Every Thanksgiving, Jewish Family Service LA (JFSLA), the city’s oldest social service agency, plays an important role in ensuring that Angelenos have access to the groceries they need to have a Thanksgiving meal. This year, JFSLA staff and volunteers distributed Thanksgiving meal staples to 1,000 households across Los Angeles.
Year round, JFSLA’s SOVA Community Food and Resource Program ensures everyone in Los Angeles has access to fresh, healthy groceries, essential personal care items, and connections to additional resources that can support participants and their families. On Nov. 22, SOVA held its annual drive-thru Thanksgiving distribution at its two pantry locations in Pico-Robertson and Van Nuys.
“The work of SOVA extends beyond the holiday season, but Thanksgiving is a special time for our clients, staff, and volunteers,” JFSLA Director of SOVA Brittany Nazarian said.
With two food pantries and several pop-up pantries in the greater Los Angeles area, the SOVA Community Food and Resource Program serves as a lifeline for thousands of families throughout the year, offering a host of services, including groceries, care items, and connections to additional resources. In 2024 alone, SOVA distributed three million pounds of food to 23,000 Angelenos who visited SOVA pantries 57,000 times.
This year’s distribution served 1,000 households and more than 1,700 individual clients. Those who attended were given turkey, potatoes, yams, stuffing, cranberries, green beans and canned pie fruit–“everything needed for a Thanksgiving dinner,” according to JFSLA leadership.
“Access to food resources remains a pressing challenge, as over one million Angelenos face food insecurity,” Nazarian said. “JFSLA’s SOVA Community Food and Resource Program is proud to support our neighbors, whether it be at Thanksgiving or any time of year.”
In total, 16 staff members and 30 volunteers helped pass out groceries at the two drive-thru centers, and a week prior, 40 volunteers came together to help pack and organize 1,900 bags of food.
On Nov. 27, the spirit of gratitude and togetherness was in the air, with people of all ages turning out, as local nonprofit Big Sunday held its annual “13th Annual BIG Thanksgiving Stuffing Event – Festival of Gratitude.”
The event was held the day before Thanksgiving. More than 2,000 volunteers came together at the Radford Studio Center in Studio City to assemble packages of food for the less fortunate.
Photos by Ryan Torok
“We’re living in such an incredibly divided and divisive time, and such a dark time in so many ways, but this event, between recipients, volunteers, collectors, sponsors, donors, vendors, this one event is going to touch close to 20,000 people of all ages and backgrounds, and we’re just celebrating differences while finding common ground,” David Levinson, founder and executive director of Big Sunday, told The Journal. “[This is about] compassion and kindness and community. It’s great we’re feeding all these people, I’m so happy too, but what I’m happy about is we can all be here and enjoy one another.”
Longtime Big Sunday volunteer Dave Cooper showed up dressed as a dancing turkey. Regarding Big Sunday, “I consider this the heartbeat of Los Angeles,” Cooper said.
While a bluegrass band played, volunteers bagged chocolate chip and sugar cookies in an assembly line, designed holiday greeting cards and put together packages of food with fresh vegetables, canned goods and other holiday essentials. The recipients of the packages were given gift cards to help with the purchase of turkeys.
A Los Angeles-based organization, Big Sunday started more than 25 years ago, with roots as a mitzvah day at Reform congregation Temple Israel of Hollywood. Today, it’s one of the most well-known nonprofits in the country, with a focus on connecting volunteers with opportunities to help.
Courtesy of Israel Film Festival
The Israel Film Festival’s (IFF) opening night gala was held at the Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills on Nov. 13
Among those joining IFF Festival Founder and Executive Director Meir Fenigstein were Mattel Chairman and CEO Ynon Kreiz, who was presented by actress and producer Gal Gadot with the 2024 IFF Industry Leadership Award. Also in attendance was Consul General of Israel in Los Angeles Israel Bachar and writer/director Tom Nesher, whose film “Come Closer,” Israel’s Academy Award submission for Best International Film, had its West Coast Premiere at the festival event.
This year’s festival was held after more than two years of delays due to the pandemic and the ongoing war in Israel. It was held through Nov. 26.
“We were proud to present during this year’s festival more than 40 new feature films, thought-provoking documentaries, and our new initiative of a student short film competition,” Fenigstein said.
More news and opinions than at a Shabbat dinner, right in your inbox.