Stephen S. Wise Temple
Encyclopedia
Stephen S. Wise Temple is a large Reform Jewish
congregation in the Bel Air neighborhood of Los Angeles
, California
. Founded in 1964 by Rabbi
Isaiah Zeldin with 35 families, the congregation grew rapidly. It is variously stated to be the largest, or one of the largest, Jewish congregations in the world. It currently reports a membership of approximately 3,000 families, with six rabbis, two cantors and two cantorial interns, and four schools on three campuses.
, the son of an Orthodox
rabbi. Ordained at the Reform movement's Hebrew Union College
in Cincinnati in 1946, he came to Los Angeles in 1953 as western regional director for the Union of American Hebrew Congregations
("UAHC") and as dean of the College of Jewish Studies in Los Angeles, a UAHC program that was absorbed into Hebrew Union College in 1954. In 1958 he became rabbi at Temple Emanuel in Beverly Hills
.
In 1964 Zeldin and 35 families broke away from Temple Emanuel to establish a new synagogue in Westwood
. The new congregation was named for the influential Reform rabbi Stephen Samuel Wise
, under whom Zeldin had studied. The new congregation faced immediate controversy as the UAHC felt that some of its members had failed to honor existing commitments to Temple Emanuel, and the UAHC did not accept it for membership for the first five years of its existence. Originally the new congregation was intended to have a membership limited in size to maintain intimacy between the rabbi and the member families, and it met at St. Alban's Episcopal Church in Westwood. A year later, the congregation acquired a site for a permanent home; the size limit policy was officially changed in 1969; and in 1970, Stephen S. Wise Temple absorbed the existing Westwood Temple, whose membership had been declining, in part due to disruption from the construction of the San Diego Freeway
.
The temple's location, on a striking 18 acres (72,843.5 m²) site in Bel Air, near Mulholland Drive
and Sepulveda Boulevard
, contributed to its continuing growth and success. The location, in the Santa Monica Mountains
between the Westside and the San Fernando Valley
, meant that the temple could attract membership from the growing Jewish population on both sides of the mountains. In order to develop the property, the temple was required to remove 50 feet (15.2 m) of the existing mountain; the resulting dirt was then used to level the adjoining property, which was acquired for the new campus of the University of Judaism, then located on Sunset Boulevard
. The formerly wild area around the Sepulveda Pass
eventually developed into an "institutional corridor" with a number of schools and cultural facilities, including the temple's expanding educational ventures, which now include Stephen S. Wise Temple Elementary School
and Milken Community High School
. (On March 25, 2011, Milken Community High School and Stephen S. Wise Temple announced that the school would become independent from the temple, effective July 1, 2012.)
The congregation became known for its extensive educational and service programs, parenting center, library, swimming pool, bus service, and other services designed for families at all stages. Under the leadership of Rabbi Zeldin and its education director, Metuka Benjamin, the temple was an influential proponent of the concept of the Jewish day school
in the Reform movement. The temple and its cantor
, Nathan Lam, also maintained an extensive program of commissioning new musical works.
The religious practice at Stephen S. Wise Temple has been described as more traditional than at many Reform temples, using its own prayer books rather than the official books of the Reform movement. In 1995 the temple again faced controversy in its relationship with the UAHC: a dispute over dues obligations resulted in its expulsion from the organization for a time. As of 2010, the congregational database of the Union for Reform Judaism
(as the UAHC is now known) states that Stephen S. Wise Temple has 2,886 members, which appears to be more than any other congregation in the database. While Rabbi Zeldin remains on the staff, the Senior Rabbi has been Eli Herscher since 1990.
Reform Judaism
Reform Judaism refers to various beliefs, practices and organizations associated with the Reform Jewish movement in North America, the United Kingdom and elsewhere. In general, it maintains that Judaism and Jewish traditions should be modernized and should be compatible with participation in the...
congregation in the Bel Air neighborhood of Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. Founded in 1964 by Rabbi
Rabbi
In Judaism, a rabbi is a teacher of Torah. This title derives from the Hebrew word רבי , meaning "My Master" , which is the way a student would address a master of Torah...
Isaiah Zeldin with 35 families, the congregation grew rapidly. It is variously stated to be the largest, or one of the largest, Jewish congregations in the world. It currently reports a membership of approximately 3,000 families, with six rabbis, two cantors and two cantorial interns, and four schools on three campuses.
History
Rabbi Zeldin was raised in New YorkNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, the son of an Orthodox
Orthodox Judaism
Orthodox Judaism , is the approach to Judaism which adheres to the traditional interpretation and application of the laws and ethics of the Torah as legislated in the Talmudic texts by the Sanhedrin and subsequently developed and applied by the later authorities known as the Gaonim, Rishonim, and...
rabbi. Ordained at the Reform movement's Hebrew Union College
Hebrew Union College
The Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion is the oldest extant Jewish seminary in the Americas and the main seminary for training rabbis, cantors, educators and communal workers in Reform Judaism.HUC-JIR has campuses in Cincinnati, New York, Los Angeles and Jerusalem.The Jerusalem...
in Cincinnati in 1946, he came to Los Angeles in 1953 as western regional director for the Union of American Hebrew Congregations
Union for Reform Judaism
The Union for Reform Judaism , formerly known as the Union of American Hebrew Congregations , is an organization which supports Reform Jewish congregations in North America. The current President is Rabbi Eric H...
("UAHC") and as dean of the College of Jewish Studies in Los Angeles, a UAHC program that was absorbed into Hebrew Union College in 1954. In 1958 he became rabbi at Temple Emanuel in Beverly Hills
Beverly Hills, California
Beverly Hills is an affluent city located in Los Angeles County, California, United States. With a population of 34,109 at the 2010 census, up from 33,784 as of the 2000 census, it is home to numerous Hollywood celebrities. Beverly Hills and the neighboring city of West Hollywood are together...
