North County Jewish Community Collection

Collection

Identifier: MS-0606

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The North County Jewish Community Collection documents north San Diego County congregations and social organizations. Materials include minutes, correspondence, newspaper clippings, newsletters, bylaws, financial reports and membership lists. The Paul & Freida Lott Family Scrapbook documents the North County Jewish Community Center, Temple Sinai and Temple Solel. Additional materials document Congregation Beth Am.

Dates

Creation: 1952 - 2004

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

The copyright interests in these materials have not been transferred to San Diego State University. Copyright resides with the creators of materials contained in the collection or their heirs. The nature of historical archival and manuscript collections is such that copyright status may be difficult or even impossible to determine. Requests for permission to publish must be submitted to the Head of Special Collections, San Diego State University, Library and Information Access. When granted, permission is given on behalf of Special Collections as the owner of the physical item and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder(s), which must also be obtained in order to publish. Materials from our collections are made available for use in research, teaching, and private study. The user must assume full responsibility for any use of the materials, including but not limited to, infringement of copyright and publication rights of reproduced materials.

Historical Note

The documented history of the North County Jewish Community begins in the early 1950’s. It started as a small community with about six families. The Lotts were one of the founding families of the North County Jewish Community Center in 1953. Paul Lott was president when, in 1955, the JCC purchased the Oceanside Women’s Club as a permanent home. Paul was a businessman and Freida excelled as a seamstress and was also active in the Jewish community. They raised three children and sponsored many Italian immigrants who wanted to come to the U. S.

This is the same North County JCC that is documented in more detail and with different information in the Leon Reichel Collection. From this JCC grew the Jewish congregations of the North County, that exist in 2023.

Marc Covitt was active in Temple Sinai which was founded in 1978 by Rabbi Aaron Gottesman, as a conservative congregation and is no longer in existence; Temple Solel which was also founded in 1978 as a reform congregation and Congregation Beth Am, founded by Rabbi Wayne Dosick around 1981, a conservative congregation. This collection contains the material Covitt collected while active in those congregations. Temple Solel is now located in Cardiff and Congregation Beth Am is in Carmel Valley.

Extent

.42 Linear Feet (One Hollinger box)

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Custodial History

In 2017 Dr. Nina Lott donated the Paul and Freida Lott Family Scrapbook to the Jewish Historical Society of San Diego (JHSSD #2017.06). Her parents' scrapbook contains material from the first JCC in Oceanside, California. Paul and Freida Lott were founding members of the North County Jewish Community Center in 1953.

In 2018 Marc and Gail Covitt donated materials relating to the North County JCC, Temple Sinai and Temple Solel both of Encinitas, California and Congregation Beth Am of Solana Beach, California (JHSSD #2018.04).

In 2023 these two collections were combined into the North County Jewish Community Collection.