What Communities Are Made Of

On September 4th, Los Angeles will celebrate 227 years of existence. With more than 200 languages spoken, Los Angeles has a rich cultural history of  diversity and pluralism.  The Pico-Fairfax area is an example of this rich cultural diversity. At first glance, the Pico-Fairfax area may appear to be a small tight-knit Jewish community, but after a thorough exploration, it appears that this community has much more to offer than meets the eye. This community is full of culture and history, to which many residents take much pride. By simply walking down Pico Blvd, you see billboards and ads in multiple languages reflecting upon not only its residents, but of the cultural pluralism and unity as a community. This community offers many different services to its residents. From adult day care, spiritual services, community building workshops (B.O.N.D) and many different markets and bakeries that offer items that are common staple of many of these communities. This community is a conglomerate of the many cultural traditions of the different ethnic groups that reside in this community. Each group has left its stamp in the community which is reflected in the stores you see throughout the area. 

Often times we often look to categorize and label things, and base assumptions, whether good or bad about a particular community and its residents. I know for myself, i used to drive through this community almost everyday and never took the time to truly explore the eclectic shops and services that this community has to offer.  I assumed that this community was a close-knit and exclusive jewish community, and felt a sense of disconnect because i did not identify culturally with that community. But after exploring this community, many of my initial presumptions were proven wrong. This community offers much more than it may appear to, and is a definite example of the urban diverse pluralism that defines Los Angeles as a whole. So as we celebrate Los Angeles' history as a city, we should see this community as a reflection of not one particular culture of a specific ethnic group, but as Los Angeles culture to which residents from all walks of life can identify and appreciate. 

An Outsider Looking In

As an outsider walking the few blocks on Pico, in a predominantly what is known as a Jewish community, one can be confused.  Without prior knowledge, it is not readily apparent that the community is that of Jewish predominance.   There are many stores with names that depict the origins of their owners.  There was a French cleaners, an Ethiopian restaurant, a Persian meat mart and an Indian shop all along the strip, right next to the Jewish shops, synagogues and adult day centers.  An outsider might become overwhelmed, as I did, with all the things there was to see.  

It was so interesting walking down the street and seeing all the community had to offer for its residents.  It was so well contained within itself.  It's so strange to realize how many times I have driven down that street and never paid attention to all the richness it had to offer.  The people that were walking down the street were so interesting and nice. They all in one way or another acknowledged our presence in their community. The community seemed to have an excellent public transportation system. 

On another side, it was sad to see how unkept the streets were. The trash was overflowing and the bus stops were all covered with graffiti. I didn't really get to go into the residential streets, so I cannot really speaks for the side streets, but the main street of Pico was very unkept.  Another thing I noticed was that the windows to the shops all had metal bars.  Maybe a sign of a dangerous neighborhood?  Or simply maybe buildings just built when there weren't any alarm systems set up?  I don't really know the answer to that question, but either way, the first impression the bars leave is that of an unsafe neighborhood. 

It was an interesting experience walking down the streets of an unknown neighborhood.  It was as though we were walking through an unknown territory, discovering it for the first time.  All the richness it had to offer was in fact overwhelming, and just walking through it once was not enough to soak it all in. 

Social Networks in the Area

It was evident that within the few blocks of Pico and Robertson, there is a wide variety of social networks offered to the community.  There are support systems and other types of networks for people of different ages, cultures and ethnicities, all within walking distance of each other.  Just a few to name are St. Mary Magdalen Catholic Church; B.O.N.D. (Brotherhood Organization of a New Destiny); Beth Chayim Chadashim; National Council of Jewish Women; and Young Israel of Beverly Hills.

Young Israel of Beverly Hills is the oldest Orthodox Synagogue in West Los Angeles and has been serving the community over fifty years.  Young Israel of Beverly Hills offers a friendly environment, which welcomes groups from Yeshivish to Israeli, Persian to Yemenite, Shepardi to Ashkenzani, and families to singles.  By having YIBH in the community people are able to attend various programs for prayer and study, including children and youth.  There is a social hall available, which has been renovated for events and social gatherings.  YIBH is for the veteran Orthodox interested in Torah study, and helping the community.

The National Council of Jewish Women is a volunteer organization offering quality resources to the community.  Their philosophy is to empower women of all ages.  After seeing the storefront of their thrift shop, we peeked inside and realized there was more to the store.  The revenue from the stores help fund their community service programs to help children and families.  The organization of volunteer and staff come together to provide services such as the free counseling hotline, family counseling, support groups, and life skills workshops.  Another goal of the organization is to help children achieve success by offering after school tutoring, a teen mother literacy program, and book giveaways.

