FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
May 24, 2022
The City of Los Angeles Welcomes Jewish Heritage Month
Los Angeles -- Today, the City of Los Angeles welcomed Jewish American Heritage Month for the 6th Year alongside Jewish non-profit and faith leaders and the City’s vibrant Jewish community. May, which is Jewish American Heritage Month, was marked in City Hall followed by the marquee celebration “Who Doesn’t Love a Deli: LA Jewish Deli Stories” at the local restaurant PERCH.
This Exhibit was curated by the Skirball Cultural Center and was on display at the event as well as at City Hall. Delis offer fusion food born of the Jewish immigration story. New arrivals often sold food in their new communities. Combining regional food traditions from Eastern Europe with available, local ingredients resulted in an entirely new American Jewish food phenomenon! This exhibit honors that history in Los Angeles. Jewish culture has a mandate to help repair the parts of the world which are broken. For this reason, kids' clothing for Hope of the Valley’s family shelters will be collected.
“The Jewish story is imbued into the history of Los Angeles, and the many synagogues, community groups, and Jewish nonprofits continue to shape our City’s vibrant culture and spirit of service,” said Councilmember Bob Blumenfield.
“As the Councilmember for the Fifth District that includes much of Los Angeles’ most historically Jewish neighborhoods from the Fairfax district to Robertson/ Pico area, the history of Jewish food is a culmination of culture stemming from a vast legacy of disparate histories in each family’s journey to survive while preserving their own version of Jewish cultures and how we define ourselves as Jewish people and what it means to be Jewish,” said Councilmember Paul Koretz.
“60 years after it first circulated, the “You don’t have to be Jewish to love Levy’s” ad campaign is probably one of the top ten most successful ad campaigns of all time and certainly the most successful for a Jewish product or topic. So of course it’s an important part of our exhibition on the history of Jewish delicatessens and a perfect vehicle for exploration of the people who have shaped that history. When we approached the conversation with our community partners at the City, the Federation, and the Historical Society about this year’s Jewish American Heritage Month project, the ad campaign was the perfect inspiration for a poster project going deeper into the people who currently define Jewish deli experience in Los Angeles. This “Deli Lovers” series is everything we hoped this collaboration would be: joyful, local, inclusive, and so wonderfully Jewish!” noted Jessie Kornberg, the President and CEO of the Skirball Cultural Center
"Every year during Jewish American Heritage Month, we celebrate our city's thriving Jewish community and recognize the impact that Jewish Anglenos have had on Los Angeles," said Council President Nury Martinez. "We are so lucky to have such diverse communities across Los Angeles and I hope that everyone can take the time to celebrate this vibrant culture this month."
Councilmember John Lee said, “I am honored to join my colleagues Councilmember Blumenfield and Councilmember Koretz to celebrate Jewish American Heritage Month. The history of the Jewish American community is inseparable from that of our city and I am happy to see their stories told and shared with Los Angeles.
"Some of my fondest childhood memories are of driving home to San Bernardino from visiting my grandparents in L.A., the car brimming with the aromas of corned beef, pickles and freshly baked breads. And I knew I was a big kid when, after attending a night game at Dodger Stadium, my dad and I dropped by Canter's for a bowl of matzo ball soup. Jewish delis connect us to our traditions and culture, and always make us feel at home," said Los Angeles City Attorney Mike Feuer.
“As the son of Holocaust survivors, I am deeply rooted in my Jewish faith and a proud member of and advocate for the Jewish American community in Los Angeles, which is a mosaic that is linked to every community in this city,” said L.A. Controller Ron Galperin. “Yet, as we celebrate the many accomplishments and contributions of Jewish Angeleno culture, we must also consider how far we still need to go. With antisemitism on the rise in too many corners of the world, we cannot and must not rest until we truly banish hatred and discrimination. As Jewish tradition teaches us, we have an obligation of ‘Tikkun Olam’ to repair the world. And that starts right here in L.A. and with each of us.”
The event co-chairs were Councilmember Koretz and Councilmember Bob Blumenfield. The co-sponsors are Mayor Eric Garcetti, Council President Nury Martinez, City Controller Ron Galperin, City Attorney Mike Feuer, Councilmembers John Lee and Paul Krekorian and the Los Angeles Human and Civil Rights and Equity and Cultural Affairs Departments.
The community organizations sponsoring the celebration included the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles, the Skirball Cultural Center, the Jewish Historical Society of Southern California, the Jewish Museum of the American West, the Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History and Project Legacy.
The official City celebration for Jewish Heritage Month has been made possible by the generous use of space by PERCH. “Who Doesn’t Love a Deli: LA Jewish Deli Stories” adjacent event included an exhibit highlighting eight of the many Jewish Deli’s in Los Angeles that represent the hundreds that have existed in Los Angeles history, a City Council presentation, and of course some sampling of traditional Jewish Deli foods and even the next generation of Vegan versions of some of those foods.
“During Jewish American Heritage Month, we honor the contributions of Jews to American history, culture, and the advancement of social justice. It’s also a time to celebrate our rich and diverse heritage. Even though we are one people, we are comprised of different groups of Jews with various ethnic backgrounds, orientations, opinions, and beliefs. The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles is dedicated to building bridges across communities, celebrating differences, and unifying Jewish Los Angeles . The joyful lessons of this month should inspire us year-round.” Said Rabbi Noah Farkas, President and CEO, The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles.
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Created by Presidential decree Jewish American Heritage Month is a national month recognizing Jewish American contributions to our country. JAHM LA seeks to embrace this effort by highlighting the partnership and contributions of the Jewish Community to Civic life in Greater Los Angeles and share Jewish culture with all Angelenos. JAHMLA hopes to break down misperceptions and uplift sharing and understanding across cultures in LA.
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Previous JAHM Exhibits:
2021 Exhibit on Tzedek, Tzedek, Tirdof (Justice, Justice, You Shall Pursue):
100 Years of Los Angeles Jewish Change Makers2020 Exhibit on The Sephardic And Mizrahi Jewish Roots Of Los Angeles
2019 Being Deborah - which celebrated trail-blazing Jewish women from the early 1900s to today
2018 KL.A.L: A Celebration of Jewish Angeleno Culture and Civic Engagement
2017 From Brooklyn Ave to Cesar Chavez: Jewish Histories in Multiethnic Boyle Heights with the U.C.L.A Alan D. Leve Center for Jewish Studies.