Temple Emanuel | |
---|---|
Religion | |
Affiliation | Reform Judaism |
Ecclesiastical or organisational status | Synagogue |
Status | Active |
Location | |
Location | 300 North Clark Drive, Beverly Hills, California |
Country | United States |
Location in
Los Angeles,
California | |
Geographic coordinates | 34°04′18″N 118°23′06″W / 34.0718°N 118.3851°W |
Architecture | |
Architect(s) | Sidney Eisenshtat |
Type | Synagogue architecture |
Style | Modernist |
Date established | 1938 (as a congregation) |
Completed | 1953 |
Website | |
tebh |
Temple Emanuel is a Reform Jewish congregation and synagogue, located at 300 North Clark Drive, in Beverly Hills, California, in the United States. [1] [2] [3]
The congregation was founded in 1938. [4] [5] The first rabbi, Ernest Trattner, served until 1947, when he left amid dissension among the congregation, culminating in litigation. [6] [7]
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. [8] Built with red brick and concrete, it is considered an important example of Modernist synagogue architecture. [9]
Inside, the Belle Chapel presents a permanent memorial to the victims of the Holocaust. [10] The sculpture inside the chapel was designed by Dr Eric May and donated by Nicolai Joffe. [10]
Isaiah Zeldin served as one of its rabbis from 1958 until he left to found Stephen S. Wise Temple in Bel Air in 1964. [11] [12] Rabbi Zeldin was preceded by Bernard Harrison; after Rabbi Harrison's death, a chapel was dedicated in his honor. [13] [14] Edward Krawll was cantor for many years. [15] Meanwhile, comedian Groucho Marx was a congregant. [16]
By 1993, the synagogue had a US$2 million debt. [2] One of the proposed solutions was to merge with the Wilshire Boulevard Temple, a large Reform synagogue located at Western and Vermont Avenues in Koreatown. [17] However, Temple Emanuel's congregation narrowly voted to reject the merger, deciding that it would change the traditional culture of the synagogue too much. [2] Finances were stabilized by donations, and a capital campaign eventually yielded approximately $10 million. [18] The building underwent a substantial renovation in 2011, under the supervision of Rios Clementi Hale Studios. [9] [19]
From 1994–2015, Laura Geller had served as senior rabbi. [1] This made her the first female rabbi to lead a major metropolitan congregation. [20] [21] Rabbi Jonathan Aaron has served as senior rabbi since 2015. The clergy team who work alongside Rabbi Aaron are Rabbi Sarah Bassin (Associate Rabbi), Rabbi Adam Lutz (Assistant Rabbi/Director of Education), and Cantor Lizzie Weiss.
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.
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