On the afternoon of Christmas Eve, we went to an elementary school for children whose families have little income in suburban New Orleans, to throw a party for less fortunate children. As the boys and girls walked in, they seemed very shy and intimidated to be there with us. Over the course of the party, the children began to enjoy themselves. As we taught the children the games played at TY, the boys and girls found an energy that was hidden by anxiety. Christmas is a festive holiday celebrated by Christians all over the world. There are many people who are not able to afford a holiday party to celebrate with their families. A value that can be learned from this experience is that even though parents might not have the money to have a Christmas celebration for their children, it is important to help them, even if it is for children with disabilities and elderly people.

~ Ben Gotian, 10th Grade, New Rochelle, NY

Starting out today with a pleasantly late wake up, we walked out of the Hotel with bags in hand and ready to go for an afternoon in the French Quarter. The weather was not “beautiful” in the typical sense of the word, but the air was sweet and there was music on the streets.

After quite the adventure in the French Quarter, we made our way to a small Church school for a Christmas party. After setting up the table and laying out the gifts for the kids, we welcomed the children and played games for almost the entirety of two hours.

What made this day meaningful was the abundance of smiles. Not only was I happy, but the kids were having a blast. They played and laughed—two of the children even insisted of playing super hero with me for the good part of half an hour.

I left the school feeling exhausted but elated that a small group of volunteers was able to spread so much joy to a group of children that would spread even more to us.

—Enjoy the Chinese food this Christmas.

~ Ari Levine – 12th Grade, Charleston, NC

Today we thew a party for Gentilly Terrace Charter School. Although only a few kids showed up it was wonderful  meeting almost all the kids. Throughout the event we connected with the children over games like duck, duck goose and ninja. At the end of the party gifts were given away to all the kids. They all were appreciative of the gifts and seeing their smiles was the best part of the night.

Going to the school today was a great experience. We threw a Christmas party with food and presents for less fortunate children in the area. It seemed like this type of interaction was right up the alley of all of the chanichim and madrichim. Working at camp, we know how to deal with younger kids and our chanichim have learned a lot about leadership in Young Judaea.  We were to interact with all of the kids who showed up and they were probably between the ages of five and nine. There were so many games our chanichim came up with to play and seeing the smile on everyone’s faces let me know this Christmas party was a success. What was touching about seeing this is the joy it brought to all of the little kids faces. We obviously can’t change their whole lives, but in that one moment they were all giggles and smiles. I talked to one kid and he had never been outside of Louisiana let alone New Orleans. It makes you put things into perspective showing how lucky some of us really are.

~ Adam Bershad – Temple University, West Windsor, NJ

I have been to PATH before, so going back felt familiar, and I was definitely ready to get there and start talking with people. Today reminded me that no matter how much I try to learn about homelessness, there is always more to learn. I have heard many stories from homeless people about why they are in their situation, but today I met a veteran from Vietnam, who cried when he told us his story. He told us about his service to our country, and how he owned his own small business. He even hinted about a past marriage, generously opening up to teenage strangers. With so much talk about veteran aid in politics, it’s hard to believe there still hasn’t been a successful solution.

Some people are uncomfortable talking to homeless people, but after three years of AWB, it feels normal. The man we met had a very quiet voice, and he had out complete attention with every word he muttered. It was so easy to have a conversation with him, and as he dabbed his tears, my friends and I glanced at each other with sad eyes. Seeing how happy the people at PATH and the people working at PATH were, reinforced my desire to work in social service. Every year with AWB I am reminded to “sustain the change” and every friendly stranger I have met teaches me something new about how to do that.

~ Skye Maisel – 11th Grade – New City, NY

The sunshine of fame and glamor glares into our eyes, blinding us from the truth; as we put on our sunglasses, the sunshine disappears, and we are able to focus. What Magazines, celebrity news channels, and gossip sites fail to recognize about this state, is the fact that Los Angeles, California  is the first third world city in the United States. Since when has choosing “who wore it best” mattered more than finding clothing for someone who is wearing rags? When did people start to become so neive that they ignored the internal issues within their own city, strolling past those without anything, because they are too distracted on possessing everything.

