Dear KESHER Participants,

Rabbi Samuel H Hodenson once said, “Kindness is the inability to remain at ease in the presence another person who it ill at ease, the inability to remain comfortable in the presence of another who is uncomfortable, the inability to have peace of mind when one’s neighbor is troubled.”

In the past several days, Hurricane Katrina has devastated much of the Southern United States. The hurricane has left hundreds dead, and many more injured. In the wake of the storm, food and clean water supplies have been diminished, causing more and more people to become sick each day. In addition, some experts predict that the storm could leave more than one million people homeless.

As our summers wind down and we return to school, it is important for us to consider our neighbors who are troubled. Many of our fellow reform college students and
their friends and family have been directly affected by this tragedy. As the days pass our Kesher friends who have been affected are in our thoughts.

Jewish tradition teaches us that healing ourselves and our communities is of utmost importance, and is needed before we can fulfill the mitzvah of Tikkun Olam, repairing the world. At this time, our community is in need of healing, and it is important for us to take action to help those members of our community who are in their hour of need.

Kesher will be posting will be posting resources on the keshernet.com website for those interested in becoming involved in the relief efforts. We will also be posting
message boards for those who want to find loved ones, or share thoughts about this tragedy. In addition, we will be working closely with the URJ and other organizations who are already responding to the disaster. Keep in mind that for many of these organizations, financial contributions are essential. We encourage everyone to donate to URJ disaster relief fund, or any other hurricane relief fund. Please donate however little money you have, every penny makes a difference. As it has been said “nobody can do everything, but everyone can do something.” If we all do something, it will have a tremendous effect.

L’Shalom,
The KESHER Leadership Council