Beth Jacob Congregation (Beverly Hills, California)

Beth Jacob Congregation is an Orthodox synagogue, located at 9030 on West Olympic Boulevard in Beverly Hills, California, in the United States. It is the largest Orthodox synagogue in the Western United States.[1]

Beth Jacob Congregation
Beth Jacob Congregation in 2015
Religion
AffiliationOrthodox Judaism
Ecclesiastical or organizational statusSynagogue
Leadership
  • Rabbi Kalman Topp
  • Rabbi Adir Posy (Associate)
  • Rabbi Robbie Tombosky (Assistant)
  • Rabbi Eli Broner (Youth)
StatusActive
Location
Location9030 West Olympic Boulevard, Beverly Hills, California
CountryUnited States
Beth Jacob Congregation (Beverly Hills, California) is located in Western Los Angeles
Beth Jacob Congregation (Beverly Hills, California)
Location in western Los Angeles
Geographic coordinates34°3′33″N 118°23′20″W / 34.05917°N 118.38889°W / 34.05917; -118.38889
Architecture
Date established1925 (as a congregation)
Completed1954
Direction of façadeNorth
Website
www.bethjacob.org

History

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The congregation was started in West Adams, Los Angeles in 1925.[2][self-published source?] It was named West Adams Hebrew Congregation, and it was located at the corner of West Adams Street and Hillcrest Drive.[2]

In 1954, the synagogue was relocated to Olympic Boulevard in Beverly Hills.[2][3][4][5] At the same time, the congregation became more traditional and Orthodox under the leadership of Rabbi Simon A. Dolgin.[2][4][5] In 1955, its day school was named the Hillel Hebrew Academy and moved into a building one block away.[2]

After Dolgin moved to Ramat Eshkol, Jerusalem, Israel, Maurice Lamm served as rabbi from 1971 to 1984.[2] He was followed by Abner Weiss from 1984 to 2000, and Steven Weil from 2000 to 2009.[2][1] Since 2009, Kalman Topp has served as the Senior Rabbi.[2]

In July 2014, a ceremony was held at Beth Jacob to honor the memory of murdered Israeli teenagers Yaakov Naftali Frankel, Gilad Michoel Shaar and Eyal Yifrach.[6] Lihi Shaar, the aunt of Gilad Shaar, is a member of Beth Jacob.[6]

References

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  1. ^ a b Gilgannon, Michael (1985). Let My People Go: Insights to Passover and the Haggadah. Rowman & Littlefield. p. xv – via Google Books.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h "Our History". Beth Jacob Congregation.[self-published source?]
  3. ^ Wanamaker, Marc (2006). Beverly Hills, (Ca): 1930-2005. Arcadia Publishing. p. 39 – via Google Books.
  4. ^ a b Olitzky, Kerry M. (1996). The American Synagogue: A Historical Dictionary and Sourcebook. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 388 – via Google Books.
  5. ^ a b Vorspan, Max; Gartner, Lloyd P. (1970). History of the Jews of Los Angeles. Huntington Library. p. 261 – via Google Books.
  6. ^ a b "The City of Beverly Hills Lowers Flags to Honor Fallen Teens". Beverly Hills Courier. July 1, 2014. Archived from the original on July 7, 2014.
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