A third-generation New Orleans native and the first female president of Congregation Beth Israel, Jackie Gothard was deeply enmeshed in the Jewish community. When the storm hit, Gothard briefly relocated to Dallas, where she returned to her roots as a social worker, doing intake for the Jewish Family Service, then returned to New Orleans, where she was heartbroken to discover that her Orthodox synagogue’s building was badly damaged and its seven Torah scrolls were beyond repair. She worked tirelessly to restore the synagogue, find aid to support their rebuilding efforts, and reunite the scattered community.

To view Jackie Gothard's full interview, please visit the Internet Archive.