Last Sunday morning, 37 members of Beit T’Shuvah’s Gilberg Family “Running4Recovery” Team participated in the Los Angeles Marathon, completing both the full and half marathon alongside more than 25,000 other runners.
The team, made up of residents, alumni and community members, trained for five months leading up to the race as part of Beit T’Shuvah’s commitment to recovery through its Mind and Body Program.
Running 4 Recovery is a 16-year-old tradition at Beit T’Shuvah, a residential addiction treatment center and Jewish spiritual community. The program uses marathon training as a tool for personal growth and accountability. Participants are in recovery and most have never attempted long-distance running before joining the team. Through structured training, they build physical endurance and mental resilience, reinforcing the principles of recovery in a tangible way.
As of press time, the team had raised more than $76,000 to support Beit T’Shuvah’s mission of providing treatment to those struggling with addiction. The funds go directly toward programs that help individuals rebuild their lives and provide scholarships to those who cannot afford treatment on their own.
The fundraising continues through May 1.
The City of Los Angeles and the Los Angeles City Council honored Hilary Helstein, who is the director and co-founder of the Los Angeles Jewish Film Festival and an award-winning filmmaker, with an award of distinction. The citation recognizes her powerful film, “As Seen Through These Eyes,” screened earlier this year, as well as her unwavering passion and commitment to Holocaust remembrance and to preserving history through film.
The honor, given on March 7, also acknowledges her outstanding contributions to the city’s cultural excellence through the Los Angeles Jewish Film Festival and the profound impact it has on the greater Los Angeles community.
National Council of Jewish Women/Los Angeles and the Council Shop recently opened a distribution relief center, serving those impacted by the recent wildfires. The center launched March 8, coinciding with International Women’s Day. The facility, the NCJW/LA and The Council Shop Distribution Relief Center, are located in Highland Park.
The day before its official opening, a preview tour drew community leaders, elected officials and members of the media. Among those in attendance were U.S. Rep. Judy Chu (D-Pasadena); California State Sen. Maria Elena Durazo (D-Echo Park); Anthony Cespedes, a senior advisor for LA County Supervisor Hilda Solis; and Jason Moss, executive director of the Jewish Federation of the Greater San Gabriel and Pomona Valleys.
Organizations represented at the event included Mama 2 Mama, a nonprofit serving expecting mothers; Alliance for a Better Community, an advocacy group serving Los Angeles’ Latino community; and the Boys and Girls Clubs of Pasadena.
The 20,300-square-foot center is a dedicated space designed to help provide aid to thousands of community members impacted and displaced by the recent Los Angeles wildfires. Shoppable items include new and gently used clothing, household goods, diapers and toys, as well as new toiletry items.
It will be open to eligible individuals and families through April 7, on Saturdays and Sundays from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. and Mondays from noon-7 p.m.
In the aftermath of the fires, NCJW/LA has provided more than $230,000 in fire relief vouchers to impacted families. The organization is seeking volunteers to support daily operations at the recently opened relief center. Those interested can contact volunteer@ncjwla.org for more information.
Repair the World Los Angeles has activated a Jewish service response, gathering volunteers to serve the city through volunteerism, following the wildfire devastation that struck Los Angeles in January.
Through Repair’s Wildfire Response Service Corps, Ambassador program and episodic events, eager volunteers are working alongside local service partners in urgent efforts to rebuild and restore, the organization’s leadership said.
Case in point: last month at a Habitat Restoration Day, led by Friends of the LA River (FOLAR) in partnership with Repair the World at the Sepulveda Basin, a Repair the World service corp member, Orli Friedman, brought her group of friends to join hundreds of volunteers removing an invasive species threatening the native environment and creating future wildfire hazards.
“When we feel connected, we naturally feel motivated to serve,” Friedman said. “The ambassador program offers me the opportunity to organize community events and work with service partners, supporting initiatives that are meaningful to me. It’s an honor to bring my community together in service of our local world.”
To learn more about Repair the World’s wildfire response and volunteer opportunities, visit https://rpr.world/LAWildfireResponse.
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