BULLETIN Volume 99, Number 7 • July 1, 2012 Our Hollywood History
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WILSHIRE BOULEVARD TEMPLE BULLETIN Volume 99, Number 7 • July 1, 2012 Our Hollywood History hey called him “Rabbi to the Stars.” During his 69 years Thalberg’s spirit lives on among the scaffolds and platforms Tas senior rabbi at Wilshire Boulevard Temple, Rabbi rising up to the ceiling of the dome where today restoration Edgar F. Magnin cultivated close, personal relationships with work on its coffered plaster, the Sh’ma and oculus are at full legendary entertainment industry executives and celebrities. speed. Once crumbling to the floor, plaster is being repaired He presided over the life-cycle events of larger than life movie or replaced, the gold trim regilded and the center repainted to moguls Louis B. Mayer, the Warner brothers and appear as it was in 1929, in its original, dazzling glory. Irving Thalberg, among many others. These show business Rabbi Magnin died in 1984 at the age of 94. Shortly pioneers both inspired and helped build, in 1929, the historic before his death, he summed up his life: “God has been good to Temple we now call home. me. I’ve been very fortunate in the choice of my ancestors and For the third Temple of what was then Congregation the choice of my friends.” B’nai B’rith, Rabbi Magnin envisioned a main sanctuary This history has come full circle—recently illustrated in with an interior like a theater. Mayer donated the funds for an article in the Hollywood Reporter’s June 8 issue. The article, the Main Sanctuary’s east and west triple lancet art glass “Hollywood’s Hottest $150 Million Project is an 83-Year-Old windows. The Warner brothers commissioned the creation of Synagogue,” draws parallels between Hollywood support for the the panoramic murals. Carl Laemmle donated the Sanctuary’s construction of the Temple Campus in 1929, and Hollywood’s spicebox chandeliers; and Thalberg, renowned producer support for the reconstruction happening today. It’s an of such classics as Grand Hotel and Mutiny on the Bounty, entertaining read; a link is available on our website in the news donated the ornately decorated interior dome and Sh’ma section, and it’s highly recommended. oculus. Thalberg’s early death, at age 37, brought a crowd of 8,000 mourners to the steps of Wilshire Boulevard Temple, where Rabbi Magnin officiated his funeral in September 1936. Visit www.wbtla.org to read about “Hollywood’s Hottest $150 Million Project...” Save these dates India with Rabbi Leder wilshiREADERS Wilshire Boulevard Temple Shabbat Book Club on the Fly (fishing with Rabbi Leder) Thursday, July 19 Irmas Campus Aug 9 - 13 Dec 23 - Jan 4 7:30 p.m. Irwin, Idaho India Torah Portion Torah Online: www.wbtla.org The Power of Words Matot (Numbers 30:2-32:42) hoever said that “sticks and stones may break my We all know at least one person who is a nice, well- Wbones, but words will never hurt me” was wrong. meaning person in the world, but has absolutely no follow- The truth is, words have a lot of power—sometimes positive, through. Someone who says: “Don’t worry about it, I’ll take sometimes negative. In B’reishit, when God creates the world, care of it,” but never does. Someone who says: “Let’s get lunch God does so with words. “Let there be light.” God spoke, and next week, I’ll call you,” but never does. then there was existence. God’s words are powerful. It’s true We all make these casual commitments with good we cannot simply speak and create something out of nothing, intentions that sometimes fall by the wayside, but the Torah but our words have power too. reminds us that there really is no such thing as a casual As we read the closing chapters of the Book of promise. Despite our smartphones and Skype, our iPads and Numbers this month, the Torah reminds us of the the internet, keeping our word matters just as much today as importance of vows and oaths—the importance and power it did three millennia ago. of our words. The Torah commands us to put thought into Rabbi M. Beaumont Shapiro the words that cross our lips, and the commitments we make with those words. Plugged In Around the Temple Illustrated Torah Illustrated Torah Camp 60th Recommitment Ceremony The Maccabeats The Maccabeats Camp 60th Evening Celebration 2 Tikkun Olam It’s Fun and Makes You Feel Good t’s just after nine “Rabbi, can you suggest an organization that feeds the Io’clock and I’m sitting hungry that we could donate our tzedakah to?” asks Randee. “crisscross apple sauce” “Well, you know the Temple has two food pantries that feed (cross-legged) on the floor hundreds of hungry people every single week,” I tell them. But in a circle with two dozen before I can finish my