Alternative Winter Break I Am a Witness – Sarah Tessler

Today we got to witness the liveliness of the amazing city of New Orleans. We went from seeing homes that were destroyed by hurricane Katrina to seeing a beautifully restored city. From walking from our hotel to the French quarter we got to see why everyone loves this city so much. No matter how bad the storm got everyone managed to keep hope and know that one day their beloved city will be fully restored to its former glory. Not everyone felt that way though. Some people thought that their much loved city full of life and enjoyment would be gone forever and never be rebuilt to the place it once was. The rehabilitation of this magnificent city was way more than anyone could have possibly imagined. Later tonight we sat on the steps across the street from the park while eating our beignets looking at the lights and watching cars and horses go by. I know I made the right decision by choosing to come to this beautiful city and I will definitely be coming back in the future.

~ Sarah Tessler is a 9th grader from Scottsdale, AZ. She is working with Young Judaea to bring YJ back to AZ!