New Orleans Agencies Announce Plans

The Jewish Community Center in Uptown New Orleans will open its fitness center on Oct. 20. The rest of the building is slated to open by Jan. 3. Hours for the fitness center, which was not damaged, are 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.

The Oklahoma National Guard was stationed in the school next door, and on Oct. 4 was relieved by the Kentucky National Guard.

The New Orleans Jewish Family Services has reopened its Metairie office, at 3330 West Esplanade, Suite 600. Emergency financial assistance and counseling are available. There is no charge for these services. The agency also continues to operate out of the Jewish Community Partnership office in Baton Rouge, at 3955 Government Street, Suite 4.

The leadership of the New Orleans Jewish Day School hopes to be open again for the winter semester, on Jan. 3.

Residents will begin returning to the Woldenberg Village retirement home next week, according to the jewishnola.com site. The first residents returning will be those in independent and assisted living.

JCRS aid

The Jewish Children’s Regional Service’s Metairie office was undamaged, but the agency said “the delays in providing service or processing donations are primarily a result in the delays that everyone encountered with loss of power, phone service, postal service.”

The agency’s Chanukah gift card program will be modified because of the storm.

JCRS has funds for families with children who were “significantly affected” by the storm. Allocations will be made primarily through store gift cards.

Also, all families affected by the storm who have children that want to attend a Jewish overnight summer camp next summer are asked to contact JCRS immediately. An anonymous donor is interested in underwriting the full cost of camp for these campers, and the agency needs to have an idea of how many campers would be involved. The requests are anonymous, and there is no expectation that the families would participate in any publicity about the program.

The camps must be affiliated and non-profit. Interested families should email Ned Goldberg at jcrs_south@yahoo.com with the subject line of “Register me for camp.” The email must include the family name, contact information, and the names, ages and sex of the campers.

Regular correspondence can be sent to the JCRS office, P.O. Box 7368, Metairie, LA 70010.