By Lisa Rothstein Goldberg in San Diego
When most people think of Balboa Park, they think of the world-famous San Diego Zoo and beautiful museums. Just steps away lies a hidden treasure: the House of Pacific Relations International Cottages. What my husband jokingly calls “Epcot without the rides” are 31 diverse cottages representing countries and cultures from around the world, each showcasing unique histories, foods, inventions, and traditions.
Among them, of course, is the House of Israel (HOI). I first discovered HOI while with my daughter Molly on a kindergarten class field trip (she starts fourth grade next week!). While waiting for the school bus, she noticed the Hebrew writing on the “Israel” sign, and we took a picture, not knowing what it was. Little did I know that my now nine-year-old would one day become HOI’s youngest tour guide!
I started volunteering there not long after the horrific events of October 7, 2023. Despite our busy schedules, I try to volunteer as often as I can. Last year, Molly and my older daughter Rachel (now 12) started coming with me—first out of curiosity, and now out of genuine love and excitement. Molly began offering tours after watching me and other volunteers. Rachel randomly asked one day if she could volunteer for her Bat Mitzvah project and has decided to use her art skills to create displays that educate visitors about Jewish holidays. I could not be prouder.
Like all the cottages, HOI is small—just two rooms—but what is packed inside is incredible. Visitors are greeted by the amazing smell of bourekas, Israel’s famous street food. HOI serves two kinds: potato (vegan) and spinach and cheese. The front welcome desk features a beautiful wraparound replica of the Dead Sea Scrolls, along with pins, flags, keychains, pamphlets, and magazines explaining Israel.
The walls tell the story of Israel through a timeline reaching back to biblical times. Visitors can watch a live view of the Western Wall (often surprising people who realize how busy it is in the middle of the night, since Israel is ten hours ahead of San Diego) or view recent videos from the streets of Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. Maps show just how small Israel is compared to the surrounding countries. The second room features displays of Israeli artifacts, incredible technological innovations, religious objects including a Torah scroll, and information about San Diego’s sister-city partnership with Sha’ar HaNegev in Southern Israel. Visitors can even take an interactive quiz at the end of their visit for a chance to win a prize.
This tiny cottage, filled with so much history and culture, opened in August 1948 and was the first place in the United States to fly the flag of Israel.
What makes HOI—and all the International Cottages—so unique is that they are staffed entirely by volunteers and rely completely on donations to survive.
Throughout the year, each “house” hosts a program on the lawn shared by all the cottages. On Sunday, August 2, it was HOI’s turn to host. Months of planning led to an incredible turnout of members of the Jewish and greater community—those who had been to Israel and those who had not—all coming together to support HOI and celebrate its 78th birthday.
Jewish Federation President and CEO Heidi Gantwerk beautifully sang The Star-Spangled Banner and HaTikva, leaving many in tears. At a time when antisemitism and anti-Israel sentiment are on the rise, HOI provided a safe space to celebrate Jewish identity, Zionist pride, and joy—and the joy was everywhere.
With entertainment from singer and songwriter Tehila, the musical theater group Shayna Punims (“pretty faces” who truly lived up to their name!), and headliner Mike Pauker (whose amazing music caused one volunteer to buy a CD, forgetting she no longer owned a CD player), along with emcee Michel Goldstein, it was a glorious celebration of Israel’s past, present, and future.
Beyond the entertainment, HOI showcased an authentic Israeli Shuk where visitors could purchase jewelry, Dead Sea products, kosher snacks, clothing, and Israel-themed items. There were backgammon tables, the popular “get your name written in Hebrew” activity, a fantastic photo booth, a Kids Zone with crafts and PJ Library books, a beautiful face-painting booth, the ever-popular Aroma coffee, and opportunities for visitors to join the dedicated volunteers who planned and ran the day.
Joining HOI were kosher falafel and shawarma from The Place Catering, as well as information tables from Remember Us The Holocaust (RUTH), Jewish National Fund, the Israeli Druze community, Israel American Council (IAC), Jewish Pride, and Lawrence Family JCC.
Thanks to Bill Ganley, Community Security Director, his team at Jewish Federation, the San Diego Police Department, and HOI’s regular (and much-loved!) security guard Alejandro, everyone enjoyed a joyous, safe and fun day. HOI is also grateful for StandWithUs for continuing to fund its security to keep us safe at this program and always.
This was House of Israel’s biggest day of the year, and we are grateful to everyone who planned, volunteered, shopped, donated, or simply came out to show support. Our next big day will be December Nights. Stay tuned for more information—or better yet, come by the House, follow us on social media, and get involved!
House of Israel is a nonprofit organization that relies on donations and volunteers to stay afloat. HOI is open Saturdays and Sundays from 11–4. We invite everyone to join us in this important work—in time, treasure, or both!
Visit www.houseofisraelsd.org to learn how to volunteer and/or become a member donor and follow us on social media. See you in Balboa Park!
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Lisa Rothstein Goldberg is a regular volunteer at House of Israel and is currently studying to be a rabbi at Academy for Jewish Religion California. She and her husband, Matt, who works at Jewish Federation of San Diego, live in San Diego with their daughters.
Thank you for writing this piece; it is very accurate. The House of Israel is truly amazing. People from all walks of life visit the HOI, and many are fascinated by the smell and taste of the bourekas. Often, visitors have little prior knowledge of Israel, so they leave having learned a great deal and are struck by how tiny Israel actually is. The HOI is incredibly important—it serves as the face of Israel. It is essential that we all support it, as it is a place where people come to learn the facts.
We must NOT take the House of Israel for granted! The entire community needs to support this phenomenal organization as it reaches out to people who may be unable to find Israel on a map, and who wouldn’t necessarily seek out information beyond what they see in the media. There is nothing like the House of Israel anywhere else in the world!