The congregation was founded in 1917 as the West Side Hebrew Relief Association, an Orthodox congregation for the shopkeepers in the area. The synagogue has been located at its current site since 1923,[2] being the synagogue of choice for Jews in the entertainment industry nearby. Many vaudeville, musical theater, television, and nightclub performers attended services there, including Sophie Tucker, Shelley Winters, Milton Berle, Al Jolson, Jack Benny, Joe E. Lewis, Edward G. Robinson, as well as two of the Three Stooges.[3][4]Rabbi Bernard Birstein, an aspiring actor himself, was the synagogue's first rabbi;[5] he died in 1959.[6]
The congregation declined in the wake of World War II as New York-based actors moved to California and the neighborhood changed. The congregation diminished from 300 members[when?] to approximately 30 by 2009.[3] In 2005, in order to bring in additional income, the temple started renting out dance rehearsal space to New Dance Group and temporarily transforming into a theatre for plays.[7] However, even with this additional income, the $120,000 annual operating costs used up the $2million endowment by 2009.[3] Despite these challenges, the temple continues to operate. In 2011, the temple had a fundraising program and about 150 dues-paying members, with an average Erev Shabbat worship attendance of 20–30 people.[6]
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