January 31, 2010 – New Orleans – Dillard University dedicated its new Distance Learning Center in honor of the American Jewish Committee (AJC). The video-conference center, located in the Alexander Library, was built with funds provided by AJC after Hurricane Katrina.

"When the call came from AJC after Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005, it was an important time for Dillard and New Orleans," said Dr. Walter Strong, Dillard University Vice President for Institutional Advancement. "More than the money, it was the sense of friendship, of outreach."

Brian Siegal, director of AJC’s Miami Regional Office, said, “Dillard University shares AJC’s mission of promoting a more just, democratic and humane society by educating all the students in its diverse body to love knowledge and seek understanding.”

Siegal served as coordinator of AJC’s Hurricane Katrina Relief Fund from 2005 to 2009. AJC raised more than $1.2 million in the aftermath of Katrina to help rebuild churches and synagogues throughout the Gulf Coast, as well as academic institutions with which AJC has overlapping interests.

In addition, several AJC ACCESS young leadership delegations visited New Orleans over the past three years to participate in community service projects and dialogue with community leaders.

AJC’s $200,000 grant to Dillard, a historically black university, also reflects a commitment to furthering relations between the African American and Jewish communities. Today’s dedication of the Distance Learning Center marked the re-initiation of Dillard's Black-Jewish program.

“Because the gift comes from AJC, there is a connection to the relationship and history of our two communities, the Black and Jewish communities," said Dr. Strong. “The distance learning center affords an opportunity for students to compete on an equal footing so they will be well prepared using modern technology.”