Sunday May 19, 2013 8:30am – 5:00pm

Inspired by the new exhibition at the Autry, Jews in the Los Angeles Mosaic, this joint symposium with the Historical Society of Southern California and the UCLA Center for Jewish Studies will consider the influence of the Jewish community in Los Angeles and the ways in which the city has shaped them in return. Bringing leading scholars together with community leaders, panel discussions will consider the Jewish experience, both past and present, and the many interactions with the ethnic mosaic of Los Angeles. In a tour of the exhibition, guest speakers will use specific objects to draw out stories and provide an overview of the symposium’s themes.

8:30–9:15 a.m. Light Breakfast and Opening Remarks
9:15–10:30 a.m. Exhibition Tour
• Arthur Benveniste, Sephardic community historian
• Bill Fishman, Newmark/Lazard family historian
• Carol Schneider, family of artist Lorraine Schneider

11:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m. Overview
Looking at the ethnic experience in Los Angeles and the formation of the mosaic
• Stephen Aron (Moderator), Chair of the Autry Institute and Professor of History, UCLA
• Eric Avila, Associate Professor of Chicano Studies and History, UCLA
• Allison Varzally, Associate Professor of History, California State University, Fullerton
• Karen Wilson, exhibition curator and Kahn Post-Doctoral Research Fellow, UCLA Center for Jewish Studies

12:30–1:30 p.m. Lunch
1:30–3:00 p.m. Wider View
Considering the Jewish experience in Los Angeles as a part of the bigger picture of Jewish life in America
• Erik Greenberg (Moderator), Director of Education, Autry National Center
• Raphael Sonenshein, Executive Director of the Pat Brown Institute for Public Affairs, California State University, Los Angeles
• Steven Windmueller, Rabbi Alfred Gottschalk Emeritus Professor of Jewish Communal Service at Hebrew Union College–Jewish Institute of Religion

3:00–3:15 p.m. Break
3:15–4:45 p.m. Cultured View
Exploring the impact of Jews on the cultural institutions of Los Angeles
• Todd Presner (Moderator), Sady and Ludwig Kahn Director of the UCLA Center for Jewish Studies, and Professor of Germanic Languages, Comparative Literature and Jewish Studies, UCLA
• Steven J. Ross, Professor of History, University of Southern California
• Sarah Schrank, Professor of History, California State University, Long Beach

4:45–5:00 p.m. Closing Remarks
5:00–6:00 p.m. Reception in Plaza

Sunday March 24, 2013 4:30pm – 6:30pm

Meeting of the Order of the Mad March Hare

Happy Birthday, Charlie Lummis,
Happy Birthday, HSSC,
Happy Birthday, all March Hares,
And all of you wannabes

A very special and really quite grand Afternoon at El Alisal

On Sunday, March 24, 2013 HSSC will be celebrating Charles F. Lummis’ birthday. Festivities will begin at 4:30pm. The highlight of the evening will be a musical program assembled by our board member Andrew Krastins. Andrew and his guests will perform music that once entertained the original March Hares. There will be birthday cake. As usual, edible additions from attendees will be welcome.

Making the birthday a proper celebration there will be a souvenir pamphlet: Charles F. Lummis’ Two Party Invitations, edited by Merry Ovnick . This is just the first of a continuing round of celebratory events to commemorate the 130th Anniversary of the Historical Society of Southern California.

With all these extras, we have to ask you to RSVP by Friday, March 15th. To RSVP call (323) 460‑5632 or email hssc@socalhistory.org.

20th Anniversary of the Arroyo Arts Collective Discovery Tour

Creative vision: whether you see the world through rose-colored glasses or progressive lenses, on the Arroyo Arts Collective Discovery Tour you will have an unusual chance to feast your eyes on art that expands your perspective and satisfies your desire to explore the sometimes invisible culture of Northeast LA. The Arroyo Arts Collective’s Discovery Tour — in its twentieth year this year — is one of the oldest and most eclectic art tours in Los Angeles. Featuring a range of fine art and craft by both emerging and established artists, the Tour gives attendees the opportunity to discover and purchase amazing pieces of art and get a glimpse inside studios and homes that are just as unique as the individuals who live and work in them. With offerings ranging from remarkable paintings to intricate metal works to hand-hewn musical instruments to one-of-a-kind pieces of jewelry, the Discovery Tour will surprise and delight participants with its artists’ unique range of vision.

This self-guided auto tour focuses on Highland Park, Mount Washington, Eagle Rock, Montecito Heights, and Glassell Park. For those who don’t wish to drive, shuttle buses will be available with stops at select locations.

Northeast Los Angeles — or NELA, as the locals call it — truly is one of the city’s magnet neighborhoods for artistic talent. With a steady influx of galleries, restaurants and boutiques, NELA attracts creative energy from across the city. In fact, NELA has a rich artistic history that dates back to the late 19th century when poets, writers and artists would gather to socialize at El Alisal, Charles Lummis’ home on Avenue 43. Around the same time and just a few miles north, landscape painter William Lee Judson established the College of Fine Arts of the University of Southern California.

Don’t miss the opportunity to discover — or rediscover — this unique neighborhood and the artists who call it home. Purchase Tour tickets in advance for $10 or the day of the Tour for $15. The Tour begins at the Lummis Home, where participants will receive a map and tour badge. Maps will be available beginning at 9:30 a.m., and studios will open at 10 a.m. A preview party and exhibition featuring Tour artists’ work will be held Nov. 10 from 7 to 10 p.m. at Future Studio, 5558 N. Figueroa, Highland Park. The preview party is free.

It’s fun, it’s festive and it’s only one day a year!

Join us for the 23nd anniversary of Museums of the Arroyo Day, where five museums located along the Arroyo Seco in Los Angeles and Pasadena open their doors free of charge from noon to 5 p.m. on May 20, 2012.

Each year, thousands of Angelinos have experienced the diverse mix of art, architecture and history of the Arroyo Seco area found in the five unique history-based museums that preserve and perpetuate early Los Angeles life.

The public can visit the MOTA museums during the day at no charge.

This year, MOTA Day is sponsored by Yelp, the online review site that connects people to great local businesses. If you’ve been to MOTA Day in the past, you can let others know about your experiences here.

As always, we expect great interest in MOTA Day, so visitors are advised to arrive early. We’ve added additional parking and you can easily use the Gold Line to get to MOTA Day, so click here for more information.

We look forward to seeing you.