The Actors' Temple

The Actors' Temple, officially named Congregation Ezrath Israel, is a synagogue founded in 1917 in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City, originally for the Orthodox shopkeepers in the area. Located at 339 West 47th Street since 1923, the temple was originally the West Side Hebrew Relief Association,[2] and it was the synagogue of choice for the entertainment industry. Many vaudeville, musical theater, television, and nightclub performers attended services there, including Sophie Tucker, Shelley Winters, Milton Berle, Al Jolson, Jack Benny, Joe E. Lewis, Edward G. Robinson, as well as two of the Three Stooges.[3][4] Bernard Birstein, an aspiring actor himself, was the first rabbi;[5] he died in 1959.[6]

Actors' Temple
May 2007
The Actors' Temple is located in New York City
The Actors' Temple
The Actors' Temple is located in New York
The Actors' Temple
The Actors' Temple is located in the United States
The Actors' Temple
Location339 W. 47th St., Hell's Kitchen, New York, New York
Coordinates40.761167°N 73.989139°W / 40.761167; -73.989139
Built1925
ArchitectSydney F. Oppenheimer
Architectural styleClassical Revival
NRHP reference No.05000445[1]
Added to NRHPMay 19, 2005

The temple declined after World War II as actors moved to California and the neighborhood changed. The congregation diminished from 300 members to approximately 30 in 2009.[3] In 2005, in order to bring in additional income, the temple started renting out dance rehearsal space to New Dance Group as well as temporarily transforming into a theatre for plays.[7] However, even with this additional income, the $120,000 annual operating costs used up the $2 million endowment by 2009.[3] Despite these challenges, the temple continues to operate. In 2011, the temple had a fundraising program and about 150 dues-paying members, with an average Friday night worship attendance of 20–30 people.[6] The Temple was once Orthodox, transitioned to Conservative, and is now non-denominational.[5]

References
  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  2. Actors Temple History Archived 2007-09-28 at the Wayback Machine
  3. Dworhin, Caroline H. (April 17, 2009). "Hells Kitchen: Plot Twist at the Actors' Temple". New York Times. Retrieved 2009-04-19.
  4. Filip Mazurczak, America's Most Beautiful, Inspiring, and Unique Synagogues (Part 1), National Trust for Historic Preservation (April 18, 2016).
  5. "The Actors' Temple: Inside the synagogue where Broadway's biggest stars used to pray". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. 2019-11-12. Retrieved 2019-11-13.
  6. Berger, Joseph (November 19, 2011). "Once a Realm of Stars, a Temple Is Now Bereft of Them, and Their Money". The New York Times.
  7. Robertson, Campbell (November 29, 2006). "Off Broadway and Nearer to God: It's Curtain Time at a Synagogue". New York Times. Retrieved 2009-04-19.

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