Valley Beth Shalom, Conservative synagogue in Encino, United States
Valley Beth Shalom is a Conservative synagogue at 15739 Ventura Boulevard in Encino, Los Angeles, with about 1,500 member families. The current building was completed in the late 1980s during the tenure of Rabbi Harold M. Schulweis. Its stained-glass windows were the target of a Molotov cocktail on Yom Ha'atzmaut 2003.
The synagogue began in the 1950s when three separate congregations merged into one organization. The move to its current Encino location marked a turning point that allowed the institution to expand its programs and reach more families.
The congregation founded Jewish World Watch, an NGO created by Rabbi Harold M. Schulweis and Janice Kamenir-Reznik, and is a founding member of the Havurah movement. Its clergy have included Schulweis, who led the congregation for decades until his death in 2014, and Senior Rabbi Nolan Lebovitz. The name is often shortened to VBS.
The location sits on Ventura Boulevard, a main street that is easy to find and offers sufficient parking. Visitors should check ahead about service times and current programs, since offerings vary throughout the year.
On Yom Ha'atzmaut 2003, a Molotov cocktail was thrown through one of the synagogue's stained-glass windows; Mayor James K. Hahn called it an act of terrorism and hatred. The congregation also launched Jewish World Watch, an NGO founded by Rabbi Harold M. Schulweis and Janice Kamenir-Reznik.
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