Temple Beth
Emet
The First Conservative Synagogue in
Orange County
Let our temple be known for what it is - a monument to all our people and to all mankind.
Ground Breaking November 22, 1962/25
Heshvan 5723
Temple Beth Emet under construction,
1962
School Under Construction - January 1969
Located on five acres of land, Temple
Beth Emet is central to the various communities which it serves. The
buildings, dedicated June 1963, contain the sanctuary, capable of accommodating
1200 worshippers; the social hall and stage used for school assemblies, social
gatherings, dinners, Holiday celebrations and other occasions of joy; a kosher
kitchen, youth center with eight classrooms; and Temple and School
administrative offices.
Temple Dedication -
June 1963
L
to R: Fred Fine, Jack Winnick, Harry Krebs, Cantor Phillip Moddel,
Rabbi
Aaron J. Tofield, Eli Welt, Murray Sporn, and Leonard Garber
It
is the aim of Temple Beth Emet to help young and old to make full use of the
great heritage of the Jewish people, by beautifying their lives and making them
more meaningful through our traditions and customs. The program and method
of our Temple are geared for modern Jewish living, in keeping with the
Conservative Movement. We dedicate ourselves to the worship of God and the
study of Torah, to good citizenship and mankind's service.
The
History of Temple Beth Emet
From
our Temple Beth Emet - Dedication Year Book, 1963
(author
unknown)
The first meeting, called to discuss the formation
of a conservative congregation in Orange County, convened in December, 1955, in
a private home in Fullerton, California. Although most of those present
were probably unaware of it, that first meeting set the pattern of growth and
action that remains with us to this day. During this preliminary meeting
the decision to establish such a congregation was made, funds were donated to
open a bank account, a general meeting date was set and pro tem leaders were
appointed. The speed with which this group moved can best be indicated by
the fact that the first meeting of the Sisterhood of Congregation Beth Emet
(recently renamed the Temple Beth Emet Women' League) was called for January 23,
1956. Between these two dates, services were held at the Anaheim Y.M.C.A.,
followed immediately by business meetings during which the organization was
formalized, a name was chosen, a constitution and by-laws committee was
appointed, and application was made to the State of California for a charter as
a non-profit corporation. Application was made to the United Synagogue of
America for affiliation, a housing committee was appointed to find temporary,
and eventually permanent quarters for our congregation and the Sisterhood and
Men's Club were organized.
One may well imagine the frantic pace set by the
people responsible for all this, and wonder when it would begin to taper
off. The answer to that is - it didn't. On February 19,1956 our
constitution and by-laws were ready for congregation approval, and were so
approved at a meeting held at the Northrup Recreation Hall in Anaheim.
During this period our Religious School was forming and was formulating the
policies by which it still is operated. The first issue of our Temple
Bulletin, The Beth Emet Tidings, was printed in March of 1956, and
carried the announcement that Hebrew School registration was in process,
announced Services, a general meeting for election of permanent officers and
board members, and two community Seders. On March 23, 1956, we held
services for the first time in Wesley Hall at the White Temple Methodist Church
in Anaheim (now the Anaheim United Methodist Church), and began an association
that still continues, warming the hearts of our congregation and theirs.
Every year we hold an
ecumenical Thanksgiving Service, alternating location between Temple Beth Emet
and the Anaheim United Methodist Church. This year the 47th annual
Thanksgiving Service will be held at the Anaheim United Methodist Church on Wednesday, November
26, 2003. In 1998, the Emanuel
Pentecostal Romanian Church of God joined our ecumenical Thanksgiving
Services and, in addition to their choir, contributes their symphony orchestra to
the service. This evening of community fellowship with a combined choir of over 100 voices is an annual highlight for all three
congregations.
The recital of events must of course, leave to the
imagination the behind-the -scenes activity of the committee people responsible
for these moves, but as our plans progressed, their work became ever more
demanding, more urgent, and more fascinating. Our first Hebrew School
sessions were held at a home in Garden Grove on April 4, 1956 when we voted to
buy the late lamented property at Emily and Adele, a house that would serve as
our Temple until a more suitable structure could be built. The pace
continued.
