Temple Emanuel (Beverly Hills, California)
{{short description|Reform Judaism synagogue in Beverly Hills, California, US}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2024}}
{{Infobox religious building
| name = Temple Emanuel
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| image = Temple Emanuel of Beverly Hills Main Building.jpg
| image_upright = 1.4
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| caption = The synagogue building, in 2019
| religious_affiliation = Reform Judaism
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| organisational_status = Synagogue
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| functional_status = Active
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| location = 300 North Clark Drive, Beverly Hills, California
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| country = United States
| map_type = USA Los Angeles Metropolitan Area
| map_size = 250
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| map_relief = 1
| map_caption = Location in Los Angeles, California
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| coordinates = {{coords|34.0718|-118.3851|region:US-CA_type:landmark|format=dms|display=it}}
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| architect = Sidney Eisenshtat
| architecture_type = Synagogue architecture
| architecture_style = Modernist
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| established = 1938 (as a congregation)
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| year_completed = 1953
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| website = {{url|https://tebh.org}}
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Temple Emanuel is a Reform Jewish congregation and synagogue, located at 300 North Clark Drive, in Beverly Hills, California, in the United States.{{cite web |url=http://www.tebh.org/ |title=Home page |work=Temple Emanuel |date= |access-date= }}{{self-published-inline|date=January 2024}}{{cite news |author=Chazanov, Mathis |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-12-09-we-131-story.html |title=Temple Emanuel Congregation Rejects Merger: Religion: Despite support by acting rabbi and board, members voted against joining Wilshire Boulevard Temple. Decision leaves a $2-million debt and squelches hopes of easy solution to finding a new rabbi. |work=The Los Angeles Times |date=December 9, 1993 |access-date= }}{{cite book |author=Rosen, Oded |title=The Encyclopedia of Jewish institutions: United States & Canada |publisher=Mosadot Publications |year=1983 |page=18 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Git2AAAAMAAJ&q=%22temple+emanuel%22+%22beverly+hills%22 |via=Google Books |isbn= 978-0-913185-00-1}}
History
= 1938 until 1990s =
The congregation was founded in 1938.{{cite book |author=Wanamaker, Marc |title=Beverly Hills:: 1930–2005 |publisher=Arcadia Publishing |year=2006 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Nz-yCad3ZQAC&dq=%22temple+emanuel%22+%22beverly+hills%22&pg=RA1-PA1923 |page= |isbn= 978-1-4396-1815-8|via=Google Books }}{{cite web |url=http://www.tebh.org/2013-02-05-22-34-25 |title=About |work=Temple Emanuel |date=2013 |access-date= }}{{dead-url|date=January 2024}}{{self-published-inline|date=January 2024}} The first rabbi, Ernest Trattner, served until 1947.Westwood Temple v. Emanuel Center, 98 Cal.App.2d 755, 221 P.2d 146 (1950). Copy of opinion available [https://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=6022499593816031168&hl=en&as_sdt=6&as_vis=1&oi=scholarr here] at Google Scholar.{{cite news |author= |title=California rabbi resigns to take job with movies |work=Tampa Times |location=Florida |date=2 September 1926 |page= }}
The current building, completed in 1953, was the first religious building designed by architect Sidney Eisenshtat, who went on to become a noted designer of synagogues and Jewish academic buildings.{{cite news |author=Gruber, Samuel D. |url=http://www.forward.com/articles/3195/ |title=Sidney Eisenshtat, 90, Leading Synagogue Architect |work=Forward |date=April 1, 2005 |access-date= }} Built with red brick and concrete, it is considered an important example of Modernist synagogue architecture.{{cite web |url=https://www.laconservancy.org/locations/temple-emanuel |title=Temple Emanuel |publisher=Los Angeles Conservancy |date= |access-date=2014-10-06 }}
Inside, the Belle Chapel presents a permanent memorial to the victims of the Holocaust.{{cite book |author=Szonzyi, David M. |title=The Holocaust: An Annotated Bibliography and Resource Guide |publisher=KTAV Publishing House, Inc. |year=1985 |pages=278–279 |isbn= 978-0-88125-057-2|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wiZC1pZqutwC&dq=%22temple+emanuel%22+%22beverly+hills%22&pg=PA278 |via=Google Books |access-date= }} The sculpture inside the chapel was designed by Dr Eric May and donated by Nicolai Joffe.
