Guest Lecture: Frances Dinkelspiel's "Towers of Gold — How Isaias Hellmann Created California"

As part of National Jewish Book Month, CSULB’s Jewish Studies Program is pleased to present Frances Dinkelspiel on Tuesday, November 15^th, 2011, at 7:30 PM. Refreshments will be served at 7:15 PM. The lecture will take place at the Alpert Jewish Community Center, which is co-sponsoring the event on behalf of National Jewish Book Month.

In her award-winning book, Towers of Gold, Dinkelspiel traces the journey of Isaias Hellmann, a poor, young Jewish immigrant who arrived in California in 1859. Beginning as a small store owner, he established Farmers & Merchants Bank, helped found the University of Southern California, served as a regent for the University of California, and led the building of Los Angeles’ first synagogue. By the time he died, Hellmann had transformed Los Angeles from a dusty frontier town into a vibrant and modern metropolis.  Dinkelspiel’s talk will examine Hellmann’s role in transforming California.

As always, the lecture series is free and open to the community.  For more information, please contact Jeff Blutinger at jbluting@csulb.edu or 562.985.2196.

Sponsors: CSULB’s Jewish Studies Program, the Alpert Jewish Community Center, and the Jewish Federation of Greater Long Beach and West Orange County