Vintage Photo Friday - Yom Kippur

Wilshire Boulevard Temple, 1937.  Photo from L.A. Library Archives

Yom Kippur is the holiest day of the year for Jews. It is our day of atonement, a time to repent for our sins of the past year. From sundown tonight until sundown Saturday, it is customary to fast and pray. The blowing of the shofar at the end of the temple service signifies the end of the fast. We break the fast on Saturday night with my family.

We have a history of excellent synagogue architecture here in Los Angeles.  One of the most beautiful temples in our city is Wilshire Boulevard Temple.  Wilshire Boulevard Temple is a highly respected Reform congregation, founded in 1862 as Congregation B'nai B'rith. Designed in the Byzantine Revival style by architects A.M. Edelman, S. Tilden Norton, and David C. Allison, this building was dedicated in 1929. Its richly ornamental interior features black marble, gold inlay, fine mosaics, rare woods, and Biblically-themed murals created by art director Hugo Ballin. The Temple was entered in the United States Register of Historic Places in 1984. 

For the past few years, this magnificent building has been under reconstruction and renovation.  Read the L.A. Times article here.  

Photo courtesy of Wilshire Boulevard Temple

I will not be attending services this year at Wilshire Boulevard, but I look forward to their "Streaming Services," especially for the Kol Nidre, later today. Earlier this month, the restored main sanctuary was reopened for Rosh Hashanah services, after nearly two years of renovations.  The main sanctuary rivals any house of worship seen in the most elegant cities of Europe!  You can view photos here.

I also look forward to seeing my family on Saturday, after sundown, to break the fast.  Here we are in 2011.