Isaiah Zeldin served as one of its rabbis from 1958 until 1964, when he left to found Stephen S. Wise Temple in Bel Air in 1964.{{cite web |url=http://huc.edu/libraries/exhibits/cahistoryexhibit/dean1zeldin.htm |title=Isaiah Zeldin, 1st Dean |publisher=Hebrew Union College |date= |access-date=March 21, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111005145351/http://huc.edu/libraries/exhibits/cahistoryexhibit/dean1zeldin.htm |archive-date=2011-10-05 }}{{cite web |url=http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/judaica/ejud_0002_0013_0_12766.html |title=Los Angeles |work=Jewish Virtual Library |date= |access-date= }} Rabbi Zeldin was preceded by Bernard Harrison; after Rabbi Harrison's death, a chapel was dedicated in his honor.{{cite news |title=Beverly Hills' Rabbi Bernard Harrison Dies |work=The Los Angeles Times |date=Nov 9, 1957 |page=B5}}{{cite news |title=Dedication of Rabbi Harrison Chapel Held |work=The Los Angeles Times |date=October 17, 1960 |page=B3 }} Edward Krawll was cantor for many years.{{cite news |work=The Los Angeles Times |date=May 7, 2000 |page=90 |title=no title |access-date= }} Meanwhile, comedian Groucho Marx was a congregant.{{cite book |author=Chandler, Charlotte |title=Hello, I Must Be Going: Groucho and His Friends |location=New York |publisher=Simon and Schuster |year=2012 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UJb_tnBVcG8C&dq=%22temple+emanuel%22+%22beverly+hills%22&pg=PT182 |via=Google Books |access-date= |page= |isbn=978-1-4711-0585-2 }}
By 1993, the synagogue faced financial challenges but successfully stabilized its finances through donations and a capital campaign, which eventually raised approximately $10 million.{{cite news |author=Torok, Ryan |url=http://www.jewishjournal.com/giving/article/bruce_corwin_cant_stop_giving |title=Bruce Corwin can't stop giving |work=The Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles |date=November 6, 2013 |access-date= }} The building underwent a substantial renovation in 2011, under the supervision of Rios Clementi Hale Studios.{{cite news |author=Rus, Mayer |url=http://www.latimesmagazine.com/2011/12/back-to-shul.html |title=Back to Shul |work=Los Angeles Times Magazine |date=December 4, 2011 |pages=46–53 |access-date= }}
= Since 1994 =
From 1994–2015, Laura Geller had served as senior rabbi. This made her the first female rabbi to lead a major metropolitan congregation.{{cite web |url=http://jwa.org/encyclopedia/article/geller-laura |title=Laura Geller |work=Jewish Women's Archive |date= |access-date=2011-12-16 }}{{cite web |url=http://www.tebh.org/about/clergy.php |title=Rabbi Laura Geller, Rabbi Jonathan Aaron, and Rabbi Jill Zimmerman |work=Temple Emanuel |date=2006-08-24 |access-date=2011-12-16 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120229093127/http://www.tebh.org/about/clergy.php |archive-date=2012-02-29 }}{{self-published-inline|date=January 2024}} Rabbi Jonathan Aaron has served as senior rabbi since 2015. The clergy team who work alongside Rabbi Aaron are Cantor Lizzie Weiss (senior cantor) and Rabbi Liora Alban (associate rabbi).
In 2019, the school and community building, located across the street, was sold to a developer; and, in 2021, they were demolished to make way for a residential apartment project.
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{oweb|https://tebh.org}}
{{Beverly Hills}}
{{Synagogues in the United States}}
Category:1938 establishments in California
Category:20th-century synagogues in the United States
Category:Jewish organizations established in 1938
Category:Modernist architecture in California
Category:Reform synagogues in California
Category:Synagogues in California