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History of Leo Baeck Temple
When Rabbi Alfred Wolf was director of the
western region of the Union of American Hebrew Congregations (UAHC), his major
task, in 1947, was to organize new congregations in
communities where the Jewish residents were not sufficiently served by existing
synagogues. This was true in the area bordered by Highland, La Cienega, Pico and
Melrose. Hoping to form a new congregation there, Rabbi Wolf secured the
cooperation of Rabbi Magnin and Rabbi Dubin of Wilshire Boulevard Temple. An
appeal for assistance was answered by several families, who joined with several
other unaffiliated families to form Temple Beth Aaron. A year later, in 1948,
the growing congregation was still holding services in temporary locations and
members' homes.
Rabbi Leo Baeck
Late in 1948, Rabbi Leo Baeck came to Los
Angeles to speak. In the audience were several members of the original
steering committee of Temple Beth Aaron. Greatly impressed with this
man who had been a spokesman for the German Jews before and during World War II,
they wanted to give his name to their congregation. Receiving permission to use
his name, the temple officially became Leo Baeck Temple. Rabbi Baeck
returned here in 1952 to dedicate our sanctuary.
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