Monthly Programs
Monthly programs are generally held on the second Tuesday evening of each month except for August and December. Programs are free to SFMHS members. Admission for non-members is $5 per person, which may be applied to membership dues within 30 days.
Unless otherwise noted, it is not necessary to RSVP for a monthly program.
Most programs take place at the Jewish Community Center of San Francisco (JCC), located at 3200 California Street at Presidio Avenue. The JCC is served by MUNI Lines 1-California, 2-Clement; 3-Jackson and 43-Masonic. Parking is available in the JCC garage just west of the main entrance on California Street for $7.
Please join us at 7 PM for a reception before each program.
May 2012 Program
Raymond “Paul” Giroux: Building the Golden Gate Bridge
Tuesday, May 8 - 7:30 PM
Jewish Community Center of San Francisco
3200 California Street at Presidio Avenue
The early twentieth century was the golden age of long-span suspension bridges, yet the spanning of the Golden Gate Strait was thought to be impossible by many. Working in the shadow of the Great Depression, the builders of the bridge had to overcome daunting political, financial, and technical challenges to construct the longest bridge in the world in one of the harshest marine environments in the world. Extraordinary engineers and construction workers would converge on San Francisco in 1933 to span the Strait.
Utilizing a combination of historic photographs and dynamic animation techniques, Paul Giroux, American Society of Civic Engineers’ Chairman of the Golden Gate Bridge Celebration, brings the construction of the bridge to life by providing a unique learning opportunity.
June 2012 Program
1934: Year of Battles, Bridges and Bloodshed
Tuesday, June 12 - 7:30 PM
Jewish Community Center of San Francisco
3200 California Street at Presidio Avenue
In 1934, the streets of San Francisco ran red with the blood of strikers and police alike. The waterfront strike of that year was the most violent civil disturbance the city had ever known. Led by Harry Bridges, an obscure Australian immigrant whose inspiring oratory and uncompromising principles bound the strikers together, the strike engulfed every port on the West Coast and led to a general strike that shut down San Francisco for four dramatic days.
What began as a maritime strike grew into a general strike that included the Teamsters and blue collar workers -- the largest strike in U.S. history. From July 16 to July 19, the strikers succeeded in closing down commerce and bringing about federal arbitration, recognition of maritime unions, and improvements in wages and working conditions.
Daniel Bacon, author, historian, and Barbary Coast Trail creator, will describe the political events and economic conditions that led to this violent showdown between capital and labor. He’ll also detail the battle for the hearts and minds of dockworkers and the public-at-large by a variety of disparate groups, including unions, corporations, politicians, Communists, American Legionnaires and the Catholic Church.
Against all odds, the strikers ultimately prevailed. Bacon will reveal the unique circumstances that led to this improbable victory, a victory that cemented the city’s reputation as a progressive town and launched Harry Bridges into the national spotlight.
Events
SFMHS is proud to be a community partner for the Golden Gate Bridge 75th Anniversary Celebration
SFMHS events are sponsored in part by a grant from Grants for the Arts/San Francisco Hotel Tax Fund.
