Jewish Chapel’s 50th Anniversary Marked

About 400 people, including several local politicians, gathered on the lawn of Adat Ari El in Valley Village on Sunday morning to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the David Familian Chapel and to note its designation as a Point of Historical Interest by the California Assembly.

“Today is a special day in the history of Adat Ari El,” said Rand Harris, president of the synagogue whose name means “Congregation of the Lion of God.” In Jewish tradition, a synagogue is a house of worship, a house of study and a house of assembly, Harris said. “During the last 50 years, our beloved David Familian Chapel has served us well” in each of those capacities.

In a ceremony held between tall columns at the front of the chapel, speakers not only told of the importance of the building to Jewish life in the Valley but also honored the Familian family, whose gift more than half a century ago made its construction possible.

According to the congregation’s historians, Adat Ari El, formerly known as the Valley Jewish Community Center, was the first Jewish congregation established in the San Fernando Valley.

When members Isadore and George Familian decided to finance the construction of a chapel in their late father’s name, at $75,000 it was the single largest gift to a West Coast synagogue at the time. That amount would be worth about $500,000 today.

After the chapel was built, its Conservative congregation was at the forefront of gender equality, its members said. In 1950, one of the first bat mitzvahs--a religious rite-of-passage ceremony for girls--in the western United States was held there.

“As a 13-year-old it was pretty scary, but I loved being on stage,” said Sandra Jacoby Klein, who said she had fun at her bat mitzvah despite some men walking out during the ceremony. Before her time, only bar mitzvahs--or similar ceremonies for boys--were held by western congregations, according to Adat Ari El historians.

The chapel was also a meeting place for a congregation--now 900 families strong--that grew in size as well as in political power over the years.

“When we gave the contribution 50 years ago to build this chapel, never did I believe that this chapel would be so important to this community,” said Isadore Familian, 88. The crowd gave him a standing ovation.

On hand to present plaques and to wish the congregation well were Councilmen Mike Feuer and Joel Wachs, state Assemblyman Bob Hertzberg (D-Sherman Oaks) and Los Angeles County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky, who was once a Hebrew teacher at Adat Ari El.

“VJCC, as it was then known, was important to me from the earliest years of my life,” Yaroslavsky said. “In the political realm, this remains not only the oldest but the most significant congregation, Jewish or non-Jewish, in the San Fernando Valley,” he said.

Wachs, whose district includes Adat Ari El, praised the congregation for its educational programs and volunteerism in the community.

Gov. Gray Davis proclaimed Sunday “David Familian Chapel Day,” through his assistant, Terri Smooke.

The celebration, which was filled with music and singing between speeches, was attended by a handful of people who were there when the chapel was first dedicated.

“Standing here on these steps, looking back 50 years, it’s a very emotional day for me,” said Annette Shapiro, the oldest grandchild of David Familian, who died in 1945. “May we all continue together to build strong Jewish foundations for years to come.”