The Palisades Diaspora: A Tour of a Holy Town

Pacific Palisades, our home for 42 years, is a holy place. My family is now part of the Palisades diaspora, having been forced to evacuate, losing our home and all our possessions. Since its founding, people from around the world have come to the Palisades as a place of refuge in Los Angeles. Beverly Hills residents were an example of those who sought safety and shelter in our land. Sacred sites including the Temescal Gateway Park, Will Rodgers State Beach, Will Rodgers State Historic Park, and the Palisades Recreation Center are a few of our holy places. The Palisades Village was our “Temple Mount,” eliciting so much attention and emotion. 

Originally founded by Methodists in 1922, religions of all faiths called the Palisades home.  Places of worship include the Self-Realization Fellowship Lake Shrine, the Corpus Christi Christian Fellowship, the Parish of Saint Matthews, the Calvary Church, the Presbyterian Church, the Methodist Church, and the Lutheran Church. The Jewish community would gather at Kehillat Israel and Chabad.  Every Thanksgiving, Palisades residents would gather for an interfaith service. Everyone co-existed and the biggest conflicts generally happened on the flag football or soccer fields.  

In addition to spiritual leaders, the Palisades has had a series of Honorary Mayors. Jerry Lewis, in 1953, was one of the earliest. Past Mayors including Billy Crystal, Martin Short, Anthony Hopkins and current Mayor Eugene Levy all lost their homes in the 2025 fires. Current town leaders including Rick Caruso, who rebuilt the Palisades Village in 2018, and Steve Soboroff, who was just appointed as the Chief Recovery Officer for the Palisades, will provide the leadership to restore the destruction of our community. 

People in the Palisades live in distinct neighborhoods ranging from the Palisades Highlands to the north, the three mobile home parks on Pacific Coast Highway to the south, Castellammare to the west and the Rivera to the east.  The Alphabet streets, named after founding Methodist ministers, were the center of the Palisades, and felt like its “Old City.”  New homes sat side by side with original cottages.  Rustic Canyon, a hidden gem, has a rich history that includes the Tongva people, European explorers, experimental forestry, the Uplifters social club and a bohemian community. Santa Monica Canyon, Mandeville Canyon and Sunset Mesa are disputed territories claimed by neighboring Brentwood and Malibu. The residents in Topanga Canyon always felt occupied by the people from the Palisades.

Many say that the Palisades seemed like two different countries. In the morning you could wake up to an ocean view sunrise in the affordable Palisades Bowl mobile home park (where I first lived in 1982 and proposed to my wife Dana), and in the afternoon make aliyah or go up to the luxurious and laidback Huntington Palisades or the Village. The economic, demographic, spiritual and political differences helped to define the Palisades.  

Despite differences, in the Palisades we spoke the same language, ate the same foods (shout out to Café Vida which took over as a central gathering place when legendary Mort’s Deli closed) and had a shared sense of sacred space. Ritualistically we had our festival holidays. We would participate in the annual Fourth of July race, watch our friends in the Palisades Parade, and elaborately decorate our homes for Halloween. Every Sunday, there was a pilgrimage to the farmer’s market. The Pacific Palisades Baseball Association (PPBA) was its own religion. We would hike and bike our trails. My most spiritual times included regular early morning walks from our home next to the Village to grab Starbucks coffee, followed by a stroll to the Via Bluffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean. I would always stop to look for dolphins swimming in the surf. For me, finding them was a sign.

Education was one of the highest values of the Palisades People. We strived for excellence in education whether at our charter public, private, or religious. Palisades High School was the cultural center of our town both spiritually and physically. Pali High was the location of so many films and TV shows ranging from Mod Squad to Modern Family.

Ultimately the people of the Palisades are more than the land. We are the people of the (Library) book. We are a united people who shall last for generations. In New York City last weekend, there were over 150 young adults from the Palisades who rented a bar to gather and recreate a sense of our community. Since the fires, when we pray, we face the Palisades hoping to return as a people. Everyone I have spoken to has said we will return and rebuild for our kids.  

Ultimately the people of the Palisades are more than the land. We are the people of the (Library) book. We are a united people who shall last for generations. 

L’dor v’dor from generation to generation. Kol Palisades Arevim zeh bazeh. All the people of the Palisades are responsible for one another.

Rick Entin is a long-time member of Kehillat Israel, where he formerly served as a member of the Board of Trustees and Chair of the Israel Matters Committee.