community Day School, and a year of free membership at a synagogue. According to Tarr, hundreds of people participated in the program, which ran through 2012, and 25% have stayed.

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