Local Chabad discusses race relations while reaching out to law enforcement


IN GRATITUDE—Members of the Chabad of Westlake bring gifts to the East Ventura County Sheriff’s Station in appreciation of the local law enforcement officers keeping local communities safe. Courtesy photo

IN GRATITUDE—Members of the Chabad of Westlake bring gifts to the East Ventura County Sheriff’s Station in appreciation of the local law enforcement officers keeping local communities safe. Courtesy photo

At a local event discussing racism and what can be done about it, Mendy Sapochkinsky, son of Rabbi Yitzchak Sapochkinsky of Chabad of Westlake Village, shared the following vignette from his childhood.

“(When) my siblings and I were very young, one night we found a tall, African American gentleman sitting at our kitchen table eating my dad’s dinner. He had been canvassing the neighborhood all day soliciting contributions to help fund for Black teenagers pay for college.

“When he reached our house in the early evening, my dad recognized that he was probably famished and invited him in to eat something.

“My parents didn’t need to lecture us about compassion for all human beings. We observed it firsthand, especially because the gentleman wasn’t even seated in the formal dining room. He was in the kitchen, which was our family’s intimate hangout place.”

Mendy Sapochkinsky, 27, now lives in New York where he says hundreds of Jews from his Chabad community of Crown Heights, Brooklyn, recently marched peacefully to express solidarity with their Black neighbors.

“Considering the strained relations both communities have traditionally had, and especially the spike in violence over the past two years, I hope this march can be the harbinger of all sides coming together at last,” he said.

Chabad of Westlake also hosted a Zoom evening with former NFL running back Calvin Murray.

In the 1980s, Murray set records playing football for Ohio State University and was voted MVP before being drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles of the NFL. He was also president of the NFL Players Association.

Murray, who is African American, has dedicated the past two decades to working with at-risk teens and has been involved with over 20 community organizations including CASA and Big Brothers Big Sisters.

In 2013, he and his wife converted to Judaism.

Rabbi Yitzchak Sapochkinsky states why he asked Murray, who lives in Ohio, to address the Conejo Jewish community.

“I think his background, professional career and his religious way of life make him uniquely qualified to speak about this very sensitive topic to our community,” said Sapochkinsky.

“We’ve all watched media coverage of the protests and riots and we’ve heard dissenting voices in the background circulating a different narrative. Calvin is a voice of reason, who experienced prejudice—as a teen he was told he would never amount to anything— and as a youth pastor and guidance counselor, has made significant differences in the lives of hundreds of Black youth and teenagers. He spoke from the heart and shared painful stories and everyone really connected to him.”

“Not only was his message enthusiastically received” said Sapochkinsky, “but we had Democrats and Republicans online and they were all moved by Calvin’s ideas and reflections. To have Democrats and GOP supporters agree on anything these days is in itself a huge accomplishment.”

Community service

Recently, members of Chabad presented the officers at the East County Sheriff’s Station with hundreds of dollars of Starbucks gift cards and two oversized buckets filled with assorted snacks.

“Our congregation did not want the protests for social justice to discredit the honorable work of our local law enforcement officials” said the rabbi.

Sapochkinsky describes the impromptu visit as being “beautiful and emotional” for everyone.

“Judaism exhorts us to pursue justice but also reminds us that gratitude is fundamental to a society’s survival. I am proud that our congregation is practicing both,” said the rabbi.

Chabad of Westlake Village has been serving the Conejo Valley since 1979.