Yiddish in the Land of Sunshine: Race, Labor, and Jewish Radicalism in Los Angeles – Caroline Luce
Yiddish in the Land of Sunshine examines how a cohort of young Jewish radicals from Eastern Europe helped reshape multiracial left-wing activism in Southern California. It traces their migration from the Russian Empire to Los Angeles and their involvement in labor and left-wing movements. Focusing especially on Boyle Heights, the book explores how the neighborhood’s diverse communities shaped Yiddish public culture and Jewish political organizing. It highlights the relationships, collaborations, and tensions that emerged as Jewish radicals built multiracial coalitions with Mexican, Asian, and African American neighbors. Drawing on previously untranslated Yiddish sources, the book challenges traditional Jewish immigration narratives centered on the Northeast and places Jewish workers in the American West at the center of Jewish and American history. Ultimately, it demonstrates how Eastern European Jewish radicals and trade unionists contributed to Los Angeles through innovative organizing and helped shape the city’s evolving racial and political landscape.
Caroline Luce is Project Director with the UCLA Institute for Research on Labor and Employment and formerly Chief Curator of Mapping Jewish Los Angeles, a project of the UCLA Leve Center for Jewish Studies.
Tuesday, November 10, 2026 • 306 Royce Hall • 4 PM
Yiddish in the Land of Sunshine: Jewish Radicalism, Labor, and Culture in Los Angeles
Caroline Luce (UCLA)
Moderator: Todd Presner (UCLA)
Michael and Irene Ross Program in Yiddish Studies