HomeAugust 2011Celebrating Orange County’s Jewish History

Celebrating Orange County’s Jewish History

Members of the first B’nai B’rith Lodge in Orange County gather for a group photo in the early ‘50s.  Taken inside the original Temple Beth Sholom at 8th and Bush in Santa Ana, the photo was donated by Bernie Glasser (front row, second from left).  Aptly named the Orange County Lodge, it was founded on June 6, 1938, and existed for more than 20 years, at which point the Jewish population expanded and other charters were issued.  At its height B’nai B’rith in Orange County had 14 lodges for men and almost as many chapters for women, as well as units for both men and women.  B’nai B’rith Women were well known for their “Dolls for Democracy” program, which educated local school children about tolerance using dolls of famous figures in history.

Dalia Taft is the archivist of the Orange County Jewish Historical Society of Jewish Federation & Family Services Orange County and highlights images from the archives every month.  For more information, please visit JewishOrangeCounty.org/historical. You can also contact Dalia at historical@jffs.org or at (949) 435-3484, ext. 296.

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