Thoughts from Beth David

Yossi and Jennifer have lived in the mountains of Western North Carolina for a few years. Their small orchard had apples, pear, and persimmon trees. More than thirty chickens lived in their coop. Hurricane Helene changed everything for them. Although the main house still stands, Yossi and Jennifer's dream orchard and animals are gone.

That's where NECHAMA, The Jewish Response to Disaster, comes in.  They have been embedded in the North Carolina mountains for almost six weeks, helping the local community. On Sunday, November 10, Jason Cathcart, Director of Congregational Learning, and Dan Wolf, Beth David Treasurer, traveled with ten teens and spent the day in Fairview, NC, working with NECHAMA.  We want to thank Dan Basinger and First Lutheran Church of Greensboro, NC for allowing us to use their van for the trip.  Upon arriving to Fairview, one of our teens, Lahav, reported that is was "a painful and upsetting reminder of how terrible the situation in the mountains is while also showing how important it is that we all do what we can to help the people of WNC."

The main job was clearing the mounds of debris that had settled on Yossi and Jennifer's land. All the wood went to the burn pile, and the metal and plastics were separated so they could be safely disposed of. "Volunteering in Asheville for hurricane damage was a meaningful Jewish experience. It was a way to practice Tikkun Olam, or repairing the world. Helping others and working together brought us closer as a community and was very rewarding," reports Jonah, one of our teen volunteers.

Three of our teen volunteers spent their time digging out garden planters that Yossi hopes to recycle. "One thing I took away from this experience was working together with my community to do something meaningful for those affected by the hurricane in Asheville and getting to make my heart happy by helping others," says teen volunteer, Shaina.  The teens worked hard and their amazing efforts put Yossi and Jennifer one step closer to being able to rebuild - yasher koach to all!

And keep your eyes out for future opportunities to help in Western North Carolina!