This community is offered faith-based social services, support groups for families and singles, for people of varying socioeconomic status and background.  With these social networks, people are able to take advantage of what is offered to feel comfortable and have a place in their neighborhood.

Evidence of Diversity...

Can you imagine a place where you might run into a gay/lesbian individual eating at a kosher restaurant with a Jewish Orthodox family sitting across the way? Just outside the restaurant you might run into a homeless man digging through the trash with the hope of finding something to eat. An African American owned hair salon is on the corner and an Indian spice store is on the next block. This might seem like an odd or highly unlikely scenario to a family who lived in the Midwest; however, in Los Angeles, west side area of Pico and Fairfax this is exactly what one might encounter.
I can not count how many times I have driven down Fairfax, in between Pico and LaCienega, with the assumption that it was simply a highly populated Jewish Community where I had no business being. The congested traffic and dirty sidewalks also made it a place I never had a desire to experience. All of my feelings changed after 20 minutes of emerging myself in the community, and meeting an array of amazing people from many different cultural backgrounds.
I began my immersion at a Jewish Synagogue that had a congregation of gay/lesbian, bisexual, and transgender individuals. As a person who practices Christianity, I will be the first to admit that I was sceptical of what I was about to hear. It was important for me to go in with an open mind and willingness to experience something new. Once I let my guard down, I was not only shocked at how comfortable I felt in the situation but I was elated to be in the company of an organization with such high values, morals, and courage.
As I continued my journey, I had the opportunity to meet a young Indian man who worked at his uncles restaurant, which served Indian cuisine. He spoke highly of the area and said, "I feel safe when I am here. We have never run into any problems with trouble. The area is great and so is our clientele."
The same block possessed a Deli that served Kosher food. I entered with one of my classmates, to find two men dressed in white shirts, black pants, and a round piece of cloth attached to their head. When I approached them and explained where I was from and what I was doing, I reached my hand out to introduce myself, with the goal of making the situation less awkward. The two men looked at me and smiled as they both avoided shaking my hand. I would later find out the reason why. At that moment, I knew I had offended them or done something wrong and they would no longer want to engage in conversation. That could not have been further from the truth. My classmate and I conversed with these men for about 20 minutes, learning about them, the area, and the Jewish Community. They were truly honest, genuine, friendly, and willing to answer any questions we had.
These are just a few of the experiences I had the opportunity to encounter. I am grateful for this experience as it taught me the true meaning of, "never judge a book by its cover." The same community that never stood out to me, and appeared to be dirty and congested, ended up being so full of personality, life, culture, and history. Now every time I go to that area I will posses an inner piece of knowledge that would have never came about, had I not took the time to open my eyes and my mind.

Tradition: New and Old

Our first stop was at Temple Beth Chayim Chadasim (BCC). The Executive Director, Felicia Parker-Rogers gave us a brief history of the temple and its involvement in the neighborhood and community at large. It was created in 1972 and is the first Jewish Reform synagogue that is inclusive for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) individuals and people and families of all ages. BCC is very involved in the Reform Judaism community; serving as the leader for more progressive ideas and assisting others with establishing gay and lesbian synagogues around the country and the world. Although the BCC building is not that distinguishable from the outside, it has had a significant impact on the 250 households it maintains as members and, from this house of worship, its leaders and members reach out to the community by raising awareness and promoting equality. As an example, Felicia Parker-Rogers invited us to attend several events that BCC was either holding or sponsoring in the upcoming weeks, one of them being a local art show commemorating the Tenth Anniversary of the Death of Matthew Shepard (a young boy who was tortured and killed for being gay).

Elat Market and the Pico Glatt Mart standing side by side located between the major cross streets of Robertson and La Cienega are two local landmarks that cannot be missed. First, they are big in size and second, they are big in importance for what they represent. Although I did not tour the markets on our neighborhood visit, these are markets that I frequent and am familiar with. The Pico Glatt Mart is a fully kosher mart and was one of the first fully kosher marts in Los Angeles.

Elat Market offers koshers foods but is mainly known for its high quality produce and its ability to deliver on specialty products for Jewish Israeli and Jewish Persian meals. These markets offer what the Jewish people need to maintain their daily tradition of keeping kosher (abiding by the laws of kashrut dictated in the Torah), to keep their weekly tradition of Shabbat (twenty four hours of rest and reflection) and to celebrate their spiritual holidays throughout the year. It is quite the cultural experience to go shopping in these markets. The aisles appear to be narrower and bumping into your fellow shoppers is a common practice. And, although a seventy year old women might challenge you in a foreign language because she wants to get ahead of you in the check out line, you will be sure to find your special egg matza for your first night of Passover at either of the markets.

