Beginning in the middle of the 20th century, the Rhodesli community of Los Angeles started a unique custom which continues to this day, annual trips to Catalina. Every summer a number of Rhodeslis (40 as of 2005), board the ferry to Catalina Island to embark on a group trip where they can connect with their shared culture and history. An influential member of the community, Aron Hasson once stated to the Jewish Journal, "It was natural to them to take a boat across the water to an island nearby."