While walking down Skid Row with my fellow Young Judaeans, it was almost impossible at first not to look away; the line of tents curving down the sidewalks was appalling. It took more than a moment to accept the fact that someones life could possibly be reduced to six garbage bags, one outfit, and two meals a day- if they’re lucky. Despite these tear jerking realities, I was able to find a silver lining. Once I truly opened my eyes, I saw these “homeless people” as human beings. I heard jazz music leaving tents, dogs happily licking their owners cheeks, and completely diverse people coming together as one, as a community. More than seven people that slept on hard concrete the previous night had the energy to ask me how I was doing, wish me a happy holiday and bless me.

My point is not to condone homelessness, not in any sense. It is not okay, and it is not an option to ignore it any longer. If these people who have nothing can put aside their differences for a common cause, why can’t we? Today, on this trip,  I learned that it’s not necessary nor is it helpful to feel guilty for being privileged. It is, however, imperative that we stop turning away from what is “not pretty”. Use the resources you have to educate others on what makes you uncomfortable about situations of homelessness! Therefore, I am encouraging you, and my camp mates as well, to be fearless: it is time for a change, and I believe one hundred percent that we can make a difference.

~ Rachel Silberman – 11th Grade, High Bridge, NJ

My family has never been a group to go on long trips or vacations. That is, if you do not count the eleven moves I’ve lived through (for of them being across the country). My most recebt move from state to state was five years ago when my my family moved back to the sunny state of California, more specifically, Los Angeles. So, you could imagine how excited I was when i figured out one of this years AWB choices was bere in my hometown! I was so excited to be ‘that kid’ who says things like, “Oh, the Hollywood sign? Yeah that thing? Sure, I guess its cool.” You know, the typical LA native. But too my surprise, its been nothing like that. I have become a visitor of my own city.

Starting immediately with our beginning opening peula (activity), I was astounded to hear such shocking facts about LA and the dark reality of our homeless probelm. The excerpts of the documentary we watchd the first night were about the Infamous Skid Row and the homeless community that lives there and has been there for ages. Not only had I never heard these facts before about the homeless rates, but I hadn’t even really heard of Skid Row at all, let alone its residents. I had no way to describe my feelings other than purely shocked and honestly a little embarrassed that i had been so blind to this situation right at my home.

Today when waking up, those feelings still fresh in my mind, I had no idea what I would embark on today. The same feeling of eye opening and slight shame were brought back as we literally walked the streets of the 50 square block radius known as Skid Row. Looking at these civilians, living in the same city as me, I felt shocked, a little uneasy because of my higher position given to me by my priveledge. This are was less than a mile away from one of my favorite spots in LA, the Last Bookstore, and yet I still felt like I had no idea where I was.  But I also felt an odd kinship towards these people as we were both Angelenos just living in our great city.

Another touching part of the day for me was after the Graffiti tour, having the opportunity to volunteer and mingle with tbe residents at the PATH (People Assisting the Homeless) inner city location. In my groups time at that location we cooked hhge amounts of delicious meals for the residents and chill with the people there by exchanging life stories, sharing jokes, and just finding comfort in each others’ company. Again, my identity as a local shined through as I made refereces the are of the San Fernando Valley I live in and made fun of our public translortation system.

Going into this trip I was convinced that I’d assumes the re of some unofficial tourguide. I could not have been more wrong. I am constantly being bombarded with educating and eye-opening experiences in places I’ve never been before. I am just so excited to see how much more I will learn about my great city, human nature, and myself on this trip.

~ Maccabee Raileanu – 10th Grade, Los Angeles, California

At the end of the day, we take a moment to reflect and share during the daily wrap up, or sikkum yom. No matter how exhausted we are, this is a must-do. As we sat down to unpack our first day, one of our bright peer leaders suggested the format for tonight’s sikkum yom. He explained to us a way for discussing the high’s and low’s of our days in the terms of our rose, our thorn, and a third, further step, our bud to express what we are excited for in the following day. Today I was particularly struck by some of the thoughts expressed, and I’m going to take this moment to share them with you.

