6 minute read
The Wandering Jew
The Wandering Jew New Orleans
By Hershel Lieber
Iwas always intrigued by New Orleans, its French and Spanish history, and its unique culture. Yet, I hesitated to go there because of its reputation for overindulgence and vulgarity. Finally, my curiosity won over my objections, and a few years ago, we took the plunge. We set boundaries for ourselves which would make the trip morally appropriate, and off we went.
We flew into Mobile, Alabama, on Sunday, November 13, 2011, and spent the afternoon touring the city and the next day strolling in the famed Bellingrath Gardens. On Tuesday, we took an excursion on a fishing boat watching and learning from the fishermen who were trawling shrimp onto the boat from the Gulf of Mexico near Gulfport, Mississippi. We continued on to Biloxi, where we took a bus tour which included Beauvoir, the home of Jefferson Davis, the president of the Confederate States. Then we continued for under two hours to New Orleans.
We drove into the most famous city in Louisiana during the evening, passed by the humongous, illuminat-
Catching fish in Gulfport
ed Superdome, and settled in at the cozy Queen Anne B & B in the Garden District. We unpacked and headed straight to the Casablanca Restaurant across the Mississippi River in Metairie. The Moroccan food and the serene atmosphere were so appealing that we lingered on and relaxed there for quite a while.
We only began to appreciate the Garden District the next day. We spent over three hours marveling at the beautifully restored homes, most of them dating back 100 to 150 years. We were guided by a tour book which pointed out the most important houses and their history. The street lined with massive shady oaks added to the aura of Southern elegance.
Another feature which took us back to the romantic Victorian Period was the Charles Street Streetcar. Besides the one in San Francisco, this is the only one left from a bygone era and is over a hundred years old. We traveled up and down the street a number of times during our stay and always enjoyed the experience. The streetcar runs along a graceful boulevard, where the mansions of the wealthy and politically connected reside. The city’s universities and museums all occupy prominent addresses on this concourse. That evening, we ate at the kosher Cajun Restaurant which served local specialties, many which were tastefully spiced.
We dedicated the next day to the famous French Quarter. This is where jazz reigns supreme, and the sounds of the sax accompanied us throughout the day. From street corner musicians playing for some change to the performers at the restaurants and clubs, you are always surrounded by the beat and the tempo. We walked alongside the Mississippi River, watching the paddlewheel riverboats depart, billowing a trail of white smoke. We explored the French Market with its array of Cajun food and spices and then headed for a professional guided tour.
The tour guide was excellent. During his over-two-hour tour, we learned so much of the city’s history and culture. The Spanish influence is evident in the wrought iron balconies and the architectural styles of the buildings. The French left their imprint by way of the local Cajun lan-
With Rabbi David Polsky Anshe Sfard Synagogue Candlelighting with Mindy Polsky
guage and culture. We also saw remnants of the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina. We felt the pain that the city suffered both during and after that tragedy.
During the daytime, this whole district, with the exception of Bourbon Street, is certainly suitable for sightseeing. At night, there is definitely a different element of people that frequent the bars and clubs, and the parameters of decency change. We were not at all interested in seeing that change.
The next day was Friday, and we switched our B&B to the one closer to the Anshe Sfard Shul. After loading up the car, we somehow lost the car key. We looked in the parking lot and walked back and forth on the streets leading to our B&B but could not find it. Baruch Hashem, after what seemed to be an eternity, we located them in a bag of fruit that we took along!
We checked into to the other B&B and still had time to go to the City Park and the Botanical Gardens. It was a marvelously sunny day as we walked around and connected with nature, but in reality, we had seen more attention-grabbing gardens elsewhere before.
We dressed for Shabbos and went to the home of Rabbi David and Mindy Polsky, who invited us for the seudah. We davened in their home since putting together a minyan for Friday
night was very difficult. The Polskys were wonderful hosts, and they were excellent company with whom we could share the Shabbos meals together. The next morning, we did daven in the shul. The congregation was started almost one hundred years ago by chassidic Jews from Lithuania and is the only one that is within walking distance to downtown New Orleans. There was no minyan until Krias HaTorah, and I davened Musaf. The communal kiddush was followed by a seudah where I was asked to speak about our travels to the Soviet Union. For Shalosh Seudos, we ate again by the Polskys, together with two other out-of-town guests. One was a girl from Flatbush doing her residency at a local university hospital. The other was a Yemenite young man who was originally connected to Satmar but
had left that movement and lifestyle. Before we headed back to New York on Sunday evening, we took a morning pontoon boat tour of the swamps and bayous that are indigenous to this area of Louisiana. This tour was absolutely fascinating and visually breathtaking. We managed to see some of the wildlife, including alligators. The flora and fauna along the riverbanks were irresistible for photo fanatics like us, and we continued to snap away.
We left early afternoon towards Alabama from where we flew back to New York. We still had time to tour the SS Alabama, the famed battleship which saw action during World War II by recapturing many of the occupied islands from the Japanese in the Pacific Ocean. Today, this boat is a great and outstanding tourist attraction in Mobile Bay.
When we look back at our decision to visit New Orleans, we are glad that our curiosity won us over, and we were able to enjoy this marvelous city.
Hershel Lieber has been involved in kiruv activities for over 30 years. As a founding member of the Vaad L’Hatzolas Nidchei Yisroel he has traveled with his wife, Pesi, to the Soviet Union during the harsh years of the Communist regimes to advance Yiddishkeit. He has spearheaded a yeshiva in the city of Kishinev that had 12 successful years with many students making Torah their way of life. In Poland, he lectured in the summers at the Ronald S. Lauder Foundation camp for nearly 30 years. He still travels to Warsaw every year – since 1979 – to be the chazzan for Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur for the Jews there. Together with Pesi, he organized and led trips to Europe on behalf of Gateways and Aish Hatorah for college students finding their paths to Jewish identity. His passion for travel has taken them to many interesting places and afforded them unique experiences. Their open home gave them opportunities to meet and develop relationships with a variety of people. Hershel’s column will appear in The Jewish Home on a bi-weekly basis.
