Congregation Beth Sholom

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Congregation Beth Sholom
The synagogue interior
Religion
AffiliationConservative Judaism
Ecclesiastical or organisational statusSynagogue
LeadershipRabbi Amanda Russell
StatusActive
Location
Location301 14th Avenue, San Francisco, California
CountryUnited States
Geographic coordinates37°46′59″N 122°28′24″W / 37.783°N 122.4734°W / 37.783; -122.4734
Architecture
Architect(s)Stanley Saitowitz
TypeSynagogue architecture
StyleModernist
Date established1921 (as a congregation)
Completed
  • 1934 (14th Ave. & Clement St.)
  • 2008 (14th Avenue)
Website
bethsholomsf.org

Congregation Beth Sholom is a Conservative Jewish congregation and synagogue, located at 301 14th Avenue, in San Francisco, California, in the United States.

History[edit]

Founded in 1921, it is one of the oldest synagogues west of the Mississippi River.[1] A member of the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, Congregation Beth Sholom is a hub of the Bay Area Jewish community. Beth Shalom built a synagogue on Fourteenth Avenue and Clement Street in 1934 after initially meeting in a church on Fourth Avenue near Geary. The first full-time rabbi, Saul White, age 27 and born and raised in Russian Poland, was hired in 1935.[2] The first bat mitvah, for Judith Stein, was held at the synagogue in 1957.[1]

The congregation moved to a new synagogue designed by architect Stanley Saitowitz in 2008.[3] In 2022, Rabbi Amanda Russell was promoted to the position of senior rabbi, the first woman to hold the position in the congregation.[4]

Rabbinical leaders[edit]

The following individuals have served as rabbi of Congregation Beth Sholom:

Ordinal Officeholder Term start Term end Time in office Notes
1 Saul E. White 1934 1983 48–49 years
2 Allan Schranz 1983 1986 2–3 years
3 Alexander Graubart 1986 1991 4–5 years
4 Alan Lew 1991 2005 13–14 years
5 Kenneth Leitner 2005 2007 1–2 years
6 Micah Hyman 2007 2014 6–7 years
7 Aubrey Glazer 2014 2018 3–4 years
8 Dan Ain 2018 2022 3–4 years
9 Amanda Russell 2022 incumbent 1–2 years

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Pine, Dan (February 18, 2022). "Forward-looking Beth Sholom looks back at 100 years of progress". J. Retrieved August 30, 2023.
  2. ^ Rosenbaum, Fred (May 11, 2009). Cosmopolitans: A Social and Cultural History of the Jews of the San Francisco Bay Area. University of California Press. doi:10.1525/california/9780520259133.003.0007. ISBN 978-0-520-25913-3.
  3. ^ King, John (August 11, 2008). "New synagogue livens up Richmond District". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved August 30, 2023.
  4. ^ Stutman, Gabe (April 22, 2022). "Rabbis on the move: departures and promotions across the Bay Area". J. Retrieved August 30, 2023.

External links[edit]