his Week

For Openers

Annual Fundraiser

SEE THE

B EST

ere West Mirrors East

os An eles

ere I was, on a sunny Sunday in July, in
the Fairfax-Beverly neighborhood of
By Goldfein
west Los Angeles — yet it seemed like
he first Jew to serve in the United States Senate became a
Orchard and Delancey on New York
leader of the Confederacy during the Civil War. Who was he?
ty's lower east side.
The backdrop was that Jewish.
7C.w.cagafuoD acp uz awls Jo pun .1vtn Jo Lviavas sv paadqs
- Ditto for west L.A.'s Pico-Robertson neighbor-
‘tc-gr u! ?muds sy) acp of pavap wyciv luau tivrnf uainsuy
ood.
The synagogues, the Jewish bookstores, the
hasidic clothing, the kosher bakeries, butchers and
estaurants, the Russian, Hebrew and Farsi lettering
We know of an old bachelorette
mid Stars of David — they combine to give these
. Who'd scrutinize each man she met.
eighborhoods a Jewish flavor.
No more ohsg'rechent*
Founded in 1781 as a Mexican outpost, greater
I Nor so independent
Los Angeles today boasts 13 million people. Jews
Is she now, but yeti** it's shayn shpet!***
number 650,000, the region's fourth largest ethnic
— Martha Jo Fleischmann
group. Notably, less than 25 percent are affiliated.
Forty-five percent are west-siders. Another 45 per-
* particular
cent live in the San Fernando Valley. The new
** now
hotbed for Jews is farther west, in the Conejo Valley.
*** already (too) late
Boyle Heights to the east, once 90 percent east-
ern European Jews, is now 99 percent Latino.
L.A.'s first Jew, Jacob Frankfurt, was a German
tailor who didn't come until 1840.
From the 86th annual national convention of
But there were enough Jews by 1862 to open
Hadassah, the Women's Zionist Organization of
Congregation B'nai B'rith. In 1928, it moved for
America, in Los Angeles, July 16-19:
the second time and became the Wilshire Boulevard
Temple. The domed sanctuary features richly hued
"Younger members are key to our continuity
wall frescos depicting biblical history. The artist,
as
a communal organization. Everything we
Hugo Ballin, was a studio painter for movie mogul
do — from new friendships to Jewish
Jack Warner. Remarkably, Rabbi Edgar F. Magnin
learning to Jewish causes to Israel support
served from 1915 until he died in 1984 — 69 years!
— is about being Jewish and helping pre-
Persian Jews, who fled Iran when the Shah was
serve our heritage."
deposed in 1979, total 35,000 in greater L.A. —
Annette Meskin
— Annette Meskin of West Bloomfield,
10,000 more than in Iran today.
Greater
Detroit Chapter's office administra-
Tens of thousands of L.A. Jews also have come from
tor
and
vice
chair
of
the
2001
national convention in Jerusalem.
Israel, the former Soviet Union, Morocco, Argentina
and South Africa. Other ethnic groups include Latinos,
"Israel's environment bears the marks of more than 52 years of
African Americans, Asians, Armenians and Arabs.
struggle
and neglect because the country was preoccupied with
Ninety languages are spoken in the schools.
issues
of
survival."
Tour guide Jerry Freedman Habush, a Chicago
— Jewish National Fund Chairman Ronald S. Lauder, recipient
transplant, calls L.A. "the modern-day Ellis Island."
of the Henrietta Szold Award, Hadassah's top honor, for his phil-
And you realize he's right after just a few clays in this
anthropic efforts to revitalize Jewish life in eastern Europe via
enchanting slipstream of converging cultures. ❑

T

Yiddish Limericks

WITH THE

IES

co eo dor e

131Re l

V i dale r

R cotaf

quotables

summer camps and schools.

— Robert A. Sklar, Editor

GRAPLIEWZ

BY Mendel

DADDg L I HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS.
WHAT ARE THE MORAL UtiPticA-
TionIs OF FREEDOM? ikli-Lq DIP
GoD CREAK VIRUSES? WHAT
ExAcTLY ARE THE Z- 6W194 Cor ■ xep-
Tionig OF AN
AFTER-L(FC?

GEE, -Mace ARE REALLY
ExcGu6NT" QUgSTion)S

HONEY

Now CAN I Go BACK To
REAPING M
PEOPLE MAGAZINE?
SURE,
LET Mg
KNOW IF.you
Firol7
ANSWERS

FISHER
THEATRE

OPENING NIGHTS

OF NATIONAL TOUR

Tuesday,
October 24
Wednesday,
October 25

28366 Franklin Road

Southfield, MI 48034

248-352-5272 v/tty

fax z48 - 352- 5279
jarcajarc.org • www.jarc.org

1040

7/28

2000

5