Each student begins their turn by telling the group about their thorn, often the part of their day that they found most challenging emotionally. After a trying day visiting Skid Row and bearing witness to what is often dubbed a great “social disaster” of this country, many participants had a lot to share. What struck many of them was the hardship that homeless individuals in that area face from the lack of access to clean showers to the food insecurity that plagues the chronically homeless. Many students also shared the discomfort that this eye-opening experience caused them as they found themselves unable to turn a blind eye and ignore the vast suffering of this population. While the guide answered the students’ insightful and thorough questions, many participants expressed frustration as they grappled with understanding the obstacles homeless individuals encounter on their paths to security.

After sharing the weight of these feelings, the students unpacked their days further to discuss their roses and buds, or their joys and their hopes. Many of the participants took particular interest and joy in observing the genuine sense of community that much of Los Angeles’ homeless shares. They also expressed how much happiness it brought them to prepare dinner for homeless individuals at PATH. Not only did they enjoying cooking dinner, they also sought out connections with homeless individuals at PATH as they sat together for the meal and asked meaningful questions. As a madricha, what most powerfully impacted me today was seeing the presence, the initiative, and the sincere investment in the mission that all of the participants share. I can only imagine what they will accomplish in the coming days.

~ Sarah Fine is from Miami, Florida and is a senior at Vanderbilt University.  She is a staff member at Camp Judaea and was on Year Course in 11-12

Our first day volunteering we had an unexpected change of venues. This change resulted in one group going to an organization, ARC . ARC not only provides a service necessary for the city of New Orleans, but provides jobs for people who might otherwise have none. The people who work at ARC typically have some sort of mental disability, and while they can be excellent employees, most people won’t hire them because of their disabilities. This place provides a great environment that is accepting towards everyone while giving them steady year-round jobs. Mardi Gras beads usually just get left in the street and thrown out afterward. This organization collects the beads and hires people to sort them. Then, they sell them back to the Mardi Gras krewes to be used in the next year. They don’t just hire people to sort beads. In this building is also a soup kitchen. They employ mentally-disabled people as chefs as well. This organization provides services necessary to New Orleans while giving jobs to those who might be unable to get on without this organization.

~ Josh Goldsmith – 10th Grade, Little Silver, NJ

Today I volunteered with the Greenlight organization for the second time. I noticed a significant difference between this year’s experience and last year’s experience. This year the main focus seemed to be to change the lightbulbs. However, last year it appeared that the experience reflected more intimate and personal interactions with the home owners. I think that this program which Greenlight offers is a provided opportunity to build relationships with different citizens in New Orleans. I think that the perspective when starting a volunteer project should be to visualize the experience as an opportunity as opposed to a job.

With Greenlight we created a vegetable garden in addition to changing lightbulbs. I expected the gardening process to be tedious and difficult, but it was surprisingly simple and efficient. Greenlight is one of my preferred organizations to work with because it involves simple tasks, but effective results. Being able to see the product of our voluntary participation is a rewarding advantage because it proves how a small dose of involvement impacts large scale communities. Greenlight offers a unique opportunity to learn and experiment while creating a significant and positive changes in peoples’ day to day lives.

~ Mikayla Solomon – Toronto, Canada, 11th Grade

Today was a morning of rebuilding. Last night was settling and learning a bit about New Orleans, but today we got down to business. My group went to work with the St. Bernard Project. SBP rebuilds houses destroyed ten years ago that were destroyed in hurricane Katrina. So as I was saying we went to work on a house that was destroyed in Katrina. We met our instructors named Heidi and Ben. They taught us about dry wall and how to install it. It was extremely hard work. Also, using a drill was extremely hard. What added to the difficulty was the heat. It took the 7 of us a while to get a hang of it but we got three in. In doesn’t sound like that much, but it is. I feel as if the hard work payed off though in more ways than one. Just the thought that we are helping build a home for someone. This where someone will call theirs. There is no place like home. It also payed off because we went to see the Pelicans game afterwards which was a dream come true.

~ Matan Berman – 10th Grade, Atlanta, GA