–Cassie Weinstock, JCLP Consultant
With its vast size and complex structure, it’s not often described as a warm, tightly-knit place. In fact, many would argue that the city feels more like a collection of individual worlds, each with its own rhythm and identity. But over the past three weeks, amid the destruction and chaos of unprecedented wildfires, a different side of Los Angeles has emerged — one defined by a spirit of unity and collective responsibility.
One of the most powerful expressions of recent solidarity came through the act of providing meals to those in need — and in part, to the National Guardsmen who were stationed around the active fire neighborhoods to watch for the spreading or starting of fires and to protect the homes of those who were evacuated. In looking for a way to help our community, I found myself stepping in to coordinate a meal program to feed 150 National Guard.
It wasn’t something that needed to be done by just one person or organization, but rather a call for collective action, where the whole community was willing to contribute what they could. And through that spirit of cooperation, we were able to pull together local Jewish catering companies and OBKLA (One Big Kitchen Los Angeles), a community-run, non-denominational kitchen that has long been committed to preparing meals for those in need.
In just a few short hours, what seemed like an insurmountable task became a reality. Thanks to the generosity of our local Jewish community and the infrastructure of OBKLA, we were able to provide hot, nourishing meals to those who were working long hours under challenging conditions. These efforts are a powerful reminder of how deeply we feel a sense of responsibility to care for those in need — no matter their background, faith, or role in the community.
On January 7, 2025 wildfires broke out in several areas of Los Angeles. Our house was surrounded by all the fires, the closest one being 10 miles away, the furthest was 16 miles away. We could see the mountain top on fire from our roof. It felt like COVID all over again, in that the entire Los Angeles community felt helpless. We didn’t know what was going to happen, the fires kept spreading, burning everything in its path, including cars, homes, shops, trees, etc. People lost their homes in a blink of an eye and all of us had an evacuation bag ready to go with passports, clothes, food and water. Days went by and because of strong winds and arsonists, the fires continued to grow with very little containment.
Even 3 weeks later, the fires were still not 100% contained. Our local Jewish community was looking for a way to help so I scrolled on Instagram looking for ideas, went to the Jewish Federation website and called local fire stations. I was finally directed to a highway patrol office that was housing National Guardsmen who had been eating freeze dried meals after coming back from a 12 hour overnight shift. At the time, the CHP didn’t know how many National Guardsman would be staying there so I texted some friends who have kids and asked them to come help but sack lunches together for 50 people. Two days after we delivered the lunches, I received a call from a liaison to the National Guard and they asked if I could deliver 150 hot, satiating meals to their building at 6am on Sunday. I took a few minutes to think about the best way to get this done and I then sent a message on WhatsApp to my kids’ 7th and 5th grade classes asking for help. Less than 5 minutes later, I had 10 volunteers offering to make various parts of the meal including rolls, rice, chilli, dessert, additional quinoa and lentil soup to the 60 quarts I was making.
Our community was simply waiting for a request to action and they really stepped up to the plate. Throughout the week leading up to the Sunday delivery, I was connected with a non-profit that deals with emergency recovery who offered to make and deliver 2 days worth of meals, a Kosher food kitchen (OBKLA), and a local catering company. These efforts lead to a full week of hot meals being delivered to the National Guard.
The community’s participation in this effort was much like the mission of the Jewish Community Learning Program (JCLP), which provides support to small congregations by listening to their needs and offering planning assistance to help them tackle both short-term and long-term challenges. In our case, the need was clear: the National Guard needed sustenance to continue their critical work, and our community — bound together by a shared sense of purpose and compassion — was in a position to answer that call.
This sense of responsibility is part of the Jewish tradition, and it’s embedded in the values we strive to uphold. Rabbi Tarfon’s words, “It is not your responsibility to finish the work of perfecting the world, but you are not free to desist from it either,” resonate deeply in moments like these. It’s a call to action that reminds us that we all have a part to play, even if the full restoration of the world feels like a task that will never be completed. We are each responsible for doing what we can, when we can.
As we all continue to navigate the growing and changing needs of our community, this shared sense of responsibility doesn’t end with a single meal. It is a foundation on which we can continue to build. Whether it’s providing meals for first responders, offering aid to evacuees, or helping in the long-term rebuilding process, the work is far from over. But as the Jewish community in Los Angeles has demonstrated, when we come together to support one another, even the toughest challenges become a little bit easier to overcome.
Rabbi Tarfon’s wisdom reminds us that while the work of repairing the world may never be finished, we are still called to act. Together, we can make a difference, one meal at a time.