Temple Israel of Hollywood, Reform synagogue in Hollywood, Los Angeles, United States.
Temple Israel of Hollywood is a Reform synagogue on Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles, designed by architects Samuel E. Lunden and S. Charles Lee. The building has a notable facade and sits on one of the most recognizable streets in the city.
The synagogue was founded in 1926 by seven people, five of whom worked in the film industry, and held its first services in the Hayakawa Mansion. Over the following decades it grew alongside the Jewish community in Hollywood and moved into the building it occupies today.
The synagogue has long drawn members from the entertainment world, and that connection is still part of how the community sees itself today. Walking through the space, you get a sense of a congregation that has always been at the crossroads of religious life and Hollywood culture.
The building is on Hollywood Boulevard and easy to reach on foot or by public transit from much of central Los Angeles. It is worth checking in advance when services or events are scheduled, since the calendar changes with the seasons and religious holidays.
Martin Luther King Jr. spoke here in 1965, making it one of the few religious buildings in Hollywood directly tied to the civil rights movement. That visit is still remembered by the congregation and gives the building a layer of history that goes well beyond its role as a place of worship.
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