Rabbi Benjamin Baim; Founded Los Angeles Congregations

Rabbi Benjamin Baim, 92, who founded the Beth Bein Aaron Congregation in Los Angeles. Born in Dromyhychen, Poland, Baim studied at the Hebrew theological college called Beit Medresh Torah. In Chicago for many years, he served as principal at its Harris Michael Hebrew School, was rabbi of the Long Bani Shalom congregation there, and set up that city’s first Jewish home for the aged. Moving to Los Angeles in 1953, Baim started the Beth Bein Aaron and Aaron David congregations and Hancock Park’s Law School Minyan. Trained as a shochet to oversee kosher killing of animals, he worked in kosher slaughterhouses in Chicago and Los Angeles. Also trained as a mohel, Baim performed thousands of religious ceremonial circumcisions. At his death, he was serving as a rabbi at the Bel-Air Rest Home. On Thursday in Los Angeles.