NEW ORLEANS —

Stories of recovery, resilience and rebirth were told two decades after Hurricane Katrina ravaged the region.

The Gulf Coast reflected on the heartbreak and the lives lost while looking at the progress and the future. Advertisement

On Friday, solemn ceremonies took place all across Southeast Louisiana to mark the occasion, including Temple Sinai's ceremony, which was a prayer for all those affected.

When Hurricane Katrina barreled toward New Orleans, Cantor Joel Colman faced an agonizing decision.

"When to leave, what to pack, because you had no idea how long you were going to be away," Colman said.

Like thousands of others, he thought he'd only be gone a few days. Instead, when he returned, he found a city frozen in time.

"There was no cars, there were no trucks, no

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