North Carolina ASB

This spring break, I went with a group of 15 other Michigan state university students to Bayboro, North Carolina to clean up after hurricane Irene. In the fall, I became one the alternative spring break chairs at Michigan State Hillel house meaning I would help plan a charitable spring break trip for Jewish college students. The plans ended up completely different as they started; we expanded the trip, through Destination Detroit, to people of all races and religions at Michigan State, Grand Valley, Central, Kalamazoo, Eastern, Western and Albion. As the trip neared I was anxious of how it would go because of the unfamiliarity I had with the new group of trip goers; however, although different from my expectations, the trip turned out to be life changing. We arrived to a town in North Carolina, population one thousand, where there were more churches than businesses and every food was fried. It was completely different than any of us were used to and at first we were a little apprehensive, especially when they told us the daily schedule. We had to be up at 6:30, to the work site at 8 and after a long day of work we could return to the church at 5 for showers and dinner. I think we were all nervous about having to work that hard with the only reward being the satisfaction of helping other in need. However, after the first day I think all of our mindsets had changed. The people in town told us about the hurricane while we worked and I think we were shocked to realize how horribly random it would be if that happened in Detroit and how blessed we were to not have to face coastal increments. It felt good to make a difference for those who do not have the luxury of doing it themselves. Not only did the work bring us satisfaction but it also brought us together. It went from riding in a car with two African Americans and Asian Americans I did not know or feel any connection to, to singing Mulan, laughing about college life, and painting the walls with new friends. As the trip progressed, we grew closer and sometimes discussed the marginalization we sometimes all feel as Jews, blacks and Asians; I think we all realized we have more in common than we think. We all had a great time together and have plans to reunite at one boys house for homemade Korean food, all attend a Black Caucus meeting with one of the presidents of the organization on our trip, and to all sit down for Shabbat dinner at the Hillel house. I am glad to say I made a new group of diverse friends roofing a family’s house in Bayboro than partying on a beach in Florida. I am honored to have been a part of making this trip happen and will carry the lessons it has taught me throughout my life. Alternative Spring Break 2013 was not easy, but nothing life changing ever is.

Charlotte Master
Alternative Spring Break Chair

Alternative Spring Break: New Orleans

Our journey began with a group of 13 students from three different Universities: Michigan State University, Central Michigan University, and Grand Valley State University.   It was so heartwarming to have a group of students, many underclassmen, open up so quickly.  Through the words of Sarah Shulman, “I feel one of the most valuable lessons we learned was not from the farmers but from each other, going on a trip such as this one with 12 other 'strangers' is something that not everyone would do. I mean, I am so thankful for this trip because no matter what problems and stressors we encountered, support was always exuded by all, meeting each other was a learning experience because we all have different personalities and lifestyles and it was awesome to learn about and from others and within a few hours become comfortable enough to be our true selves”

Whether someone needed motivation to get through the physically exhausting workday or applying aloe to a heat rash back at the center, we became each other’s support system.  This support system gave us the opportunity to give back to the community at our highest potential. These experiences were ones none of us will forget.   It is amazing to hear the inspirational stories and the dedication of all the community partners.  Especially the farmers we were able to get close with. 

After canvassing for political justice in New Orleans, the volunteer coordinator, Gahiji, took us down to the lower 9^th ward where Hurricane Katrina hit the hardest. What really amazed the group was how much devastation was still present. Gahiji explained to us that a lot of people did not have enough money or did not receive appropriate refunds from insurance companies to properly rebuild their homes. It was really sad to see the spray-painted Xs on the homes stating how many people in the house were still alive; it reminded us of the Jews in the Holocaust who were singled out, not having the power to do fight for their freedom.

The racism dialogue helped us become more understanding of the racial battles that are still prevalent in all of society, especially New Orleans.  This was a structured dialogue led by two professionals who stimulated conversation between the two groups residing at the Center for Ethical Living and Social Justice Renewal

Green light was a unique opportunity because we got to enter homes all over the community with various different socioeconomic statuses.  This is an organization that doesn’t discriminate by income.  It helps install Compact Fluorescent Light bulbs in any home in the Orleans Parish that wishes to become more sustainable.  It was touching to witness the raw emotions exposed by revealing the amount of money that would be saved by the simple change of installing

            While navigating through the city, we drove past Tulane University’s Hillel house. As a Hillel group, we instantly felt excitement and were eager to go in and visit. We entered the house, and immediately, our jaws dropped in awe. It was such a beautiful place with great resources for students on Tulane’s campus. They were implementing the ‘Green Revolution’ that New Orleans is aiming for; they provided meals for students using local ingredients and had sustainable energy sources throughout the building. The house was homey, and had beautiful portraits on the walls, Macintosh computers, and a lovely dining area for Shabbat dinners and other meals. The Hillel house also provided yoga classes and Krav Maga classes to help ease the stress of being a student. They invited us for dinner, but we already had plans to indulge in the authentic southern cuisine.

We would like to Thank ASMSU and Repair the World for granting us with funds for this unbelievable trip.  We could not have done it without their financial support.  We would also like to extend our thanks to The Center for Ethical Living and Social Justice Renewal for their gracious accommodations. 

This alternative break is supported in part by Repair the World, to learn more about Repair the World, please visit www.weRepair.org.