'Hood #8: South Robertson, the "Heart of Jewish LA"

Today I went with a friend to explore South Robertson, which is considered the center of LA's Jewish community.  According to Wikipedia, the neighborhood features more than 30 Certified Kosher restaurants (many of which can be seen on a drive down Pico Blvd.), as well as numerous Jewish community centers and schools.

We decided to start our visit to South Robertson with a trip to the Museum of Tolerance, a holocaust museum where we toured an Anne Frank special exhibit.  (I'd have liked to have seen the general exhibit but there was an hour wait.)

While I found the exhibit's format somewhat frustrating—it's run on a timer so you can't explore independently—overall it was thoughtfully crafted.  As an example, one area featured a large portrait of Anne's face and a quote of how she wished to some day see Hollywood—and the docent pointed out that the view Anne faced was, in fact, the Hollywood hills in the distance.

After the museum, we thought it would be fitting to eat at a deli or kosher restaurant, and we wound up at Schwartz's Bakery and Cafe.

We ate lunch (veggie soup and toast for me, bagel with cream cheese and lox for my friend), but we were both far more excited about the bakery case.  I'm still trying to cut down on sugar in my diet, but she bought a selection of cookies and danish and challah bread—so what choice did I have but to sample some of hers?  I mean, she offered; I didn't want to be rude.

Anyway, although I'll admit I was a little disappointed for our trek to North Robertson I didn't get to see the main section of the Museum of Tolerance—I'd imagine some of the artifacts and exhibits would be mighty compelling—it turned out our timing was lucky.  As we drove home after the bakery, we spotted firetrucks by the museum and a crowd of people standing outside who'd clearly been evacuated.  Had we waited, we would have been part of that crowd.  (Of course, nosey body that I am, I tried to find out what the deal was, but it must have been nothing because none of the local news outlets covered it.)

As for my LA 'Hood Challenge, this makes eight neighborhoods down, 129 to go.