Los Angeles Jew
A Memoir
by
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...and so, in the summer of 1949, the Browers hit what we considered the big time for Los Angeles Jews -- we were finally residents of the Jewish west side of Los Angeles.
In 1949 through the 1950s and into the 1960s, Jewish life and shops lined Pico Boulevard from La Brea Boulevard on the east to Robertson Boulevard and beyond on the west. And to the north, along Fairfax Avenue from Pico Boulevard to Melrose Avenue, was the real center of Jewish life with bakeries, delicatessens -- not the least of which was the fabled Cantor's which had relocated from Boyle Heights -- butcher shops, Judaica shops and other stores operated by Jewish merchants. There were also Jewish-oriented supermarkets, including Big Town on Pico at La Cienega and Daylight on Robertson south of Pico.
Around the Fairfax-Beverly Boulevard area, many Jews lived in two-story duplexes, with one family on the lower level and another family above. But we were on a street of single-family homes and felt proud of our location. We understood that Beverly Hills to the near northwest was far more upscale and also heavily Jewish, but that was another level of living altogether. And a tract of new homes called Beverlywood was under construction west of Robertson and south of Pico. But these homes, while new and beautiful, were hugely overpriced--in the $20,000 range.
To add frosting to the cake, our new house was just south of fabulous Wilshire Boulevard, the most fashionable street in all of Los Angeles.... Now that we lived on the west side, the magical Wilshire Boulevard was actually within walking distance.
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About the Book
During the 80 years of this author's life, the Jewish population of the City of Los Angeles exploded from a mere 65,000 Jews to 520,000 Jews, establishing Los Angeles as the third largest Jewish population center in the world. Yet, little has been written about this transformation, with most Jewish generational novels concentrating on the New York Jewish experience. And yet, the Los Angeles Jewish experience was completely different from that of New York.
The author, a native of Los Angeles, addresses the Los Angeles Jewish experience as a personal memoir -- sometimes sad, sometimes funny, and always engrossing.
About the Author
Martin A. Brower was born and raised in Los Angeles and was educated at the University of California at Los Angeles where he was editor-in-chief of the UCLA Daily Bruin. A journalist and a public relations professional, he was involved in public relations with the County of Los Angeles Air Pollution Control District, with a high-tech public relations firm, and with Los Angeles' then-largest architectural firm, Welton Becket and Associates. He was also managing editor of a national business publication.
With the Becket firm, he was intimately involved with the planning and development of such projects as the Los Angeles Music Center and Century City. During all of this time, he was an active member of the Los Angeles Jewish community, closely observing its growth and development.
Currently, Brower lives with his wife, Tamar, in Corona del Mar, California. There, he continues his writing as a magazine columnist. The Browers have four grown children and three grandchildren.