San Francisco Chabad Hosts Super Bowl LVII Watch Party for Homeless Community
by Shiryn Ghermezian
Homeless individuals watching the Super Bowl LVII inside Chabad SF. Photo: Screenshot/CBS News
The Chabad Jewish community center in San Francisco’s SoMa District hosted a watch party on Sunday night for homeless locals who wanted a warm place indoors to watch Super Bowl LVII and see the Kansas City Chiefs take on the Philadelphia Eagles.
“To bring somebody that doesn’t really have a community, doesn’t really have a home, to bring them in to a safe space for them to engage with the community,” Rabbi Moshe Langer, the director of Chabad SF, told CBS News. “Whatever we can do in our sphere of influence to help another person — whether it’s give a smile to them, give a drink, make a Super Bowl party for them — you never know the ripple effect that will have on an individual.”
Meir Kay, a Jewish street activist and social media content creator in Brooklyn, came up with the idea to host such a gathering in 2017 when he talked to homeless people in one of his YouTube videos. In the clip, he asked a homeless man, “You going to watch the game tonight? I wish I could have somewhere to watch the game! You know what? I’ve got a place to watch the game. I throw a party!”
He then created a watch party, calling it a “Super Soul Party,” for those who have no home. The concept has since been replicated and done in eight major cities around the US, and Sunday night’s gathering was the second such event hosted by Chabad SF, according to CBS News.
At the watch party, the Jewish community center also offered the homeless warm clothing and new socks, information about housing and city services, and free haircuts. They additionally served 20 pounds of wings, 20 pounds of hamburger and fries.
Chabad SF Founder Rabbi Josef Langer told CBS News there is a sense of obligation in helping those in need. He said, “The message has to come from within. Every person, everything that comes in our path, we have a responsibility to engage. ‘Good morning’ goes a long way in life. So, it’s not just the homeless but it’s everyone.”
Travae Billingsly, who is homeless, praised Chabad SF at Sunday night’s party, saying, “They’re blessed. That’s the best Super Bowl party. Nobody gets that here.”
