The Great L.A. Jewish Census: Counting Our Chosen People (and Maybe a Few Coy Coyotes)
Ah, Los Angeles. The land of sunshine, smog, and...a whole lotta Jews! But just how many? That, my friends, is a question that's more intriguing than a Hollywood whodunit.
Counting Chickens (or Rather, Counting Cohens)
There's been some back-and-forth on the numbers. Some folks say there's over 700,000 Jews in the greater L.A. area, making it the second-biggest Jewish community outside of New York City (sorry, Big Apple, we got beaches and bagels!). Others say the number's closer to 565,000.
Here's the thing: counting Jews isn't as easy as counting surfers on a good day. The U.S. Census doesn't ask about religion, so we gotta rely on studies and surveys. And let's be honest, some folks are a little shy about admitting their love for latkes.
So, Where Do All These Jews Live?
Think past the Hollywood sign, folks. The Westside might have a sizeable Jewish population, but the real hotspots are in the San Fernando Valley and West LA. We're talking neighborhoods like Pico-Robertson and Encino, where you can practically smell the challah baking from a mile away.
Is There a quota? Can We Slow Down the Inflow of Bubbes and Bubbe-lovers?
Relax, nobody's checking passports at LAX. The growth of the L.A. Jewish community is a good thing! It means more synagogues (because everyone needs a place to shmooze after services), more Yiddish being spoken on the streets (confusing everyone else, but hey, that's part of the charm!), and of course, more options for kugel (because you can never have too much kugel).
The Important Takeaway: We're Here, We're Kvetching, We're Making L.A. Our Own
So, the exact number of Jews in L.A. might be a bit fuzzy, but one thing's for sure: we're a vibrant and growing community. We bring the laughs (think Jerry Seinfeld and Sarah Silverman, both L.A. natives!), the smarts (hello, countless Nobel laureates!), and of course, a healthy dose of neurosis (hey, it's part of the package!).
So next time you see someone rocking a chai necklace or debating the merits of pastrami on rye versus corned beef on a bagel, you'll know: that's just another member of the ever-expanding tribe, making L.A. a truly unique and wonderfully Jewish place.
