United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism

The Association of Conservative Synagogues

Biloxi Update

I’ve just returned from another visit to the Mississippi Gulf Coast.  Steve Richer, the president of Congregation Beth Israel in Biloxi, Mississippi, and Lori Beth Susman, past-president took me on a tour of the town and the surrounding communities.  On the positive side, the Jewish community is progressing nicely.  Congregation Beth Israel holds weekly Shabbat services in a church social hall; it also uses that space for meetings and children’s classes The congregation’s building committee is actively involved in gathering all the information its members will need to decide whether to rebuild on its current site or to move to safer ground north of Interstate 10.  One of the synagogue’s member families has graciously offered to donate land to the congregation, should it decide that a move is in its best interest.

Most of the members of Congregation Beth Israel are getting on with their lives.  Steve Richer is still living in a trailer and trying to find licensed contractors to repair his home.  Wayne and Lorraine Lutz are still living in their store in D’Iberville, while they, too, await the repairs they need to make their house habitable.  Rayanne Weiss, whose home was reduced to a pile of rubble, has managed to sell her old property and move into a new house.  You may recall from the report of my first visit to Biloxi that Raynne and her husband lost almost everything they own to Katrina.  They were able to salvage a few family photographs, which a local photo studio is trying to restore for them.  Rayanne did tell me that they found their wedding videotape, which had been soaked in the storm.  Rayanne and her husband both work for one of the local television stations and were fortunate that a technician there was able to digitize the images from the videotape onto a

DVD.  Rayanne told me that despite their losses, they consider themselves very lucky.  They’re both alive, and they now have a new, fully furnished home.  Their spirit is representative of everyone I spoke with in Mississippi.  Whatever their situation, they feel fortunate, even blessed.  Many of the people on the Mississippi Gulf Coast who lost everything were not as fortunate as the Weisses.

Much of the beachfront area in Biloxi proper is being rebuilt.  A few hotels and three casinos already have reopened, and the casinos report that their business is booming.  Several of the casinos that were destroyed are being rebuilt and many more are projected along Biloxi's coast.  In addition, several developers are beginning plans for high-rise condominium complexes along this beautiful stretch of coastline.

 

Unfortunately, however, the situation to the west of Biloxi is grim.  As you drive west on

US 90, which runs along the Gulf beaches, you see nothing but devastation.  The CSX railroad tracks run parallel to US 90 about a quarter of a mile north of the highway.  Virtually everything between the road and the tracks for nearly 75 miles is either completely leveled or falling down and uninhabitable.  The area looks like it has been hit by a bomb.  The beach looks like photos of the Normandy beaches after the D-Day invasion.  The stately old mansions that lined US 90 facing the Gulf are gone.  Entire neighborhoods have been wiped out.  Altogether, some 65,000 buildings have been destroyed or are uninhabitable.  In some cases, where homes are still standing but uninhabitable, residents have been able to get travel trailers and are living in them.  However, some sections of Long Beach and Pas Christian will be without water and power for at least a year.  For these people, living on their property in a trailer is not an option.

After driving several miles through this devastation, I asked, ”Where are all the people who used to live here?” Steve said that many are living with nearby relatives or in tent cities.  Some simply have moved away.

 

A huge tent and several tractor-trailers stand in a parking lot next to the shell of a Super Wal-Mart alongside US 90. The parking lot serves as a distribution point and a soup kitchen for people who have lost their homes.  Nearly six months after the storm, people are still living in tents, getting their groceries from distribution points, and eating their meals in a soup kitchen. But when you drive through what was once downtown Long Beach, you see words painted on the remains of a dive shop, words that sum up the spirit of those who live on the Mississippi Gulf Coast.  In bright red letters the sign reads, ”It

ain’t over. We will be back!”

 

The loss of citizens’ homes and personal property also creates additional problems for municipal governments.  As much as 50 percent of the tax base in many communities has been wiped out.  Greatly lowered tax revenues in these areas could result in reduced services to residents already suffering from storm losses.  In addition, many insurance companies have told their policy-holders that the destruction was caused by flooding, not the hurricane winds, and so their homes and property are not covered.  Individuals and families who lost everything in the storm now must fight insurance companies while still looking for alternate living accommodations, continuing to make mortgage payments, and paying taxes on vacant land that they may not be able to rebuild on for several years.

 

On Thursday morning, I had the opportunity to meet with several of the people from the Mississippi Gulf Coast Convention and Visitors Bureau who are coordinating volunteers and relief efforts along the coast.  Supplies are still needed in the area.  In particular, there is a great need for canned food and  such items as chips, snacks and packaged foods.  In addition, toiletries, cosmetics, and personal hygiene and bath items also are needed.  It would be best if these items were shipped in large quantities.  I would like to suggest that synagogues set themselves up as collection centers for these items.  If you get in touch with me when you’re ready to ship them, I will talk to the people in Mississippi to let you know exactly where the goods are needed.

 

Volunteers also are sorely needed.  According to Romeo Brown, director of the Harrison County Volunteer Task Force, there is enough work to be done along the Mississippi Gulf Coast to keep volunteers busy seven days a week for the next five years.  Many faith-based organizations have been sending volunteers to the coast regularly.  Much of the volunteer work involves cleaning up the hardest hit areas.  Romeo tells me that many elderly people are now returning to the coast and are in desperate need of help to remove debris from their homes.  There also is a need for volunteers with either case-management or social-work backgrounds, who can meet with returnees and help them assess their needs.  There is also a need for medical personnel, but Romeo said that he may need more lead time to deal with such issues as licensing.  Obviously, skilled labor is also needed.

 

Most of the volunteers who come to the area stay in volunteer housing, which can be tent cities (large tents that have heat and air conditioning), community centers, or church and/or civic auditoriums.  In all cases, cots and bedding are provided, although Romeo did say that many volunteers prefer to bring their own sleeping bags.  Rest rooms and shower facilities are available, and transportation between the volunteer centers and the various work sites is provided.  Some hotel space is available for volunteers who wish to pay for their own lodging, but the few hotel rooms available can be expensive.  Also, depending on the size of the group, transportation may not be available to work sites from the hotels.  Driving is difficult, because many traffic lights are still out and most street signs are gone.

 

Synagogues wishing to send volunteer groups to the Gulf Coast should contact me with the number of volunteers, the dates they will go, and the type of housing they would prefer, and I will make arrangements with local officials.  We also can arrange to ship kosher food for these groups.

Harry J. Silverman

Executive Director

Southeast Region

United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism

2600 N. Military Trail

Suite 248

Boca Raton, FL  33431

(561) 372-0420 (voice)

(561) 372-0424 (fax)

(561) 601-5593 (cellular)

 

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