Our house on Emily Street
On May 20, our first pre-registration was opened for our Sunday
School, and forty children were registered. During this period, the social
life of our congregation was not being ignored. Our first spring dance was
held at the Garden Grove Women's Civic Club, on April 28. There were many
smaller affairs through this period. And now came the function towards
which, with everything else going on, we had been pointing to since our
beginning - our first High Holy Day Services. This too was held at the
Garden Grove Women's Civic Club, and began with Rosh Hashonah Services at 8:00
PM on September 5, 1956 and terminated with Yom Kippur Services on September
15. On September 23 our Sunday School officially opened at Emily and
Adele, with 120 children enrolled. And now, with our own property
purchased, our Hebrew and Sunday School classes in session, our first High Holy
Day Services behind us, and our membership growing daily, the frantic pace that
had been maintained for almost a year finally changed; it got faster.
A yearbook campaign, started June 18, was in full
swing; a youth program was developing; a search for a Rabbi was under way;
services were being held, school teachers were being trained at night courses in
Long Beach so that they could teach in our school, and Chanukah was
coming. The Sisterhood organized Chanukah workshops and the educational
committee organized a school party. Through the balance of December and
January 1957, our Temple was being refurbished (a process that really never
ended), nominating committees were in session, card parties were sponsored by
Sisterhood, Social Action lectures were held, and the Men's Club set up its
Sweethearts Dance, For February 16. Somewhere during this period our
school enrollment climbed to 150, and teachers became a very high priority item
in our scheme of things. Sunday mornings at the Temple became an
experience no one should miss, Temple programs and functions continued through
elections in March 1957.
On March 22, our services were conducted by a guest
Rabbi, Aaron J. Tofield, from - of all places - Oklahoma City. In May of
1957 the decision was made, and Rabbi Tofield accepted our pulpit. In the
same month our membership dues were increased. Sisterhood sponsored a Gay
Nineties Nite at Northrup Recreation Hall on May 25. The pre-teen group
had its first dance party on May 18, and the religious and social life of our
congregation continued into the summer months. In July Rabbi Tofield and
his family officially joined our community, and on August 3, we had our first
full-scale dinner dance in his honor. The arrival of our Rabbi triggered a
greatly expanded educational, religious and cultural program, immediately
evidenced by the beginning of an Adult Education program on October 7, the
formation of plans for a junior congregation, and our High Holy Day Services
beginning on September 25, 1957, conducted for the first time by our own
Rabbi. Our fall religious school semester opened with over 200 children,
and the handwriting was on the wall
And now our Temple began to assume a new position in our
community. Our Rabbi was able to represent us and the total Jewish
Community in addresses at the local churches, the Ministers Union, the service
clubs of our area, and in the full scope of community affairs which had always
involved us, but in which we had never been involved. From this point in
the progress of our Temple, while not spectacular, assumed a steady pattern of
growth and development which totally absorbed our leaders in planning sessions
for the future. During the late months of 1957 and the early months of
1958, much attention was paid to the acquisition and retention of members, the
broadening of program, and the development of future leadership. Part of
this planning bore fruit on July 1, 1958, when our Cantor Moddel joined our
community. This added one more laurel wreath to our Temple's crown.
We were now the only Congregation in this country with an Oklahoma Rabbi and an
Irish Cantor. With the arrival of our Cantor, we began the development of
a musical department and a choir whose beautifully rehearsed performances
brought a new dignity and meaning to our services.
In mid 1959 we officially constituted our Building Committee and
our Building Fund Committee, and began formally to plan for new property and new
buildings for our congregation. This project brought with it many key
dates and actions; the final decision on land, and its purchase; the planning of
the facilities; the choice of a contractor - all culminating on June 2, 1963 in
the dedication of our new facilities. And now we approach our 8th High
Holy Day Services, in our new home.
The foregoing is an accurate account of the events
which lead us to the position we now enjoy. But a congregation is more
than events, more than land, more than building, more than money. A
congregation is people, and to write about its history without writing about its
people is to write without knowledge and without heart. From our formative
meeting to our recent dedication ceremony, our course has been guided, and
charted, and pushed, by you - our people. To you who have demanded of your
leadership, both lay and professional, the very best they were capable of
giving, and to you who answered those demands with the best you had in you, goes
the credit and the glory for what has been done here during the past eight
years.
To name the many who come to mind would be to
slight the many more who inspired and supported them. Let our temple be known for what it is -
a monument to all our people and to all mankind.
Last updated 11/2/03