The heavily Latino neighborhood of Boyle Heights might seem an odd place to hold an art show that appeals to Jews, but for many native Angelenos who are familiar with the neighborhood’s history, it makes perfect sense.
The intersection of religion and politics became a talk show hit after Nov. 2, when the religious right played a huge, and perhaps pivotal, role in the re-election of President Bush.
Jews are not of one mind about the new focus on faith in politics, but many in the large non-Orthodox majority remain uncomfortable with that trend and are downright scared of new threats to the church-state wall posed by the religious conservatives.
On a particular stretch of Wilshire Boulevard near Westwood at 6 p.m., right-lane traffic is hopelessly stalled. A stream of cars crowds the intersection, trying to squeeze into the nearby parking lot of a well-known synagogue.
It\’s a familiar sight: With most people heading home from work, L.A.\’s Jewish community is swimming against the current, driving to services in some of the most densely populated neighborhoods in the city.
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