Thank you Yachad NJ and NCSY for sponsoring this Chessed mission to New Orleans. Here’s what one of our students wrote about her experience:
I joined Yachad and Ma’ayanot students for a chessed mission in New Orleans. On Thursday, we helped fix up a house by rebuilding it using tools such as hammers and nails. My job was to dig a deep layer for a walkway to lay concrete in it. It was exhausting for me because I was involved with the dirty and hard work while other people painted fences for the house. On Friday before Shabbos, two groups split up to go to other people’s homes to put in new light bulbs. Since most of the houses have high ceilings in rooms we had to use a step stool in order to light up the room. On Shabbos day, we joined with a small Jewish community who are older people that have never had youthful neighbours in their street. They were very pleased and welcomed us to their community so we could help to create a community. It was the most meaningful and wonderful chessed mission I have ever had!
Yaffa Elyakin is a student at SINAI Karasick Shalem High School at Ma’ayanot. SINAI’s Shalem high schools serve students ages 14-21 years old with developmental or complex learning disabilities.