sentence, Beth, an energetic five-year-old, students at the Mann chimes in, “Sometimes on Sunday mornings, I go to the Food Family Early Childhood Pantry and we make sandwiches and hand them out to all of the Center at the Irmas hungry people,” she shares. “It’s fun and it makes me feel good.” Campus. It’s their last week of Nursery school and it’s time Just five years old, but Beth understands how meaningful to decide where the tzedakah they’ve been collecting all year a morning spent at either of our Temple’s food pantries can be. should be donated. Proudly, they present three tzedakah boxes This summer, between camp and vacations, spend a Sunday overflowing with change. morning with your family at either our Temple Campus or “Where should we donate our money, Rabbi?” they ask OPCC Food Pantries and discover what Beth has discovered— me. “Well, what do you think is the most important thing we it’s fun, and it makes you feel good. can help needy people with?” I ask them. “Toys, cars, houses, clothes, jobs, food, and shoes,” their eager hands wave in the Rabbi M. Beaumont Shapiro air as they call out suggestions. With the help of their teacher, Randee, we make a list and take a vote. It is nearly unanimous— food. Feeding the hungry is how they want to use their tzedakah. Join our food pantries, TEMPLE CAMPUS IRMAS CAMPUS www.wbtla.org/events/item/110/tikkun_events Adult Opportunities Summertime And... ummer is the time to catch up on reading. Whether in a plane, about the natural garment industry from the Snear a pool or in the garden, a book leads us into the new, the 1860s forward. different, the interesting, the challenging. I so look forward to d. My Life in Jewish Renewal: A Memoir (Rabbi Zalman opening the pages of summer reading! Here’s my list— Schacter-Shlomi, Rowman and Littlefield): This book a. The Sh’ma and the Mezuzah Listening to Each Other reflects on a powerful, ever growing thinker who began (Sandy Eisenberg Sasso, Jewish Lights): This lovely his youth in Europe, became a dynamic Jewish leader in story based on a 12th century rabbinic debate raises the 1960s, challenged his Orthodox origins and opened the key issue in Judaism and life—that of listening and questions of Jewish spirituality to the non-Jewish world. truly hearing. He documents his relationship with the Dalai Lama, as b. Mission to Paris (Alan Furst, Random House): Alan well as Catholic theologian Thomas Merton. Furst again writes a thrilling novel that calls us to the e. All Other Nights (Dara Horn): Join the darkness in our history, and links us with the spirit of wilshiREADERS as they open Dara Horn’s latest novel hope and passion that allows us to survive. of history and intrigue. c. A Perfect Fit: The Garment Industry and American Happy Reading! Jewry 1860-1960 (Edited by Gabriel Goldstein and Rabbi Karen Fox Elizabeth Greenberg, Texas Tech University Press): Jews literally shaped the American garment industry by designing, cutting, pressing, sewing and selling. Read Our next wilshiREADERS meet up is July 19, visit www.wbtla.org/events/item/271/adult_events Brawerman Elementary School The World in Our Hands, Celebrating Our 13th Year e are Brawerman” reverberated through a filled Marcia “WIsrael Chapel/Auditorium as Brawerman Elementary School celebrated its 13th year. Parents, faculty, clergy, alumni and friends gathered for an inspirational evening that included a delicious dinner and memorable program. Everyone had an opportunity to decorate tiles for a wall on Leder Playground that will serve as a backdrop for a new water filling station and breathtaking garden. Carrying out the water theme, a significant donation was made to both the Jewish National Fund for Water Renewal Project and to Charity Water, to bring safe drinking water to people in developing countries. Head of School, Nadine Breuer, shared her reflections on how a little school has grown up, and Rabbi Steven Leder offered blessings for theb’nei mitzvah with the charge–as we go forward to always remain true to who we are. YES, WE ARE BRAWERMAN! Photos courtesy of Tom Pascucci, Videosyndicate Religious School Congratulations Confirmands and Graduates his was a very exciting year for the Religious School. and Torah as their guide. This group blossomed into fine TOur Teen Program participants were confirmed on representatives of each of our Teen Programs–Beit Midrash, Shavuot. As they read and chanted Torah, and participated in W(ednesday)N(ight)P(rogram), WBTY (Wilshire Boulevard a special service with family, friends and fellow congregants, Temple Youth) and Ozrim (Teacher Training Program), as they stepped forward into a new era of Jewish responsibility. well as participants in Choir and tikkun olam activities.