Skip to main content

The Jew Who Loves Christmas

Support Provided By

There is nothing in Roberta Goldberg's childhood that could possibly explain her obsession with Christmas decorations. She was raised in a Jewish home. Her first husband -- now passed on -- was Jewish. So what can account for the extraordinary exhibit that she sets up every year in her Beverly Hills condo, a Christmas display that would rival Macy's in New York?

To find out I visited Roberta Goldberg and her boyfriend John Platis, who is a willing accomplice in this holiday compulsion.

It all began one Christmas about four years ago when John took Roberta to the Crystal Cathedral in Orange County to see the famous Christmas pageant. She had never seen one before, and the spectacle took Roberta's breath away. The next year John showed up with a tree and a few decorations. John handed Roberta a bulb and the conversation went something like this:

Roberta (holding the bulb): What do I do with this?

John: You put it on the tree.

(Roberta hangs it on the tree.)

Roberta: What do I do now?

John: You put another one on the tree.

Roberta: Oh.

This year's tree.
This year's tree.

Roberta quickly discovered the joy of mechanical decorations. Her favorite is Santa climbing a ladder.

Friends contribute as well. One donated a pair of ice skates and Roberta did her magic. Just add glitter, and voila!

John says his job is to do the "heavy lifting." But he does much more than that. He designed, built and wired the sturdy wooden support that sits invisibly beneath the amazing display.

Roberta -- a former go-go dancer in the '60s, and nurse by profession -- opens her home to small groups of kids and friends who ooh and ahh at the colorful panorama. Then in January she packs every item away in large plastic containers, labeled and stacked so neatly that she doesn't have to rent storage space.

There is one thing I noticed: There is no manger scene, no Mary, Joseph or baby Jesus. Her response? She says she loves the "spirit" of Christmas, and that's what this is all about.

But in the midst of all the Santa Clauses and reindeer I spotted one sign of her Jewish upbringing. It sits on its own table in the dining room. It's a sparkling blue and silver menorah fronted by Rabbi "Teddy."

menorah

Support Provided By
Read More
A black and white photo of an adult dressed as the easter bunny with a giant costumed head, holding a little girl on their left who gives it a kiss on the cheek and, with his right arm, holding a little boy who brings his hands to his eyes as though wiping away tears.

Behold the Bunnies and Bonnets of L.A.'s Past Easter Celebrations

The onset of the spring season heralds the arrival of fragrant flowers in bloom — and all the critters that enjoy them, including the Easter bunny and families who anticipate his arrival with egg hunts, parades and questionable fashion choices.
A black and white image of an elephant holding a broom with its trunk. A man is seen near the elephant, walking towards the animal.

Lions and Tigers and Cameras! How the Movies Gave Los Angeles a Zoo

The early days of the movies in Los Angeles inadvertently allowed visitors to experience the largest collection of animals in the western United States. When animals weren't appearing in a movie, they were rented out to other film companies, performed for studio visitors, or in the case of filmmaker William Selig's collection — an opportunity to create one of Los Angeles' first zoos.
A vertical, black and white portrait of a blonde woman wearing a sparkly four-leaf clover costume as she holds her arms out and extends a leg as though in a curtsy.

Irish for a Day: L.A.'s History of 'Going Green' on St. Patrick's Day

Whether it was a parade, dance, tea party, home celebration or just enjoying a good ol' wee dram of whisky, here's a photo essay of how Los Angeles donned its green apparel to celebrate St. Patrick's Day and embrace the luck o' the Irish over the years.