Stephen S. Wise Temple: History
Stephen S. Wise Temple was founded in 1964 by Rabbi Isaiah Zeldin, and the community began with a congregation of just thirty-five families. Today, it is known as one of the largest Jewish congregations in the world. It is located in the Bel-Air area of Los Angeles, California, nestled between the West Side and the San Fernando Valley.
As the founding rabbi of Stephen S. Wise Temple, Rabbi Zeldin deserves a great deal of credit for his commitment to Judaism and his community. Originally a rabbi at Temple Emanuel in Beverly Hills, Rabbi Zeldin decided to start a new congregation honoring an influential rabbi he had studied under, Stephen S. Wise--hence the temple’s current name.
Stephen S. Wise Temple was created through very determined efforts by Rabbi Zeldin and the families that supported the establishment of this new community. With the formation of his new congregation came many disagreements and tensions over membership at the former Temple. The new congregation first started meeting at St. Alban’s Episcopal Church in Westwood, California, where they continued to hold religious services in a more intimate setting. As the congregation grew, they realized they needed to find a place better suited to accommodate continuing expansion. Finding a location that was financially accessible as well as geographically convenient was not an easy task. However, the Stephen S. Wise Temple eventually managed to find a place that met the needs of its growing congregation. In 1968, the first buildings of the Stephen S. Wise temple were erected. Today, Stephen S. Wise Temple has an enormous campus, made up of many segments reflecting Rabbi Zeldin’s unique vision.
Stephen S. Wise Temple’s current rabbi, Rabbi Yoshi Zweiback, emphasizes the rapid growth of the temple in the past fifteen to twenty years. He attributes this mostly to the fact that Rabbi Zeldin started building schools, a pursuit he considers to be at the core of the temple’s life; he feels this is what the community is all about. It is on this foundation that the temple has been able to build, and this is why it has expanded and grown so rapidly.
As the founding rabbi of Stephen S. Wise Temple, Rabbi Zeldin deserves a great deal of credit for his commitment to Judaism and his community. Originally a rabbi at Temple Emanuel in Beverly Hills, Rabbi Zeldin decided to start a new congregation honoring an influential rabbi he had studied under, Stephen S. Wise--hence the temple’s current name.
Stephen S. Wise Temple was created through very determined efforts by Rabbi Zeldin and the families that supported the establishment of this new community. With the formation of his new congregation came many disagreements and tensions over membership at the former Temple. The new congregation first started meeting at St. Alban’s Episcopal Church in Westwood, California, where they continued to hold religious services in a more intimate setting. As the congregation grew, they realized they needed to find a place better suited to accommodate continuing expansion. Finding a location that was financially accessible as well as geographically convenient was not an easy task. However, the Stephen S. Wise Temple eventually managed to find a place that met the needs of its growing congregation. In 1968, the first buildings of the Stephen S. Wise temple were erected. Today, Stephen S. Wise Temple has an enormous campus, made up of many segments reflecting Rabbi Zeldin’s unique vision.
Stephen S. Wise Temple’s current rabbi, Rabbi Yoshi Zweiback, emphasizes the rapid growth of the temple in the past fifteen to twenty years. He attributes this mostly to the fact that Rabbi Zeldin started building schools, a pursuit he considers to be at the core of the temple’s life; he feels this is what the community is all about. It is on this foundation that the temple has been able to build, and this is why it has expanded and grown so rapidly.
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