Guest Blogger, Rabbi Brynjegard-Bialik:Homeless for the Holidays

At the end of this post I’m going to ask you to do something -- but first let me tell you about one of the things I did last Shabbat.

On Saturday afternoon two of my daughters and I, along with 20 other TAS members, visited the homeless shelter run by LA Family Housing in North Hollywood. We went on a tour of the facility, and I was surprised to learn that it is one of only two shelters in Los Angeles that allow families to stay together. In most other facilities the men and women are separated. Boys as young as 12 years old are sent to the men’s section, away from their mothers, even if they have no father to go with them. It is heartbreaking to think of how those families, who are already suffering, are separated. The LA Family Housing facility, because it has private bathrooms in each room, is able to keep families together.

After the tour, our group stayed in the “Teen Room” to work on some crafts with the children living there. We made Christmas decorations and ornaments for the community Christmas tree in the hall. The children from TAS and the children from LAFH quickly made friends working on crafts together. When we finished the crafts we headed to the library to read stories. One of my daughters had made a friend during the glitter and glue portion of our visit, and the two of them squished into a chair to read together. While the library was well-stocked with children’s books, the little girl was thrilled to get to keep for her own some of the books that were donated by TAS families.

On Christmas day, the LAFH food service staff gets the day off to spend with their own families, so we have an opportunity to perform an important mitzvah. Temple Ahavat Shalom and other local synagogues are providing the food service on Christmas and volunteers are still needed. If you are interested, contact LAFH or the Social Action Committee at TAS.