Have you heard about the echoes of community spirit resonating through the San Fernando Valley? It all started well before this Temple Beth Torah stood here.
Let me tell you about Temple Beth Hillel. Its story intertwines with the broader narrative of Jewish life blossoming in this valley after World War II. Imagine a time when the Valley was transforming. Farmlands gave way to housing tracts and Jewish families moved from Boyle Heights to the suburbs.
In the fall of 1946, an ad in the Valley Times sparked something special. It asked people who were interested in starting a reform congregation in the Valley to call Mr. and Mrs. Bert Hillison. Thirteen families responded. With the help of Rabbi Alfred Wolf, Temple Beth Hillel was born. Officially known as Congregation Beth Hillel of San Fernando Valley, its charter was signed on December 11, 1946. The first Friday Shabbat service took place on December 20, 1946 in St. Michael’s Church in North Hollywood. Twenty-seven families attended.
By the spring of 1947, the congregation had grown to 40 families. The UAHC subsidized the salary of a full-time rabbi. Rabbi Joseph Gumbiner became their first spiritual leader. That first year, services were held in various places. The McKinley Home for Boys at Woodman and Riverside Drive hosted religious school, High Holy Day services, and other celebrations.
In 1948, the congregation purchased land and a house at 12326 Riverside Drive. The little house was transformed into a sanctuary and classrooms. By the fall, the house was ready. The kitchen served as the Temple office and the rabbi’s office.
By 1952, Temple Beth Hillel had grown to over 450 families and more than 500 children in religious school. The facilities were too small to accommodate the growing needs. Architect Matthew La Poda was hired to draw up plans for a new building. The plans were estimated at $450000.
In a meeting on June 28, 1953, the members decided that every member would commit to a $750 building pledge. After a lot of hard work, the official groundbreaking ceremony took place on March 20, 1955.
Finally, on Friday evening, August 31, 1956, the new sanctuary and building were dedicated. Rabbi Wolf gave the dedication sermon. Rabbi Bauman officiated at the service with Cantor Eli Cohen and the choir. The dedication completed a five-year, half-million-dollar program.
In 1963, the congregation chose to give life tenure to Rabbi Bauman. In March 1966, the congregation celebrated its twentieth anniversary with the unveiling of the new mosaic mural on the south wall of the ramp. In June, they dedicated the new Ark.
In 1977, Temple Beth Hillel acquired a Holocaust Torah as a permanent loan. This Torah was rescued from Bohemia and Moravia after World War II. The Nazis had planned to use them as exhibits in a Museum of an Extinct Race.
In 1979, Rabbi Jim and Sue Kaufman instituted their first Seder in the Desert. One hundred sixty families joined them near Barstow. The group made matzos, participated in Shabbat services and shared a complete Seder. This event still takes place every year.
In 1983, Temple Beth Hillel became one of the founding members of the North Hollywood Interfaith Food Pantry. Their High Holy Days food drive helps to supply food in the autumn.
In 1986, Temple Beth Hillel symbolically burned the mortgage at their Chai ’86 celebration. Founding clergy Rabbis Wolf, Gumbiner, and Bauman participated. In 2010, Rabbi Jim retired after 37 years and was installed as rabbi emeritus.
Today, Temple Beth Hillel continues to be a place where Reform Jews can practice their faith. It is a place to appreciate their heritage, to learn, to educate their children and to enjoy their community. And perhaps, this Temple Beth Torah carries echoes of that history forward, writing its own chapter in the valley’s story.