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The Skirball Cultural Center. | Photo courtesy of Cbl62/Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
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Los Angeles officials joined nonprofit and faith leaders Tuesday to mark Jewish American Heritage Month, which is celebrated in May, at an exhibit in downtown Los Angeles that highlights Jewish delis in the city.
The “Who Doesn’t Love a Deli: LA Jewish Deli Stories” exhibit was curated by the Skirball Cultural Center and aims to educate people about how deli food represents the Jewish immigration story by combining regional food traditions from Eastern Europe with locally available ingredients in the United States.
“As the council member 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 Councilman Paul Koretz, who co-chaired the event with Councilman Bob Blumenfield.
The event was co-sponsored by Mayor Eric Garcetti, Council President Nury Martinez, Controller Ron Galperin, City Attorney Mike Feuer, councilmen John Lee and Paul Krekorian and the Los Angeles Human + Civil Rights and Equity Department and Department of Cultural Affairs.
“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 Blumenfield.
Jewish American Heritage Month is celebrated nationally to honor the contributions Jewish Americans have made to the country’s culture, as well as the advancement of social justice, according to Rabbi Noah Farkas, president and CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles.
“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,” Farkas said. “The joyful lessons of this month should inspire us year-round.”
