"Boyle Heights was at the core of Jewish life in Los Angeles during the late 1800s and early 1900s, and the Fairfax District could claim that title until the 1980s. But the spiritual heartland of the Jewish community is now in Pico-Robertson."
"German Ashkenazi Jews were the first to make the area home in the 1910s (back when Pico Boulevard was still a dirt road), and they were among the founders of Hillcrest Country Club. Proximity to 20th Century Fox made the surrounding neighborhoods a draw for Jewish entertainment professionals."
"That walkability would become a crucial part of the appeal the neighborhood has for Orthodox Jews, who began to move in ever greater numbers to Pico-Robertson in the 1980s, and who, being prohibited from driving on the Sabbath, appreciated the convenience of having synagogues just a few steps away."
Los Angeles's Jewish community has progressively moved westward over more than a century. Boyle Heights served as the core during the late 1800s and early 1900s, followed by the Fairfax District until the 1980s. Pico-Robertson emerged as the current spiritual center, initially attracting German Ashkenazi Jews in the 1910s and later drawing entertainment professionals due to proximity to 20th Century Fox. The neighborhood's walkable layout, with synagogues and businesses within walking distance, proved particularly appealing to Orthodox Jews beginning in the 1980s, who cannot drive on the Sabbath. Iranian Jews fleeing revolution also settled in Pico-Robertson, creating a diverse diaspora community.
#jewish-community-history #los-angeles-neighborhoods #pico-robertson #orthodox-judaism #iranian-jewish-diaspora
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