How We Build a More
Just Los Angeles
“From Generation to Generation”: The History of Jews Working for a Just Los Angeles
A multigenerational crowed gathered at Jewish Family Service for a roundtable conversation on the history, present, and future of Jewish activism in Los Angeles. Rabbi Laura Geller, Professor Caroline Luce, Dr. Max Baumgarten, and moderator Rob Eshman helped us explore the legacy we inherit—and the urgent work that lies ahead. Together, we asked: What are the stories of Jews in Los Angeles organizing for dignity and change? And how might those stories guide us now? We traced a lineage of Jewish justice work in this city—grounded in memory, animated by hope—and reflected on what it asks of us today.
Passover 2025: Welcoming the Stranger
Passover tells the story of forced migration, exile, oppression, and ultimately, liberation. From this foundational narrative flows a central teaching in our tradition: to welcome and love the immigrant, the refugee, the asylum seeker. At the Silverlake Independent Jewish Community Center, we hosted over 180 people for an evening song and prayer, revisiting the Exodus story in light of the Trump Administration’s immigration policies. In a time of deep fear and division, the Seder became an island of light—offering hope, connection, and a renewed commitment to justice. Led by Rabbi Susan Goldberg of Nefesh, we heard from faith and community leaders including Irv Hirshenbaum and Roman Pinal of UFW, Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martinez, Zahra Sakkejha of Standing Together, and Pedro Trujillo of CHIRLA.
Refer to our 2025 Haggadah here.
Find photos from our 2025 Seder here.
Sukkot 2024: The Fragility of Home
Sukkot invites us to dwell in temporary outdoor structures and reflect on the vulnerability of shelter. We marked the holiday under the sukkah at IKAR by turning our attention to the housing and homelessness crisis in Los Angeles County, where nearly 75,000 people are unhoused. Drawing on Jewish traditions that demand housing justice, we gathered for conversation and collective reflection. Speakers included Rabbi Aryeh Cohen, Councilmembers Eunisses Hernandez and Katy Yaroslavsky, Elda Mendez-Lemus of LA Family Housing, and Sam Prater of LA Room & Board.
Find our Sukkot text study here.
Passover 2024: Movement Seder
In a time of profound grief, anger, and fracture, over 120 leaders from across Southern California gathered at the historic Pico Union Project. Through an ancient Jewish ritual meal, we built a space for connection, reflection, and the shared imagining of a more just and liberated world. Led by Rabbi Jocee Hudson of LA Voice, we were joined by speakers including Reverend Eddie Anderson of McCarty Memorial Christian Church, Father Brendan Busse of Delores Mission Church, and Sumaya Abubaker of NewGround.
Refer to our 2024 Haggadah here.
Find photos from our 2024 Seder here.