People in New Orleans with family in Israel describe scary realities

By Kourtney Williams

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    NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana (WDSU) — The fight to stay alive for Jewish families living in Israel continues.

The safety room looked similar to the one that sits in Jonathan and Deborah French’s basement.

The small room with mattresses on the floor acts as a hideaway for them and their five children.

“We have pillows, etc., and we try and make lightheartedness out of a very, very tense and severe situation,” said Deborah French

Homes have been destroyed and families have been displaced. While Jonathan and his family are in Israel, his brother is fighting for the Jewish community in New Orleans.

“My family, my friends, my former staff members, my colleagues, they’re scared and nervous. They’re scared,” Robert French, CEO of the Jewish Federation of New Orleans said.

Her 77-year-old mother and 79-year-old father have been locked away in a safe room for days.

“My mom said there is a rocket that just landed 50 meters away from our building. It’s blown up a car. The windows in the base of that building have been smashed. It is a very frightening situation,” Deborah French said.

Living in constant fear is the norm Jonathan said they’ve experienced for 16 years, but still, they remain resilient.

“Unfortunately, it’s become a way of life for us to be able to deal levelheaded and not to panic under severe stress situations. With God’s help, we will get through this. We’ll get through this together, and we will make a better world for our children,” Jonathan French said.

Both NOPD and JPSO say they are aware of the situation in Israel and will be working closely with the Jewish community here in our area.

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