A 3,000-person Shabbat dinner along Pico Boulevard and challah-baking events around the city were among the local events organized for the month of October under the auspices of The Shabbos Project. As part of a collaborative initiative between hundreds of synagogues and Jewish organizations, the Project curates Shabbat mega-events around the world throughout October, including Shabbat dinners and lunches, Havdalah concerts, Kabbalat Shabbats, communal challah-bakes and women’s shiurim —Torah-study sessions.
The Shabbos Project 3000, a community Shabbat meal and celebration, was held in the Pico-Robertson neighborhood on Oct. 23. Josh Golcheh, founder of the United Nation of Hashem, partnered with Dara Abaei, the founder and executive director of the Jewish Unity Network, and volunteers Josh Banaf and Daniel Braum to organize the event, which included 21 co-sponsors such as My Aish and Pico Shul.
Golcheh said he began planning the Shabbos Project 3000 dinner in mid-August. He realized that no local venues could accommodate an anticipated guest list of 3,000, so he decided to create one large venue by closing down Pico Boulevard between South Beverly Drive and Doheny Drive. The event organizers and volunteers set to work, setting up tables and chairs for five city blocks.
Ticket prices ranged from $18 to $52, and all proceeds were applied to the costs of the massive meal. Many individuals and community organizations stepped up to cover the rest of the costs, Golcheh said.
The group sold all 3,000 tickets, and 500 additional people arrived after the dinner to shmooze and attend Rabbi Shlomo Yisraeli of Westwood Bet Knesset’s class, “How to Be Sane in an Insane World.” Sharon Catering and Diamond Catering created a full array of salads, dips, chicken, vegetables and rice, all of which were served hot and fresh to each table.
“There was no waiting in line for any buffets,” Golcheh said.
Rabbi Yonah Bookstein of Pico Shul was impressed.
“It was so inspiring to see so many people come together for Shabbat dinner, especially with all the difficulties of our brothers and sisters in Israel. It was a real show of Jewish unity,” Bookstein said.
Golcheh said he hopes to throw an even “bigger and better” event next year.
“This event showed how the entire community comes together,” he said. “We put aside our differences in tradition and background and shared one meal.”
On the previous evening, also under the umbrella of The Shabbos Project, thousands of women and girls gathered at various Southern California venues to participate in The Great Big Challah Bake.
The event brought women from all over Los Angeles to the Ace Gallery on La Brea Boulevard to share in the ritual of challah baking.
“Judaism is about taking what is mundane and elevating it. We turn something simple into something sublime,” event speaker Jackie Engel, an Australian psychologist, told the more than 1,100 Jewish women and girls assembled at the Ace.
“We are about to change something as ordinary as dough into the mitzvah of challah, something holy,” she said.
Each participant had her own bowl and dry ingredients such as flour and yeast; they shared water and oil, helping each other measure and create the dough. Helpers circulated around the tables to demonstrate kneading the dough, showing how much “punching” goes into making it smooth and malleable.
Leanne Praw, a West L.A resident originally from Zimbabwe and one of the organizers of the event, said it exceeded her expectations.
“I don’t think we could have anticipated the special moments that came out of the evening. It was amazing to see the [local Jewish schools] coming together beforehand to help us measure ingredients. There were a lot of families who had three or four generations of women at one table,” Praw said.
Some of the tables were sponsored by local synagogues and organizations. Joanne Feldman of Marina del Rey came with her synagogue, The Pacific Jewish Center, in Venice.
“Of course we wanted to come bake challah with everyone. We got a table and 10 people came out. We are making a dinner tomorrow night for 65 people,” Feldman said.
The night was especially meaningful for Rose “Grandma Rosie” Kamin of Pico-Robertson, who turned 100 years old on the night of the event and was given the honor of saying a blessing over the challah dough. Her daughter, Devorah Marcy, beamed with pride.
“She gives blessings to everyone. She sees the good in everything and everyone. Her motto is, ‘Never say never.’ ”
“I bless you all with good health, and an extra special for our brothers and sisters in Israel,” Grandma Rosie said, addressing the auditorium.
The night ended with an energetic round of singing and dancing.
Each person got to take home her freshly braided challah dough to bake on Friday morning.
Great Big Challah Bakes occurred at other venues across Los Angeles, including at the Calabasas Shul. Louisa Frahm of downtown L.A. went to the Calabasas event to learn more about her boyfriend’s Jewish identity.
“I loved learning more about Jewish culture and spending time with women who are so dedicated to their faith. It was inspiring. The free food was just a bonus!”
Still to come: the Mega Challah Bake at the Hyatt Westlake Plaza on Oct. 29, sponsored by the Chabad Jewish Centers of the Conejo Valley and surrounding areas. Rebbetzin Shula Bryski, co-director of Chabad of Thousand Oaks, said the event is expected to attract 500 women and girls from nonaffiliated and local Jewish organizations, including Hadassah, Reform and Conservative temples, and Chabad.
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