Sacred Stones and Stories: Jewish Heritage Across North America, Southwest and Western Regions by Fred Reiss; independently published (c) 2026; ISBN 9798181-173361; 264 pages; $12.95
By Donald H. Harrison in San Diego
Fred Reiss is a retired Doctor of Education residing in Winchester, California – a town in southern Riverside County. He writes an occasional book review for San Diego Jewish World, although not too often recently presumably because he was researching this five-volume series. We’ll concern ourselves with this particular volume, which covers 15 Western states in alphabetical order.
The states covered are Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming. Texas runs 72 pages; Wyoming a mere 4. California, divided into southern, central, and northern sections, runs over 40 pages with the City of San Diego allocated portions of 5 pages.
In San Diego, descriptions are given of the Home of Peace Cemetery, the archives of the Jewish Historical Society of San Diego, the Robinson-Rose House, Temple Beth Israel/ Ohr Shalom Synagogue; Temple Beth Israel in Heritage Park; and Tifereth Israel Synagogue. One notable omission is Beth Jacob Congregation, established before World War II. Post-war when Tifereth Israel Synagogue switched from Judaism’s Orthodox movement to Conservative, a reverse switch was made by Beth Jacob Congregation– from Conservative to Orthodox.
Nevertheless, for students of western states Jewish history, this volume may prove invaluable for their research. For Jewish travelers, it is likewise a resource answering the inevitable question: “Were there any Jews here?”
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Donald H. Harrison is publisher and editor of San Diego Jewish World.