The History of Jewish Life in Los Angeles Researched, Interpreted, and Displayed as Never Before

Yesterday's Mavens, Today's Foodies:
Traditions in Northwest Jewish Kitchens
A Collection of Recipes and Stories
Published by Washington State Jewish Historical Society

Open to the Public
Twenty-Four Western Jewish Archives
6,000 Linear Feet

A Quarterly Newsletter
by
Harriet Rochlin

Jewish Homegrown History:
Immigration, Identity and Intermarriage
Skirball Cultural Center
March 29 - September 2, 2012

The Magnes Reopening & New Mexican Centennial Events

The Magnes Opening, Sunday, January 22, 2012

An Explosion of Innovative Western Jewish Exhibitions, Plays & Lectures

38 Western Jewish Historical Societies, Museums and Archives
Available to the public Online and at Depositories

Asked to design a mass email to announce that 11 Western Jewish historical societies, 4 museums, and 23 archives had just posted been on my website, Jo Yatar, graphic designer, opened her notebook: "Is there another list like it?" "None I know of," I replied. As a longtime client, I expected and got more questions. Why did you start it? What does it include? What's noteworthy about it?

Just as it was beginning to appear that the Jewish strain of Western history had exhausted itself, two Western Jewish biographies, and one book of biographical essays, prologue to the subject's poetry, were published in late 2008. Each was researched in depth and reflects period and place as vividly as the contributions and idiosyncracies of its key subject and his or her cohorts. Endowed with high level writing, editing and production skills, these works cast new light on radically diverse and extraordinarily able Jewish pioneers. Residents of different sections of the American West, they may never have met, and if they had, may not have willingly met again.

Frances Dinkelspiel. Towers of Gold: How One Jewish Immigrant named Isaisas Hellman Created California. St. Martin's Press. New York, 2008 ISBN-13: 978-0-312-35526-5, ISBN-10:0-312-35526-2

The Fred Rochlin Papers Online Now

The finding aid for the Fred Rochlin Papers is now available online here:
http://aao.lib.asu.edu/ViewRecordFrame.jsp?record=0000001018

Jewish fortune-seekers, synagogue-builders, feminists and frontier-busters faced off in Desert Dwellers, Part One; The Reformer's Apprentice, March 8, 2007 at the Los Angeles Central Library's Mark Taper Auditorium.

The audience hooted, gasped, sighed and left wanting more. The overall response was best expressed by Louise Steinman, Director of Cultural Programs for the Library Foundation of Los Angeles.

Harriet:

You've done us all proud . . . what a beautiful, spirited, funny play that brings Jewish history to life in such a palpable way. The cast was damn good and Scott did a great job . . . he made brilliant use of the space. And this all came from your imagination, from your own experiences. A wonderful range of characters, from the schlemiels to the Yiddisher cowboys. I'd love to see the play fully staged and I trust this will come to be.