The Chariotte Jewish News - December, 1995 - Page 11
Travel Talk
By Joel Goldman
LOS ANGELES - (Pami)
In my last column, I wrote of
Los Angeles—its past and its
present, and how Jewish life in the
City of Angeles moved from Boyle
Heights in the pre-1950s to Fairfax
Avenue.
Fairfax Avenue in 1995 contin
ues to offer many facets of Jewish
living. However, L.A, as heavily
populated and sprawling in size as
it is, offers numerous other ex
amples of Jewish culture.
There are approximately
650,000 Jews in Los Angeles, Fur
ther south, in Grange County, live
another 85,000. One hundred and
fifty congregations exist in L.A .
There are three newspapers cover
ing the Jewish
community and
two Hebrew lan
guage papers.
The Los An
geles Charlotte
Jewish Federa
tion occupies
part of a thirteen
story building on
Wilshire Boule
vard, and friends
tell me it is
fondly called
“The Jewish
Pentagon.”
Of course, one need not be a
resident of Los Angeles to appreci
ate its contribution to American
Jewish culture. As a tourist, be sure
to visit the Wilshire Boulevard
Temple on Wilshire several miles
east of Fairfax Avenue. For many
years, the well known Edgar
Magnin was the rabbi of this first
Jewish congregation in the city.
The temple itself is a classic
example of neo-Gothic architecture
found in many European syna
gogues. In particular, note its large
black Byzantine colunms and de
tailed exhibit pertaining to the his
tory of Los Angeles Jewry.
A second temple worth visit
ing is the Sephardic Temple,
Tifereth Israel, on Wilshire Boule
vard, one block west of Beverly
Glen . It features an outdoor Span
ish garden that compliments the
temple’s Sephardic architectual
theme. Nestled among the condo
minium high rises of Wilshire Bou
levard, the temple is a pleasant
visual respite.
Museums featuring Judaica
abound in L.A. The Hebrew Union
College, next to the campus of the
University of Southern California,
offers the famous Skirball Museum.
(During my last visit to Los Ange
les the museum was scheduled to
move to Sepulveda Pass above the
San Diego Freeeway between
Westwood and the San Fernando
Valley. Call 213-749 -3424 to be
sure the move has been completed.)
The J. Paul Getty Museum in Malibu
The Skirball highlights
archeologoical exhibits and textiles
important to Jewish life.
The University of Judaism, al
ready at the Sepulveda Pass, pre
sents sculptures by Aldo Casanova
and Jenny Holzer as well as paint
ings by Fritz Hirshberger. Call 213-
879-4144 for full details. And,
while in that area, be sure to visit
the Stephen Wise Temple. It is a
study in contemporary religious ar
chitecture, resembling a modem
college campus.
When visiting L.A one would
be remiss not to visit the Museum
of Tolerance on W. Pico Blvd. Us
ing films, photographs and artifacts,
the museum depicts the history of
the Holocaust. Three hour tours
depart every fifteen minutes. Call
310-553-8^3 to confirm precise
time.
And what would a trip to Los
Angeles be without the fun of see
ing the sites surrounding the
nation’s second largest city.
To the south lies Orange
County and a 26-mile drive down
the Santa Ana Freeway takes you
to Disneyland, Knotts Berry Farm
and the uniquely different Crystal
Cathedral. Continue south and you
can enjoy the beautiful coastal
towns of Newport and Laguna
where marinas and art stores respec
tively abound.
North of L.A., in Pasadena,
beckons the excellent Huntington
Library featuring the Blue Boy
painting as well
as the Hunt
ington Gar
dens. The Rose
Bowl stands
only a short
drive away.
Another
must-see de
light is the
Norton Simon
Museum,
where some of
the world’s fin
est art work re
sides.
To the west of Pasadena is Uni
versal Studio and its famous studio
tours in Burbank. In Malibu,along
the Pacific Coast Coast Highway,
is the J. Paul Getty Museum. (It is
best to call 310-458-2(X)3 before
visiting, inasmuch as “The Getty”
had hoped for a target date of early
1996 for its move to Sepulveda Pass
near the University of Judaism.)
And, while in Malibu, treat
yourself to an 80 mile drive north
on the Pacific Coast Highway to the
towns of Ventura and Santa Bar
bara.
L.A....how far it has come from
its Spanish adobe beginnings. It’s a
fiill grown metropolis now, perhaps
a bit worn and tired from the trip,
but nevertheless actively beckoning
to be seen and enjoyed for the
unique city that it is.
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