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
AffiliationConservative Judaism
Ecclesiastical or organizational statusSynagogue
LeadershipRabbi Adam Kligfeld
StatusActive
Location
LocationCorner of Olympic Boulevard and La Cienega Boulevard, Los Angeles, California
CountryUnited States
Temple Beth Am is located in the Los Angeles metropolitan area
Temple Beth Am
Location in Los Angeles
Geographic coordinates34°03′30″N 118°22′36″W / 34.05823°N 118.37658°W / 34.05823; -118.37658
Architecture
Architect(s)Ralph A. Vaughn
TypeSynagogue
StyleModernist
Date established1935 (as a congregation)
Completed1959 (existing location)
Website
tbala.org

History

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Temple 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

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References

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  1. ^ "Fairfax: Temple Beth Am Reunion". The Los Angeles Times. October 11, 1990.
  2. ^ a b c Nadell, Pamela Susan (1988). Conservative Judaism in America: A Biographical Dictionary and Sourcebook. ABC-CLIO. pp. 202–203.
  3. ^ Temple Beth Am: Building Our House Archived 2015-02-06 at the Wayback Machine
  4. ^ "Los Angeles". Jewish Virtual Library.
  5. ^ Wilson, Dreck Spurlock (2004). African American Architects: A Biographical Dictionary, 1865-1945. New York City: Routledge. p. 666.
  6. ^ a b Fax, Julie Gruenbaum (September 27, 2012). "A Torah falls, a shul bonds". The Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles.
  7. ^ McLellan, Dennis (December 9, 2001). "George Konheim, 84; Leading Developer, Philanthropist". The Los Angeles Times.
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