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April 23, 2010
From synagogues to killer whales
Southern California offers a mix of Jewish-related stops and more general touristy fun.
EDGAR ASHER ISRANET
On a recent three-week visit to the United States, I confined myself to the southern part of California, as far north as Santa Barbara, west as far as Zion Park in Utah, southern Nevada and the northern part of Arizona. Although I drove well over 2,000 miles, I gave myself the opportunity to really enjoy and savor many of the attractions that this region has to offer.
San Diego, on the extreme southwest of California, is full of surprises. There is an air of tranquility in the city and plenty to enchant any visitor, yet, 150 years ago, San Diego was no more than a frontier settlement a few miles from the Mexican border. It is recorded that, in 1850, some of the pioneers were Jews. They formed Adath Yeshurun and first met in 1861 to form a new community. In 1889, they built the first synagogue, Temple Beit Israel, possibly the first-ever synagogue built in the western United States. The community prospered, helped, in no small way, by the new railroad line that had recently been completed from the east.
In the 1970s, the original Temple Beit Israel was due to be demolished, but a committee comprised of many Jewish organizations and interested non-Jewish preservation groups arranged for it to be dismantled and moved, piece by piece, to a new location – the San Diego Heritage Park. It was rebuilt, taking its place with other contemporary buildings, and today the synagogue is used as a community centre for Jewish and other denominations.
Heritage Park is a must-see destination. Covering eight acres, it preserves the very best examples of Victorian architecture, Queen Anne and Classic Revival styles. Over the past 25 years, seven historic Victorian structures, like the synagogue, have been relocated to the park, with strict control over their maintenance and preservation.
San Diego, which is California’s second largest city, has one of the largest naval bases in the world. However, the naval side doesn’t impinge on the laid back character of the city and the downtown gas lamp quarter, established in the 1870s, retains all the charm of an earlier era.
Perhaps most people associate San Diego with its fine museums and its world-renowned zoo. Famous for its animal conservation, the zoo covers more than 100 acres and is home to more than 800 animal species. However, for many visitors, the highlight of a visit to the city is a day at Sea World. This huge 150-acre marine park is the home of performing killer whales, dolphins and seals. There are also enormous shark pools and visitors are able to follow a route under the pools through Perspex tunnels, enabling a view of the myriad fish species gliding overhead.
Just south of Greater Los Angeles is Long Beach. The buildings in the downtown area have been lovingly restored and blend perfectly with the more modern highrises. There is a well-kept shoreline park running along the southern part of the downtown area. Across the bay is the permanent mooring of the famous Queen Mary. From the 1930s to the 1960s, this luxury liner was the flagship of the Cunard Line. The liner is now permanently moored at Long Beach and is used as a luxury hotel, as well as being open to visitors. Once aboard, visitors can take a fascinating tour through the vessel, which includes the gigantic engine room, various public rooms and the ship’s bridge. There are explanations everywhere as to the various functions of each part of the ship, and it’s a good plan to allow a few hours to really savor the atmosphere.
Greater Los Angeles has, with its 660,000 Jews, the second largest Jewish population in the United States, so there are many synagogues and kosher food facilities. It is a sprawling city surrounded by beautiful countryside and mountain ranges. Many of the city’s attractions are connected with the film industry and various film studios are located there. Though it has a mild climate almost year round, during the warmer summers, it still has the dubious reputation of being the most polluted city in the country, due mainly to vehicle exhaust emissions.
The Mexican influence is very strong: it is often forgotten that Los Angeles only became a full part of America as a result of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo following the Mexican-American War in 1848. The United States paid to Mexico the equivalent of $380 million in today’s value for the transfer of land, including the states of Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, Wyoming, Nevada, Utah and California. Not a bad deal and perhaps a lesson for today’s seemingly intractable problem in the Middle East.
Los Angeles sits on one of the biggest oil reserves in the United States. In the 1920s, the region was producing a quarter of the world’s total oil supply. Most of the oil fields have had their reserves already exploited, but much remains in the ground and banks of oil wells can be seen operating all over the city. Some oil pumps have been “disguised” behind false building façades. It should be pointed out that the city is generally very clean and has many attractive shopping centres around the region.
In addition to the many examples of natural beauty that surround Los Angeles, there are several other places well worth a visit, including Disneyland, Griffith Park and Universal Studios. Two other locations are especially interesting and worth a detour: the Getty Centre on the Santa Monica Mountains and the Simon Wiesenthal Museum of Tolerance near Beverley Hills.
The Getty has a commanding view. On a clear day, it’s possible to see the Pacific Ocean and the San Bernardino Mountains. Built in 1997, the complex houses a museum and the centre’s research and conservation, dedicated to cultural heritage and art. John Paul Getty had amassed a huge fortune from oil by the mid-1950s and was perhaps the richest man in the world at the time. He had a unique collection of European art, as well as Greek and Roman antiquities. All of this collection he left to the American people, as well as a trust fund to buy more works of art after his death. The museum complex, with its ornate gardens, is itself a work of art, designed by the illustrious American architect Richard Meier. In keeping with Getty’s wish, the museum is free, but there is a nominal charge for unlimited parking.
The Museum of Tolerance is dedicated to understanding the causes of racism and prejudice in the United States by means of multi-media. Opened in 1993, the museum attracts more than 350,000 visitors each year, a third of whom are schoolchildren. The museum’s Holocaust section tries to understand some of the causes and effects of the persecution of Europe’s Jews. Visitors receive random plastic cards that have a name and picture of somebody who experienced the Holocaust. At the end of the visit, the card is put into a computer and a printout tells if the person survived or died.
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