The first synagogue of the Hollywood Jewish community at 100

This is an account of the founding years of Hollywood Temple Beth El and the involvement of key figures in the newly established film industry who had made Hollywood their center of operations and their new home. It follows through with highlighting some key notables associated with the Temple during later years. Such figures included the Warner Bros family, Laemmle of Unversal, Edward G. Robinson ( Little Ceasar), and the direcot of Casablanca, Michael Curtiz.

The Story of Hollywood Temple Beth El as Recorded in Local Jewish press: Supplement to “Stories for 100 Years of Hollywood Temple Beth El”

Selection of documents from the collection of Rabbi William Kramer, UCLA Library, Department of Special Collections, Collection 1739, Western States Jewish Archives Box 62

Clippings from local Jewish Press and other documents from the Rabbi Kramer collection and other sources. It traces the introduction of Hollywood elites into the congregation with the involvement of the father of the Warner Bros., some highlights, and some controversies, down to the 1990's.

This section covers the history of the community from 1952 to the present. It follows through with accounts of prominent entertainment and business figures.

Prominent figures included the head of the Jewish Community of WWII Japan, the Factor family, the executive Secretary of the Screen Director's Guild, and the patron of Black Cinema.

These are excerpts from Press Releases, news print and media sources, and official proclamations gleaned from the archives of Rabbi Norbert Weinberg, when he served as Rabbi from 1990-96 and again , from 2014 through 2024.

Benjamin Warner , father of the Warner Bros., joined Hollywood Temple Beth El, and spon after, became one of the first Presidents. He brought the studio stars with im to shule , as shown in this  tribute book from New Years, 1932. Can you recognize any of these stars of the Golden Era?

   Michael Curtiz (/ k ɜːr ˈ t iː z / kur-TEEZ; born Manó Kertész Kaminer; Hungarian: Kertész Mihály; December 24, 1886 - April 10, 1962) was a Hungarian-American film director, recognized as one of the most prolific directors in history.

His colleague at Warner was  Mervyn LeRoy

Mervyn LeRoy started his career hawking newspapers on the street corner and made his way up to producing and directing memorable Hollywood films.

His most famous production was Academy Award winning Casablanca, together with director Michael Curtiz.

Not only a great actor, but a Jew who never skippped his obligation to say Kaddish!

 The man responsible for delivering more than his fair share of airy musical frolics during the Golden Age of the Hollywood musical, including the 1950 MGM film Summer Stock, to a public eager to escape (if only for 100 minutes or so) the hardships of the Great Depression and later the horrors of World War II, was producer Joe Pasternak 

https://forward.com/culture/562686/mgm-musical-judy-garland-gene-kelly-summerstock/

In 1925, she appeared in arguably her most famous role, that of the Egyptian vamp Iras in Ben-Hur, who tries to seduce both Messala (Francis X. Bushman) and Ben-Hur himself (Ramón Novarro). She never hid the fact that she was Jewish ( and belonged to HTBE!).

 American character actor of Russian heritage in silent films and early talkies . She became famous as the quintressential struggling Jewsih mother.

Vaudeville performer, early radio show star and an portrayer of  the original Baron vom Munchhausen.

Not only film, but philanthropy, and even some notoriety!

Among his achievements as Guild Executive Secretary were the historic mergers of the Screen Directors Guild with the Radio and Television Directors Guild and Screen Directors International to form the Directors Guild of America in 1960; construction of the DGA's national headquarters building at 7950 Sunset Boulevard during the 1950's; and expansion of the Guild's offices in Los Angeles, New York and Chicago

Harold Popkin, lomg-time chair of our board, and his brother, Leo, launched the careers of noted African American performers, such as Lena Horn.

In 1937, the white Los Angeles theater owner Harry M. Popkin and his movie-producer brother Leo C. Popkin ("D.O.A.," 1950) teamed up with the black actor Ralph Cooper ("Dark Manhattan," 1937) to form Million Dollar Productions. Picking up where the pioneering black filmmaker Oscar Micheaux (1884-1951) left off, Million Dollar "moved black filmmaking away from a marginalized form toward the mainstream, advancing considerably its reputation and ability to attract audiences" (Balio 1993:345).