Jeff Cooper enjoyed one of his favorite moments as the mayor of Culver City on Friday afternoon.

He was given a rare chance to lean back and tell a touring group of Israeli mayors how he celebrates the joys of living in and leading one of the most fascinating communities in America.

Mr. Cooper met with the Jewish mayors in Council Chambers, lending an aura of authority to his characterizations.

Culver City’s youthfully enthusiastic mayor was an excellent choice to be ambassador for the day for the Heart of Screenland. Birthplace of the movies,

Fittingly with one month left in Culver City’s Centennial year party, Mr. Cooper opened his storytelling with founder Harry Culver’s arrival and creative hand in the birth of this sui generis community.

He talked about Mr. Culver’s vision for this community as a must-pass-through area for travelers or locals going to any neighborhood in Los Angeles.

He spoke of Culver City’s 40,000 permanent residents, and of how energizing the atmosphere becomes when the film industry triples the daytime population to a hefty 125,000.

The mayor, who lives near a former studio backlot, described the setting, birth and evolution of motion pictures in Culver City.

Using that colorful chapter as a launching point, Mayor Cooper leaped to the present day.

In accessible detail, he described underway developments, starting with long, long awaited Project B in the bosom of Downtown.

Occasionally Mr. Cooper detoured into the inner workings, policies and philosophy of latter-day life in Culver City through the lens of a denizen of City Hall.

Mayor Cooper traced the City Council’s budget process.

He also dwelled on priorities that distinguish the community from others on the Westside.

The spine and the headline of the mayor’s message centered on factors such as old-fashioned after-dark safety and residential folksiness – distinctions that mark Culver City as an unusual and attractive destination.