The Time: 9 a.m., Wednesday, January 8
The Place: Our Big Kitchen Los Angeles, 8657 West Pico Boulevard
The Occasion: Bris of baby boy Muchnik, son of Rabbi Eli and Bassie Muchnik, founders of Chabad of Picfair Village
The tables were set, delicious food was laid out, and the crowd gathered to welcome yet another infant Jewish boy into the covenant of Abraham.
The night before, wildfires had ravaged the area, but the full extent of the tragedy was not yet comprehended.
However, one person in the crowd felt the full weight of the disaster: Yossi Segelman, director of Our Big Kitchen Los Angeles (OBKLA). And, by chance, I was standing right next to him.
Just moments before the bris began, Yossi sprang into action, determined to find a way to quickly make, package and distribute hundreds of kosher meals to wildfire evacuees and first responders. This was uncharted territory for OBKLA, but Yossi wasted no time.
We quickly confirmed that the Jewish Community Foundation (where I happen to work) would be able to provide emergency funding while a flurry of calls, emails, and social media posts went out recruiting volunteers. Hundreds responded. In fact, so many that a 500-person waitlist quickly formed.
By 2 p.m., the venue was packed with more than 100 volunteers eagerly chopping vegetables, preparing bourekas (among other delicacies), baking cookies, and packaging 600 meals in just two hours. At 7 p.m., a second shift arrived and completed another 400 meals. The next day, yet another shift continued the effort, and ultimately, more than 1,000 meals were distributed to evacuees and first responders across the city.
What struck me most was the diverse group of people who came together to volunteer across generations, ethnicities, and faiths all united by a common purpose.
A recent USC graduate brought her three roommates to volunteer as one big family. She was Jewish, but her friends were not. It was a heartwarming sight, showcasing the power of community.
Then there was Joshua, a member of the 600-strong Kaifeng Jewish community from China who now lives in L.A. I had never heard of this community, but after watching Josh beam with pride as he helped others, I gained immense respect for it.
I also spotted Adam Cohen, whose father, Larry, is deeply involved with The Foundation. Larry is also president of the board of the Shalom Institute and is leading a multi-million-dollar campaign to rebuild its camp which was destroyed in the 2018 Woolsey Fire. Volunteering for fire relief runs deep in the Cohen mishpacha.
Rabbi Yosef Kanefsky of B’nai David-Judea Congregation was there too. Despite having just returned from Israel where he had observed shiva for his mother, of blessed memory, he was eager to participate in this important mitzvah as evidenced by the big smile on his face.
Steve and Esther Feder, major supporters of OBKLA, were working alongside everyone else. They beamed with pride as they watched one of their favorite charities transform into a bustling hub for wildfire relief.
The energy in the room was electric. There was a palpable sense of joy and fulfillment among the volunteers, all driven by a shared desire to help their fellow Angelenos in need, especially in the aftermath of such a devastating disaster.
Many participants thanked The Foundation for our support of this noble cause, but the real heroes were the selfless volunteers who gave their time and energy.
This is just one example of what can be achieved when you combine quick thinking, hard work, some charitable funding, and leadership rooted in Jewish values.
Our L.A. community is blessed to have so many kind-hearted people willing to share their time, resources, and expertise to make a difference.
We will need many similar stories in the coming weeks and months. Fortunately, our L.A. community is blessed to have so many kind-hearted people willing to share their time, resources, and expertise to make a difference. And based on decades of experience with The Foundation, I’m confident that the thousands of families who have created charitable accounts with us will step up yet again to help others in this time of unprecedented need.
And as for the bris — it went off without a hitch. The newly named Yehoshuah Muchnik had no idea of the tremendous mitzvah generated at his bris. As he grows older, I have no doubt that one day he will volunteer at OBKLA or another nonprofit—hopefully not during a disaster—and he will experience firsthand the joy and fulfillment that comes from helping others.
Lew Groner is a Vice President at the Jewish Community Foundation of Los Angeles, a $1.5 billion foundation that was founded in 1954. Together with its 1,400 client families, The Foundation distributed $200 million in grants last year to more than 3,500 nonprofits locally, nationally and in Israel.
