Sydney’s Our Big Kitchen Praised for Help During Bushfires

At the end of 2019, just before COVID hit, Australia was on fire, with bushfires engulfing city after city.

“It was almost unbearable to watch the nightly news knowing there is no end in sight, seeing whole communities go up in flames and firefighters overcome by exhaustion,” describes Rabbi Dovid Slavin, who directs Our Big Kitchen in Sydney with his wife, Laya.

It was during this desperate time that Our Big Kitchen (OBK) in Bondi was the place to go.

While OBK is generally a busy place, this period was particularly so, with volunteers baking biscuits and cooking meals for the firefighters and for people displaced by the fires. The kitchen was jam-packed with volunteers creating thousands of biscuits, while outside, more people were writing messages of thanks, love and compassion to accompany the biscuits.

“The place was electric with the excitement of volunteers from a melting pot of religions, nationalities and suburbs far and wide across Sydney,” says Laya Slavin. “Strangers who were connected and empowered to work together to improve the lives of others.”

Now with COVID19 settling in Australia, Margaret Joan Beazley, the Governor of New South Wales, Australia’s most populous state, acknowledged the outstanding work of OBK.

In a function hosted by the NSW Association of Jewish Service & Ex-Service Men & Women (NAJEX) and chaired by Roger Selby, the Governor recognized Rabbi Dovid and Laya Slavin as well as two brave Jewish volunteer firefighters Noel (Noach) Kessel and David Katzen who were at the forefront of a heroic effort.

In his acceptance speech, Rabbi Slavin quoted the Rebbe who often said during challenging times that one may not become paralyzed with inaction.

“‘A positive deed is better than a thousand sighs’ continues to be the marching orders that drive us,” Rabbi Slavin said.

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