by Paul R. Spitzzeri
With the tremendous growth of greater Los Angeles, as well as in the Angel City neighborhood of Boyle Heights and the Jewish community, most of whom resided there largely because of residence restrictions, the vital cultural and social element of assistance to the needy was manifested in the establishment of the Hebrew Sheltering and Home for the Aged, later the Jewish Home for the Aged.
As the first part of this post noted, the enterprise was modest in its beginnings, with references stating that a three-person cottage was established at First and Rose streets, long an industrial area of Los Angeles, though now housing has returned in this section across Alameda Street from Little Tokyo, and then a larger structure was utilized on Temple Street to the west of the downtown core.
In 1916, the situation improved markedly with the acquisition of the Gless House (incidentally, actor Sharon Gless is a great-granddaughter of its first owners, Simon Gless and Juanita Amestoy) on the west side of Boyle Avenue just south of 1st Street, on the edge of Paredon Blanco (White Bluff) where some a row of stately houses overlooked the city from their elevated locales. Even still, efforts from early on were initiated to expand the Home, with the emphasis first on the Gless site, though it subsequently became the goal to find a new, larger location for expansion.
This led to the Boyle/Workman estate a couple of block south on the same side of Boyle Avenue, where Andrew Boyle settled in 1858 after acquiring a large section of Paredon Blanco from the López family, the early residents of that area from the 1830s onward. After his death in 1871, his daughter, Maria (pronounced mar-eye-uh) and her spouse, William H. Workman (nephew of Homestead founders William Workman and Nicolasa Urioste) inherited the tract—four years later, Workman, banker Isaias W. Hellman and merchant John Lazzarevich, who was married into the López family, established Boyle Heights.
The Boyle/Workman estate was widely known for its expansive and beautiful grounds and gardens and contained the Boyle residence, the Workman dwelling built nearly three decades later, as well as two other family houses. After William H. Workman died in February 1918 and his widow Maria moved in with one of her children, it was decided to sell the property. The B’nai B’rith Messenger, the leading Jewish newspaper in Los Angeles for around two decades to date, recorded in its 20 May 1921 edition:
At least the dream of the Hebrew Sheltering & Home for the Aged officials that a new and adequate home should be secured for the old people of this community has been realized and on Sunday, June 19, the handsome new institution with its splendid new grounds embracing a 600 foot front on Boyle avenue, between third and fourth streets, which cost $52,000 will be thrown open to the public.
After stating it was long a quandary for Home officials that there wasn’t the facility that was needed to meet demand, the article continued that “it has taken a great deal of hard work and the fine donations of some of the great-hearted and modest Jews of this city to make this dream come true.” It was added, however, that “like many another fulfilled dream, the reality is even more splendid than the dream” when the Boyle/Workman estate became available.
The piece pointed out that, while the Gless property could accommodate just under fifty persons, the new site had the potential to house triple that number. Moreover, aside from the 1887 Queen Anne 14-room house and an 8-room structure built by the Workmans, their son, William H., Jr., extensively remodeled the Boyle House in 1910 and it was observed that “a handsome white tile house” would be used for administration.
The plan was to build a synagogue, while the four acres of grounds included “a beautiful landscape garden containing rare species of flowers and trees, among them cork and rubber trees, all of which will add greatly to the pleasure of the inmates who are there passing the last days of their lives.” It was added that these “are different from other poor” in that they’d spent most of their lives in Europe before emigrating to the United States. The paper concluded,
This institution is unique in its character and is one which carries a great heart appeal. Here are taken in and cared for old people who have nowhere else to go, who are spending their declining days in a strange land.
In the run-up to the formal dedication, the Los Angeles Record of 17 June stated that the capacity of the home jumped more than four-fold from 60 to 250 and provided more of a “centralized location for Jewish activities” with the $52,000 purchase of the estate. The acquisition was part of a $100,000 fund-raising campaign by the association, with 10% of that provided by Louis and Max Isaacs.
In recording the three existing residences on five acres, the paper added that plans were that the property was to be “fitted up for picnic grounds, with electric lights installed throughout and accommodations provided for outdoor meetings and entertainments.” This included meeting rooms, offices and a dance hall for Jewish organizations and the Home staff and officers. It was also noted, as the Messenger previously observed, that the Jewish Social Center (J.S.C.) was “a junior auxiliary of the home.”
In its coverage, the Los Angeles Express of the 18th stated that some 5,000 persons were expected to attend the grand opening, which was to start at 2 p.m. Home Association Chair Simon Lewis, who shepherded the organization for some ten years and remained an active board member for some four decades included addresses and a dedication ceremony, followed by a dinner by the J.S.C. The paper ended with the observation that organizers “promise it to be one of the best ever given in Los Angeles.”
The day of the event, the paper noted that the anticipated number of persons going to the event was double what it stated before. The Express added that the organization formed in 1908 with 100 members “and care for three aged persons of their race” in that first home. In a baker’s dozen of years, however, membership leapt to 2,200 persons and there were fifty-three residents at the Home. From those modest beginnings and, including the several years at the Gless home, “the institution has been shown [shown] a vigorous growth seldom equaled.”
