CBS Los Angeles

Rabbi Offers Food, Hope For Homeless In Santa Monica

A unique rabbi has turned Tuesdays in Santa Monica’s Ocean Park into something special for the homeless and needy. For the past three years, Rabbi Boruch S. Cunin of Chabad House in West Lost Angeles has walked the park, giving food to those in need, and offering encouragement.

“What is so important is for everybody to understand: we are all responsible, one for the other,” Rabbi Cunin said. “You see a person hungry, feed them.”

Well-balanced meals, including foods like salmon, dried fruits, beans, and rice, are prepared at the Chabad House kitchen. Rabbi Cunin then personally delivers to the food to a shelter in Santa Monica and to the homeless on the street.

Rabbi Cunin, who is the director of West Coast Chabad, delivers the food to many familiar faces on the street, and offers words of encouragement to the needy, such as “God bless you” and “Don’t ever lose hope”.

The preparation of the food is heavily supported by donations.

19 Comments

  • Brilliant

    With all the Chabad institutions mortgaged to the hilt and taken over by private institutions, the need to promote Chabad of Cali has become that much more important. Hence, some good PR for the upcoming telethon. Instead of giving food to the homeless in Santa Monica, how about giving food to our children in the Cheder and BCM?

    • to: #2

      you said that he should give money to cheder kids and bcm you big talker your going on crownheights.info the whole day you do something about it atleast he’s doing something.

    • Big Talker

      I am doing something about it. Maybe unbenownst to you, but the cheder and bcm lost millions of dollars due to mortgages taken out by the venerable rabbi. So lets stop this ridiculous charade.

    • LALubavitcher

      The teachers at BCM have not been paid in several months. Should they not receive some payment instead of this PR campaign?

  • Rambam

    Which level of Tzedaka is this again? The one where you have a photographer follow you doing chesed so you can get good press.
    Im not sure which one it is

  • Chaim N

    I’m in total agreement with post #2. Bais Chana (LA girls high school) lost their building, the quality of education at his mosdos has fallen considerably.. What a disgrace!

  • wow

    I am A BT I was told that this is not a mitzvah, it is darkei shalom
    Maybe all the Chabad institutions in CA don’t need money anymore, and all jews don’t need food in Ca
    If this is not the case ,its look more as advertisement, as a business commercial to get money

    i

  • thank you Rabbi Cunin!

    thanks to Rabbi Cunin, a giant of a man, I am frum today and raising a beautiful family in LA

    • because

      because we are religious jews that aren’t supposed to look where we should not.

      if you are a parent you should be ashamed at your self for asking such a question.
      if you are not you should not be using the internet without permission from your parents and definitely not be commenting.

  • Anonymous

    May Hashem help him in any way to continue to do this great mitzvah

  • real!

    if im not mistaken the shluchim (levitanskys) in s. monica give food packages on a hourly basis for the past 40 years! and i have seen it first hand many times, the only thing they dont have is…. the tv crews behind them…
    and they have zero money backing them..

  • to #5

    there are actually several (former) employees of chabad of california that are owed a great deal of money.

  • FASCINATING!

    Has your child ever received a partial scholarship in any of these schools or even a full scholarship ten or twenty years ago?
    Has your life been touched by any of the Chabad Moisdos in California?
    Just curious

    Signed: a grateful parent who years ago just had to pay $100 a month to Bais Chaya Mushka. Unfortunately none of the schools can ever match the scholarships Rabbi Cunin used to provide

  • to #17

    rabbi cunin hasn’t been financially supporting bcm or any of the other schools,drug rehab etc for years although the telethon would have you think differently.

  • disappointed with all of you

    It’s a wonder anyone tries to do anything at all. Good deeds are looked upon with suspicion, and those who truly care are slammed by those who do not give a damn. According to the video, Rabbi Cunin has been distributing food for quite some time. It’s not like he woke up one morning and said, “Hey, it’s telethon time! Let’s throw some food in a bag and call a camera crew!” Instead of complaining about what he does or doesn’t do, get out there and do something yourself!