The 1915 World’s Fair came together through the hard work of many different groups of people throughout the city, working together to relaunch San Francisco just nine years after the earthquake and fires that nearly destroyed the city. Among these groups, the City’s Jewish community (particularly its German-Jewish population) played a special role.

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As preparation for a panel discussion next week on the role of the Jewish community in the preparation and success of the Panama-Pacific International Exposition, the J Weekly explores this topic in depth.

The Pan-Pacific Expo of 1915 might not have happened without key Jews

Filling 635 acres in what is now known as the Marina District — and leaving the Palace of Fine Arts as part of its legacy — the 287-day world’s fair was a stunning comeback from the devastation of the 1906 earthquake. San Francisco was open for business!

But without the leadership and support of San Francisco’s Jews, the fair might never have occurred.