Jewish Orange County: The Early Years

                         

Jews have been in Orange County since 1857, when it was still a part of Los Angeles County, and have made significant contributions ever since. Dalia Taft, archivist for the Orange County Jewish Historical Society will speak at the Orange County Historical Society’s Dec. 10, 2020 meeting at 7:30 p.m., online via Zoom. Taft’s program will show how many of Orange County’s Jewish residents were, and continue to be, actively involved in local commerce, culture and politics while still maintaining their Jewish identities. The lecture covers the period 1857-1945, and includes a montage of old photos, period newspaper announcements and vintage advertisements.

Register here to RSVP for this online presentation:

 https://tinyurl.com/OCHSJewsinOC

 As the archivist for the OCJHS, Taft is responsible for increasing the awareness of the role Jews have played in the development of Orange County from 1857, when the first Jew settled in Anaheim, to now. She maintains the Society’s archives and is constantly researching and digitizing the growing collection. She helped organize the group’s website and lectures regularly about the different significant periods in Orange County’s Jewish history. Ms. Taft also writes a monthly column in JLife, Orange County’s monthly Jewish magazine, highlighting images from the society’s archives, and she wrote and directed the documentary California Orange Jews, on the history of the Orange County Jewish community. She has also published the book, Jewish Pioneers of Orange County, (Vol. 44, #3/4 of the journal Western States Jewish History), detailing the many stories of Jewish life in Orange County from the 1860s through the 1980s. This volume is an invaluable resource and features an introduction by longtime OCHS member John Moorlach.

 Ms. Taft graduated from UCLA with a degree in art, summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, and her professional experience includes work as educator at the Simon Wiesenthal Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles and public relations manager with the Easter Seals organization.

 This program was originally scheduled for April but was postponed due to COVID.

Cinderella Homes: Fairy Tale Tracts in Suburban O.C.

 

 

 

Once upon a time, even before Disneyland, Cinderella had her own housing tracts in Anaheim, Tustin, Costa Mesa, Placentia, and the San Fernando Valley. Author Chris Lukather will discuss his book, The Cinderella Homes of Jean Vandruff – Fairy Tale Tracts in the Suburbs, at the Orange County Historical Society’s Nov. 12, 2020 meeting at 7:30 p.m., online via Zoom.

Register here to RSVP for this online presentation:

https://tinyurl.com/OCHSHouses

In the 1950s, Southern California tract housing developments filled the need of a burgeoning population, but they often lacked innovation, imagination and quality. The plain box-style home tracts featuring little ornamentation came to define the term “cookie cutter.” It’s no wonder that designer and builder Jean Vandruff’s charming homes skyrocketed to popularity, since they exemplified a visionary translation of storybook magic into appealing new homes buyers could afford.

Eventually, over 6,000 Cinderella Homes were built throughout Southern California and the United States. Mr. Vandruff began building houses in Southern California in the early 1950s, after serving as a decorated pilot in WWII. He enrolled in the USC School of Architecture, but eventually left the program to build custom homes with his brother, Shannon.

His first Cinderella Home was a custom home built in Downey in 1953, creating a prototype for his wildly popular model home that was featured at the 1956 Los Angeles Home Show. The success and interest this model generated initiated his venture into tract home building and a subsequent franchise deal that facilitated his Cinderella Homes being built around the country. The style became an iconic mid-century design.

Today at 97 years old, Jean Vandruff still lives near Anaheim. He is proud of the legacy of his work as a designer and builder, and remains active in the community that still today celebrates his Cinderella homes.

This program was originally scheduled for March but was postponed due to COVID.