Older and Weiser

On Monday evening, Julie and I went to the New York premiere of the feature-length documentary “After the Storm.” The film follows a group of Broadway performers and producers who move to New Orleans in the months after Hurricane Katrina and take on the job of revitalizing the St. Mark’s Community Center. They stage a production of “Once on This Island,” itself the story of a mythical Caribbean isle struck by a hurricane.

The idea was conceived by an actor and writer named James Lecense (pronounced “la scene”) who had the inspiration, assembled the talent and raised the money for the theatrical production. It is a beautiful story and Lecense is a beautiful guy. What is so compelling about this story is that Lecense and his collaborators started with no structure, no organization and no sponsor – only the idea that they could make a difference. Along the way, they help repair the lives of talented young adults who are displaced, dismayed and disoriented in the aftermath of Katrina.

“I just knew I needed to do something,” Lecense says.

As chair of the National Conference on Citizenship (NCoC), the only organization chartered by Congress to encourage our civic engagement, I am privileged to hear stories about “ordinary” Americans doing extraordinary things. James Lecense is further proof that any of us can rise up and make a difference in our communities. Still, this story is special. It is one thing – a very fine thing – to write a check to a worthwhile cause. It is something much greater to move beyond our individual comfort zones; to reach across the country and touch people who are different from us and willingly inconvenience ourselves to help them.

The medieval Jewish philosopher Moses Maimonides made famous a ladder of tzedakah – a hierarchy of giving – that still teaches about true acts of charity. Lecense’s gift to New Orleans, and to all of us, ranks among the most high.

Here is a link to a film review of “After the Storm” that appeared in the October 5th edition of The New York Times. Do see the film.

Filed under: Discussion by Michael Weiser