The holiday of Sukkot reminds us of the time when, following their exodus from Egypt, our wandering ancestors had to dwell in impermanent outdoor huts — also called sukkot. This struggle naturally leads us to think of our present-day neighbors who are experiencing homelessness, unable to procure a permanent home of their own, and presents an opportunity to discuss some of the housing challenges facing our city.
On October 17th, join us for a Sukkot dinner centered on the theme of Building Bayit (the Hebrew word for home). It will be held at the home of Rabbi Noah Farkas, former LAHSA Chair, and feature speaker Molly Rysman, Housing and Homelessness Deputy for Supervisor Sheila Kuehl.
Dinner will be served. Dietary laws observed.
Space is limited — RSVP today!
Through the Jewish Federation's Community Engagement initiative, we bring together leaders from different backgrounds and perspectives to learn and work together on important issues in Los Angeles and Israel, promoting civil discourse and helping the Federation strengthen our community.
Rabbi Noah Zvi Farkas is a clergy member at Valley Beth Shalom (VBS), the largest Jewish congregation in the San Fernando Valley. He is also the former Chair of the Los Angeles Homelessness Services Authority commission, which oversees the regional strategy between public and private partnerships to end homelessness. Rabbi Farkas recently led a three-year campaign to address homelessness in Los Angeles County and galvanized the largest coalition for housing in L.A. County history. He worked to pass historic legislation that has moved nearly two billion dollars to build affordable homes, permanent supportive housing, and social services. He has been featured on NPR as a changemaker and a rising voice of Jewish leadership.
He was ordained at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America in 2008, where he won numerous academic prizes in the areas of Jewish Philosophy and Talmud. He is a faculty member of the Florence Melton Graduate Studies Program and is a guest lecturer at the American Jewish University. Before coming to VBS, Noah served as the Rabbi at Congregation Beth Israel in Biloxi, Mississippi where he helped rebuild the Gulf Coast Jewish community after Hurricane Katrina. Under his leadership, the congregation reformed its board structure, constructed a new building, and worked with civic officials to ensure the Jewish community’s future in Southern Mississippi.
While in Rabbinical School, Rabbi Farkas served as a Chaplain for the United States Navy Reserve during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Rabbi Farkas worked with military families of all faiths to prep them for deployment and to help them spiritually and emotionally when they returned home.
Noah is a social entrepreneur, launching the Seminary Leadership Project, which has trained hundreds of Jewish clergy nationwide to create social change through JOIN for Justice where he also serves as a board member. Rabbi Farkas is also the founder of Netiya, an interfaith organization that works on food issues in Los Angeles and boasts a membership of over 40 congregations. He is also the founder of VBSNextGen, which creates a home for Jews in their 20s and 30s at Valley Beth Shalom through innovative learning and social programs.
Rabbi Farkas publishes widely on topics of spirituality, social justice, and millennial engagement. For two years, he had a syndicated column in the Forward that focused on food and Jewish spirituality called Turning the Tables. He is a regular contributor to the Jewish Journal and speaks nationally at conferences. He is the author of The Social Action Manual: Six Step to Repairing the World. He is currently writing a book about the Binding of Isaac.
Noah lives in Encino with his wife Sarah and four children.
Molly Rysman, Housing and Homelessness Deputy, works to create systems change and public policy that support solutions to homelessness and expands the supply of affordable housing in the 3rd district and throughout Los Angeles County.
Prior to joining Supervisor Kuehl’s office, Ms. Rysman served as the Los Angeles Director for CSH, a community development finance institution dedicated to expanding housing solutions to reduce homelessness. As the Director for CSH’s Los Angeles office, Ms. Rysman oversaw all of CSH’s training, lending, technical assistance, and systems change work throughout Los Angeles County.
Ms. Rysman also served as the External Affairs Director for the Skid Row Housing Trust, one of the largest permanent supportive housing developers in Los Angeles. She collaborated on efforts to serve the most vulnerable individuals experiencing chronic homelessness in Skid Row, including Project 50, the Skid Row Collaborative, and Downtown Pathway Home. Ms. Rysman has also been a stouthearted advocate for underserved communities in Los Angeles, including serving as a Legislative Deputy for Los Angeles City Council President Eric Garcetti, working for the Liberty Hill Foundation, and serving survivors of domestic violence at Haven Hills.
Molly earned a master’s degree in Urban Planning from the University of California, Los Angeles and is a proud alumnus of California State University Los Angeles, where she earned her bachelor’s degree.
By signing up to attend this event, you agree to irrevocably grant to The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles — and to their employees, agents, and assigns — the right to take your photograph, record you, or use your image, silhouette, and/or other reproductions of your physical likeness, as well as your voice and/or words, for all purposes related to marketing and promotion of The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles, across all media. These rights are granted in perpetuity. You hereby certify and represent that you are of at least 18 years of age and have read the foregoing and fully understand the meaning and effect thereof.