Lisa Alcalay Klug writes for Jewish Living magazine: "The key word that defines all 10 neighborhoods is‚ "vibrant." There is energy surging forth in every one. Together they form a mosaic of diverse pieces‚ mixing old and young; singles and families; suburban and metropolitan settings; affordable to pricey housing; Reform to Conservative to Orthodox to Renewal and more. They are the new melting pots, bubbling with all the forms of self-expression that represent the Jewish people today."
Where is the energy surging forth in Pico-Robertson?
What exactly makes this neighborhood "vibrant"? Where is this vibrating going on? Isn’t vibration against the Torah? It’s a form of self-abuse, no? Surely the rabbis banned it.
Where are the forms of self-expression bubbling in Pico-Robertson?
Isn’t that against the Torah? "Bubbling" sounds subversive and "self-expression," well, that’s idolatry, no?
I bet that the only bubbling, vibrating and surging in Pico-Robertson happens at the gay temple — Beth Chayim Chadashim — and even then only on Sabbath.
Isn’t a mosaic, by definition, composed of "diverse pieces"?
Where is the melting going on in Pico-Robertson? Most of the groups I know, from the ultra-Orthodox to the secular Jews, keep to themselves. If you take your worldview seriously, it is difficult to roll with those different from you. As the Good Book says, "How can two men walk together unless they be agreed?"
Is it possible to write the paragraph above with even more cliches and less meaning?
7. Pico-Robertson, Los Angeles
For decades, Jews have congregated near where Pico Boulevard meets Robertson Boulevard in West L.A. Of late, the community has grown exponentially, yet it still gives off the comforting sense that you are among brethren. Clustered within a mile-long strip between Beverly Drive to the west and La Cienega Boulevard to the east are a slew of synagogues, kosher markets, and eateries from fast food to fine dining. There are also Judaica stores, wig and dress shops, countless schools—even, a few blocks farther, the Museum of Tolerance and Simon Wiesenthal Center.
Most shuls are Orthodox, with every variation represented from Persian Chabad to the Carlebachian Happy Minyan, which meets in a Jewish-owned karate dojo. There are both old-school frum-from-birthers and a growing wave of ba’alei tshuva, newly observant returners to the faith who congregate at Aish HaTorah and several Modern Orthodox shuls. Housing is relatively expensive: Glamorous Beverly Hills starts one block north, and Beverlywood, an equally exclusive area, begins several blocks south; in between are "modest million-dollar homes," small in size but big in price, as well as apartments popular with singles and young families.
- At-a-Glance Essentials:
- Epicenter: Roughly the intersection of Pico and Robertson boulevards.
- Downside: Pico is a somewhat unsightly boulevard that becomes highly congested during peak hours. Smart shoppers avoid the pre-Shabbat rush.
- Contacts:
The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles (www.jewishla.org)
L.A. Jewish Guide (www.lajewishguide.com) - More: Click here (PDF) for further information on this neighborhood.
