Wilshire Boulevard Temple, Byzantine Revival synagogue in Los Angeles, United States.
Wilshire Boulevard Temple is a Byzantine Revival synagogue at 3663 Wilshire Boulevard in Los Angeles, completed in 1929 to designs by Abram M. Edelman. Its cream-colored facade carries a band of raised lettering reading "WILSHIRE", "BOULEVARD", "TEMPLE" above three arched entrances with dark double doors. A large rose window with a wheel pattern of small round openings sits above the lettering, and the building is topped by a stepped, drum-shaped dome with crenellated edges.
The congregation, founded in 1862 as B'nai B'rith, is the oldest Jewish congregation in Los Angeles. Its Wilshire Boulevard synagogue, designed by architect Abram M. Edelman, opened in 1929 on land bought in 1921 at Wilshire and Hobart. The building cost $1.4 million, funded by donors including the Warner brothers, Louis B. Mayer and Irving Thalberg, and was dedicated in a three-day celebration in June 1929.
The name refers to the wide avenue where the building stands, while the domes and arches recall houses of worship from the eastern Mediterranean. Families come for services where music often plays a central role, and young people use the rooms for ceremonies and gatherings.
The sanctuary faces Wilshire Boulevard at the corner of Hobart Boulevard, with three arched entrances at street level and the rose window above them. The 2013 reopening followed renovations begun in 2008, and the Audrey Irmas Pavilion next door opened in 2021. Visitors should confirm opening times before coming, since services and events take precedence.
Hugo Ballin created a series of painted narratives for the interior walls that depict biblical scenes across a length of about 330 feet (100 meters). These paintings are considered one of the largest continuous mural projects in a house of worship in California.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 93,783 contributors worldwide.