Identity

During my exploration of Pico Blvd, the number of businesses that identified themselves not only by name, but also by religious affiliation, language and/or culture struck me. Identity was clearly an integral part of this neighborhood. The first woman I spoke with, Raquel Anaya, told me that she had been in business for fourteen years. Within two minutes of talking to her, she asked if I was Jewish. Upon my positive reply, Raquel proceeded to open up about her personal life, the neighborhood and the years that she and her husband have owned the store, Mostly Angels. It was a spiritual store and clearly spiritual Judaism was an identifying part of her life. So much so, that she posted a sign in her window, telling passersby her business was in no way related to the psychic reading place next door and that they were also not connected to "the fortune teller that sits by our door". 

This declaration of identity was apparent in many of the shops; restaurants and facilities that I walked passed and visited. When talking to Ermium, one of the men who ran BOND (Brotherhood Organization of a New Destiny), he made sure to stress that they were a Christian organization. He also made a point to say that the group was originally formed to assist African- American Men only, but that they have since welcomed other Christian men into their Organization.

When I was speaking with another shop owner, I mistakenly confused Arabic with Farsi writing on the front sign and throughout the store. Amir, the Iranian Jewish shop owner, was quick to correct me. With a grimace on his face, he stated that he was Jewish and spoke Farsi, not Arabic. I felt foolish, but grateful because through this experience I learned how to recognize the language. It also taught me that speaking Farsi was part of his identity as a Middle- Eastern, Sephardic Jew.

Upon talking with Therris Spears, who owned Mane Appearance, a beauty parlor which catered mostly to African- American clientele, it seemed clear that many of the

 business owners and residents in this neighborhood were very content to live and work in a cultural melting pot. (Ms. Spears even went on to say how welcoming the community had been when she first opened her salon.) Therefore, although it was evident through various visual cues, that cultural and spiritual identity were an extremely important part of this neighborhood, the residents I spoke with seemed to see their community as sharing a common fate and having an identity of its own, which despite different personal identities, they all were a part of.

A Local's Perspective

Walking along Pico, heading west from Fairfax, I was able to get to know a couple of the local residents. First let me say that I was blown away by how welcoming and helpful everyone was in the many shops I ventured into. They were friendly and warm, and very open about their lives and community.


The first long conversation I found myself in was with a young man named Asif (featured far right in the photo), but who goes by “Asi.” I first meant Asi at an auto body shop, and then later at a local restaurant. Asi knew the store owners along this section of Pico Blvd very well because he helped them out in many ways and has built a personal relationship with them. As a profession, Asi sold fire extinguishers to the stores and followed up with them regarding the products. Born and raised in Israel, Asi worked for the Israeli army for three years and then moved to Australia for 9. One year ago, at age 30, he moved to the United States and into this neighborhood where many of his family members already lived. Asi stated that he loved the area, but has a hard time meeting people around his age. He will sometimes go to clubs or bars at night, but often will stay nearby and spend time with his cousins and other family members.


A little further down Pico, just a couple blocks west of La Cienega Blvd, I met the second resident as I was taking a picture of the trash along the street. I was documenting the conditions of the area just outside the local nursing home, Country Villa Terrace Assisted Living and Nursing Home. Because I was very low to the ground to get the shot, Kobi, who had been working in his nearby store, thought that someone had fallen and was injured on the ground. Like a true good Samaritan, he rushed out of his store to find that I was just a crazy photographer trying to get the angle I desired. This strange encounter led into a forty-five minute conversation about our lives and the surrounding community.

Kobi has been living in the area for fifteen years. Like many other Jewish residents, he moved east, from the traditional Jewish community west of Robertson, in search of affordable housing. He purchased his home at a small fraction of its million-dollar-tag that it has today. He has also owned and ran his store, Vital Signs, for this amount of time. They design and print signs and banners for businesses throughout the Los Angeles area. He is passionate about his job, and feels like through this work he is able to help local businesses thrive. He takes great pride in the ability to help others succeed at what they set out to do professionally. Kobi has also started a non-profit organization called Shabazi which is affiliated with the Jewish synagogue he attends regularly. This organization helps young people connect with one another and make a positive impact on their communities.

The problems that Kobi recognized in his community were the crime and the commonality of homelessness. Many people in the area have bars on their stores and an alarm system if they can afford it. There have been many occasions where thieves have gone at night from store to store, robbing various items from many stores in a row. The homeless, however, are not seen as a threat, and are assisted as much as possible by the local people. Many will allow them to do odd end jobs from time to time, or will give them food. One man who we saw walk by as we were talking has been in the area for over ten years, living on the street and getting assistance by the local community.