On the Town: Temple Emanu El celebrates its 70th anniversary
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It was an evening of emotions, memories and mazel tovs as members of the congregation at Burbank’s Temple Emanu El celebrated their 70th anniversary under the stars at their Glenoaks Boulevard temple this past Saturday.
Among the memories shared at last week’s gala was of a 1945 meeting of 17 Jewish men and woman who came together at the Burbank Credit Union to form a civic-minded Jewish organization.
That meeting gave birth to the Burbank Jewish Community Council which, by 1947, had incorporated a community center and temple.
The name was changed to Burbank Temple Emanu El in 1967, property was purchased on Glenoaks Boulevard, a new temple was built and its current doors were opened in 1974.
Today, under the leadership of Ira Lippman, the temple’s president, Rabbi John Carrier and Leeron Dvir, who serves as the director of the temple’s preschool, the congregation and school have grown and the Early Childhood Center is at full capacity with a waiting list.
Because of the great strides the temple has made, congregation members took the opportunity of their platinum anniversary gala to honor Lippman with a Visionary Award and Dvir with an Educators Award.
“Ira and Leeron have been the greatest partners I have ever had the pleasure of working with,” said Rabbi Carrier, who came to the temple in 2014. “I have no doubt that their leadership and partnership have laid the foundation of our thriving community for the next 70 years.”
The gala, chaired by Tobi Lippman, was made possible by her committee — Julie Ashkenazi, Jessica Beck, Lois Bennett, Rebecca Chernack, Eric Conner, Jane Glass, Casi Kneebone, Harrison Lippman, Johanna Moyal, Carla Muller, Alma and Nat Rubinfeld, Stacy Schnaid, Robin Schwartz Kapper, Gina Segal, Laura Snow, Julie Turner, Theresa Wollenstein, Neela Woodard, Shirlee Yehudai and Limor Zimskind.
Among the dignitaries and special guests in attendance were U.S. Rep Adam Schiff, state Sen. Anthony Portantino, then-Burbank Mayor Jess Talamantes, Councilman Bob Frutos, the event’s top sponsors, Susan and Gilbert Grodsky and David and Rachel Shalts, and Jerry Moss, an elder at the temple and past president.
DAVID LAURELL may be reached by email at dlaurell@aol.com or (818) 563-1007.
