Temple Emanuel (Beverly Hills, California)

It is located at 300 N Clark Drive in Beverly Hills, California.[1][2][3]

The synagogue 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][8]

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.[9] Built with red brick and concrete, it is considered an important example of modernist synagogue architecture.[10]

Inside, the Belle Chapel presents a permanent memorial to the victims of the Holocaust.[11] The sculpture inside the chapel was designed by Dr Eric May and donated by Nicolai Joffe.[11]

Isaiah Zeldin served as one of its rabbis from 1958 until he left to found Stephen S. Wise Temple in Bel Air in 1964.[12][13] Rabbi Zeldin was preceded by Bernard Harrison; after Rabbi Harrison's death, a chapel was dedicated in his honor.[14][15][16] Edward Krawll was cantor for many years.[17][18] Meanwhile, comedian Groucho Marx was a congregant.[19]

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.[20] 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 some $10 million.[21] The building underwent a substantial renovation in 2011, under the supervision of Rios Clementi Hale Studios.[10][22]

From 1994–2015, Laura Geller had served as senior rabbi.[1] This made her the first female rabbi to lead a major metropolitan congregation.[23][24] 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, across the street, was sold to a developer. In 2021, the School and community building was demolished for a future apartment or Condominium project.