.
In 1964 Zeldin and 35 families broke away from Temple Emanuel to establish a new synagogue in Westwood
Westwood, Los Angeles, California
Westwood is a neighborhood on the Westside of Los Angeles, California, United States. It is the home of the University of California, Los Angeles .-History:...
. The new congregation was named for the influential Reform rabbi Stephen Samuel Wise
Stephen Samuel Wise
Stephen Samuel Wise was an Austro-Hungarian-born American Reform rabbi and Zionist leader.-Early life:...
, under whom Zeldin had studied. The new congregation faced immediate controversy as the UAHC felt that some of its members had failed to honor existing commitments to Temple Emanuel, and the UAHC did not accept it for membership for the first five years of its existence. Originally the new congregation was intended to have a membership limited in size to maintain intimacy between the rabbi and the member families, and it met at St. Alban's Episcopal Church in Westwood. A year later, the congregation acquired a site for a permanent home; the size limit policy was officially changed in 1969; and in 1970, Stephen S. Wise Temple absorbed the existing Westwood Temple, whose membership had been declining, in part due to disruption from the construction of the San Diego Freeway
Interstate 405 (California)
Interstate 405 is a major north–south Interstate Highway in Southern California. It is a bypass of Interstate 5, running along the western areas of the Greater Los Angeles Area from Irvine in the south to near San Fernando in the north...
.
The temple's location, on a striking 18 acres (72,843.5 m²) site in Bel Air, near Mulholland Drive
Mulholland Drive
Mulholland Drive is a street and road in the eastern Santa Monica Mountains of Southern California. It is named after Los Angeles pioneer civil engineer William Mulholland...
and Sepulveda Boulevard
Sepulveda Boulevard
Sepulveda Boulevard is a street in Los Angeles, California, which stretches some 42.8 miles from Rinaldi Street at the north end of the San Fernando Valley to the city limits of Hermosa Beach, where it "jumps" east and continues on to Long Beach. It generally runs north-south, passing underneath...
, contributed to its continuing growth and success. The location, in the Santa Monica Mountains
Santa Monica Mountains
The Santa Monica Mountains are a Transverse Range in Southern California, along the coast of the Pacific Ocean in the United States.-Geography:...
between the Westside and the San Fernando Valley
San Fernando Valley
The San Fernando Valley is an urbanized valley located in the Los Angeles metropolitan area of southern California, United States, defined by the dramatic mountains of the Transverse Ranges circling it...
, meant that the temple could attract membership from the growing Jewish population on both sides of the mountains. In order to develop the property, the temple was required to remove 50 feet (15.2 m) of the existing mountain; the resulting dirt was then used to level the adjoining property, which was acquired for the new campus of the University of Judaism, then located on Sunset Boulevard
Sunset Boulevard
Sunset Boulevard is a street in the western part of Los Angeles County, California, that stretches from Figueroa Street in downtown Los Angeles to the Pacific Coast Highway at the Pacific Ocean in the Pacific Palisades...
. The formerly wild area around the Sepulveda Pass
Sepulveda Pass
Sepulveda Pass is a mountain pass through the Santa Monica Mountains in Los Angeles.It connects the Los Angeles Basin to the San Fernando Valley via the San Diego Freeway and Sepulveda Boulevard and experiences heavy traffic on a regular basis, commonly experiencing major traffic slowdowns and...
eventually developed into an "institutional corridor" with a number of schools and cultural facilities, including the temple's expanding educational ventures, which now include Stephen S. Wise Temple Elementary School
Stephen S. Wise Temple Elementary School
Stephen S. Wise Temple Elementary School is a private Jewish elementary school located in Bel-Air area of Los Angeles, California.It is directly affiliated with Stephen S...
and Milken Community High School
Milken Community High School
Milken Community High School, colloquially Milken, is a private Jewish High School. It is located on Mulholland Drive in the Bel-Air area of Los Angeles, California.Though long affiliated with Stephen S...
. (On March 25, 2011, Milken Community High School and Stephen S. Wise Temple announced that the school would become independent from the temple, effective July 1, 2012.)
The congregation became known for its extensive educational and service programs, parenting center, library, swimming pool, bus service, and other services designed for families at all stages. Under the leadership of Rabbi Zeldin and its education director, Metuka Benjamin, the temple was an influential proponent of the concept of the Jewish day school
Jewish day school
A Jewish day school is a modern Jewish educational institution that is designed to provide Jewish children with both a Jewish and a secular education in one school on a full time basis, hence its name of "day school" meaning a school that the students attend for an entire day and not on a part time...
in the Reform movement. The temple and its cantor
Hazzan
A hazzan or chazzan is a Jewish cantor, a musician trained in the vocal arts who helps lead the congregation in songful prayer.There are many rules relating to how a cantor should lead services, but the idea of a cantor as a paid professional does not exist in classical rabbinic sources...
, Nathan Lam, also maintained an extensive program of commissioning new musical works.
The religious practice at Stephen S. Wise Temple has been described as more traditional than at many Reform temples, using its own prayer books rather than the official books of the Reform movement. In 1995 the temple again faced controversy in its relationship with the UAHC: a dispute over dues obligations resulted in its expulsion from the organization for a time. As of 2010, the congregational database of the Union for Reform Judaism
Union for Reform Judaism
The Union for Reform Judaism , formerly known as the Union of American Hebrew Congregations , is an organization which supports Reform Jewish congregations in North America. The current President is Rabbi Eric H...
(as the UAHC is now known) states that Stephen S. Wise Temple has 2,886 members, which appears to be more than any other congregation in the database. While Rabbi Zeldin remains on the staff, the Senior Rabbi has been Eli Herscher since 1990.