Temple Beth Am (formerly the Olympic Jewish Center) is a Conservative synagogue located on the corner of Olympic Boulevard and La Cienega Boulevard, just south of Beverly Hills, in Los Angeles, California, in the United States.[1] Founded in 1935, it moved into a new building designed by one of the earliest African-American architects in Los Angeles, Ralph A. Vaughn, in 1959.
| Temple Beth Am | |
|---|---|
 Temple Beth Am, in 2015 | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Conservative Judaism |
| Ecclesiastical or organizational status | Synagogue |
| Leadership | Rabbi Adam Kligfeld |
| Status | Active |
| Location | |
| Location | Corner of Olympic Boulevard and La Cienega Boulevard, Los Angeles, California |
| Country | United States |
  Location in Los Angeles | |
| Geographic coordinates | 34°03′30″N 118°22′36″W / 34.05823°N 118.37658°W |
| Architecture | |
| Architect(s) | Ralph A. Vaughn |
| Type | Synagogue |
| Style | Modernist |
| Date established | 1935 (as a congregation) |
| Completed | 1959 (existing location) |
| Website | |
| tbala | |
History
editTemple Beth Am was founded in 1935 as the Olympic Jewish Center.[2] It is the third oldest Conservative synagogue in Los Angeles.[3]
Jacob Pressman served as its rabbi from 1950 to 1985.[2][4] Under his leadership, the synagogue took its current name, Temple Beth Am in 1957.[2] It moved into a new building designed by the African-American architect, Ralph A. Vaughn, in 1959.[5]
The congregation has received significant donations from Holocaust survivor Sigi Ziering and his wife Marilyn, and the building has been named in their honor.[citation needed]
In 2012, the Sefer Torah nearly fell to the ground during a service.[6] As this is seen a traumatic event in the Jewish faith, rabbi Adam Kligfeld requested that members of the congregation share among themselves forty days of fasting to recover.[6]
Notable members
edit- George Konheim, real estate developer[7]
References
edit- ^ "Fairfax: Temple Beth Am Reunion". The Los Angeles Times. October 11, 1990.
- ^ a b c Nadell, Pamela Susan (1988). Conservative Judaism in America: A Biographical Dictionary and Sourcebook. ABC-CLIO. pp. 202–203.
- ^ Temple Beth Am: Building Our House Archived 2015-02-06 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Los Angeles". Jewish Virtual Library.
- ^ Wilson, Dreck Spurlock (2004). African American Architects: A Biographical Dictionary, 1865-1945. New York City: Routledge. p. 666.
- ^ a b Fax, Julie Gruenbaum (September 27, 2012). "A Torah falls, a shul bonds". The Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles.
- ^ McLellan, Dennis (December 9, 2001). "George Konheim, 84; Leading Developer, Philanthropist". The Los Angeles Times.