This past weekend, I traveled with about 80 teens for NFTY Southern Spring Kallah to Jacobs Camp. I had so much fun during this weekend, and learned alot about the importance of community. One of the most meaningful parts of the experience was going to Rolling Fork, MS, and helping with recovery efforts.

It’s important for Jews to lead by example and help those in need. Recently an awful tornado hit a small town in Mississippi, called Rolling Fork. The town has a population of only 1,800 people, and over a dozen people died in the horrific Tornado. During Spring Kallah, we took a bus to the city, and volunteered in a distribution center. The entire experience was very eye opening, and I’m so glad I could help people, who may have lost everything due to this devastating tornado. 

Before NFTY Spring Kallah we collected items to help people in Rolling Fork.When we volunteered,, I worked in the drop off zone, where I put essentials in the trunks of people’s cars. Many people were picking up for friends and family in addition to themselves, which showed how close their community is. All of the people were so appreciative of the essentials that we gave them. It felt so good to help people and see how much they needed it and their gratitude towards it.

After volunteering at the distribution center, we drove through one of the most affected areas of the city. Driving through all of the destruction was so sad and I felt so much empathy for all the people who are struggling. As we drove through, we saw empty lots with piles of rubble, with people sitting in front, where their homes used to be located. Some areas had halves of homes, with the entire other half taken with the tornado. Of the roofs that were still there, they had holes and damage. Seeing all of this, gave me the perspective of how lucky I really am. It made me recognize that at any second, everything could be taken away from me, just as some of these people experienced. I’m so glad I could go to NFTY Southern Spring Kallah and help people in Rolling Fork.