The paper concluded with a brief description of a “representative inmate,” this being 96-year old Morris Tolsky. He was a native of Russia, and undoubtedly of the many Jews who left that country during the terrible pogroms of the early 20th century and before, who worked as a tailor there and after migrating to America. Tolsky was also an ordained rabbi and “is the oldest person at the home and has been there five years.”
In its issue of the 24th, the Messenger reported that,
Sunday was a great day at the Hebrew Sheltering and Home for the Aged. It was the occasion of the opening of the new Home and the wonderful grounds, which it is stated make this one of the finest institutions of the kind in the entire country.
The Jewish community, through whose beneficence this splendid charitable enterprise has been made a possibility was present by the thousands. Everybody was filled with enthusiasm and that joyous spirit which always follows a fine action permeated the entire atmosphere.
As part of the pride expressed in the Home and the spirit it manifested, it was mentioned, as was done by the Record, that “there was an impressive parade,” including a marching band, followed by the program, which included the dedication of the White Building, this presumably being the name for the remodeled Boyle House, by B’nai B’rith Congregation Rabbi Sigmund Hecht in honor of the late Esther Isaacs, who died in 1919.
Rabbi Morris Rosenthal of the Congregation Sinai and Dr. Louis G. Reynolds were the keynote speakers and “both of whom spoke with their accustomed brilliant fluency, taking for their subjects the Old Home and what is stands for in the community.” The Reverend Bernard Leve and Cantor Abraham Silverman, along with the choir at the Congregation Sinai and students of the Angel City’s Talmud Torahs, provided the musical portion of the program. The selling of room sponsorships and the picnic on the expansive grounds were also mentioned.
Almost immediately after the opening, expansion plans were pursued, including an effort noted by the Los Angeles Times of 3 November in which “the women’s auxiliary of the Hebrew Sheltering Home for the Aged will celebrate the breaking of ground for the erection of a hospital ward for the inmates at ceremonies to be held” the next Sunday at the Home.
The Express of 27 May 1922 reported on a benefit on the following day with “stars of the cinema world, a musical chorus from a local theater and the Lincoln High School S.R.T.C. band,” Boyle Heights’ first high school, Roosevelt, would open the next year, performing at the benefit picnic. The article observed that,
Regardless of race, creed or nationality, the home will shelter strangers and transients for a three-day period. The registrar reports that over 700 unfortunates were sheltered during that past year . . . The new home on Boyle Avenue . . . is still under a mortgage of $25,000, and it is in a partial effort to clear up the debt that the picnic is given.
Aside from the aforementioned, the piece concluded that “entertainment is on the bill for every class in attendance,” including boxing and wrestling matches, a baby contest and dancing.
The 18 August edition of the Messenger published a piece by Goldie Needleman, a 20-year old native of Russia, who migrated to the U.S. in 1909, and member of the staff, who informed readers that “the Jewry of Los Angeles will be greatly surprised to hear that” the home “has just completed plans for a two-story, 45 room, brick building with the most efficient and modern improvements obtainable.” She briefly summarized the growth of the Home, adding that, in 1919, the crowded conditions at the Gless property were such that the acquisition of Boyle/Workman estate was necessitated.
Reiterating the service to all in need, and adding that more than “1000 transients were taken care of regardless of race,” Needleman concluded her article by observing:
The present situation of the Home is a great problem which must be met with immediately. There is at present a large waiting list of applicants that need immediate attention and these old men and women must not be turned down. We must all pull together and make a home for these venerable old folks. It is our duty as Jews to care for these unfortunates and you can help by talking building, thinking building and contributing towards the building. Every dollar invested means a greater and better Hebrew Sheltering and Home for [the] Aged.
The Messsenger of the 25th followed up by noting that the new structure was anticipated to cost between $35,000 and $40,000 and “how to raise this sum is the most important item the leaders of the institution must deal with.”
The 17 October edition of the paper reported that a contract was issued for the construction of the structure and it noted that “the splendid support accorded this institution of recent days by our Jewish community has encouraged the officers and friends of the home” and the price tag of the edifice shot up to $65,000. The Home’s directors hoped for further support from the “generous Jewish public” offering “their liberal support with more zest” because “our old, homeless folks are eagerly waiting.”
Architectural renderings, issued in the Times of 22 October and the Messenger of 3 November showed an impressive three-story (it ended up being two stories at the east side facing Boyle Avenue and four to the west where Bodie Street used to be as the bluff sloped downward), U-shaped building and reflected a remarkable new benchmark in the short history of the institution. The 3 December issue of the Times reported that the dedication of the cornerstone of the structure, designed by Saul Brown with the Lawrence Burck Construction Company as the builder, was to take place early in the new year.
With that, we’ll look to return tomorrow with part three, so please come back then for more of the history of the Home.