Pacific Jewish Center facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Pacific Jewish Center |
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The synagogue on the Venice Boardwalk, 2009
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| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Orthodox Judaism |
| Ecclesiastical or organizational status | Synagogue |
| Leadership | Rabbi Shalom Rubanowitz |
| Status | Active |
| Location | |
| Location | 505 Ocean Front Walk, Venice, Los Angeles, California 90291 |
| Country | United States |
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| Architecture | |
| Date established | c. 1940s (as Bay Cities Synagogue) |
| Completed | 1925 (power station completed) |
The Pacific Jewish Center, also called PJC or the Shul on the Beach, is an Orthodox Jewish synagogue. It is located at 505 Ocean Front Walk in Venice, Los Angeles, California, in the United States. This synagogue is well-known for reaching out to Jewish people who might not be connected to a religious community.
The Shul on the Beach is the last synagogue built in Venice during the early 1900s that is still active. Even though it is an Orthodox synagogue, people from many different Jewish backgrounds are welcome to attend services and events. This is because it is in a very diverse neighborhood. The building itself was finished in 1925 and was first used as a power station. It has been recognized as a special landmark by the City of Los Angeles.
The Shul's History
The Pacific Jewish Center started as the Bay Cities Synagogue in the 1940s. It was one of several synagogues built in Venice Beach in the 1920s. Two other synagogues were also on the Venice boardwalk at that time.
By the late 1960s, most of these synagogues had closed. Only the Bay Cities Synagogue and Mishkon Tefilo remained. The number of members at the Bay Cities Synagogue slowly became very small. Sometimes, there were not enough people for a minyan, which is the minimum number of adults needed for a Jewish prayer service.
However, in 1977, a group of young, Orthodox Jewish people helped bring the community back to life. This group was led by Michael Medved and Rabbi Daniel Lapin. The synagogue quickly became a key place for Orthodox Jewish outreach in Los Angeles for the next ten years. Rabbi Lapin served as the unpaid rabbi for the congregation from 1978 until 1992.
A special event, the Bar Mitzvah of Jason Gould, was held at the shul. Jason Gould is the son of famous actors Barbra Streisand and Elliott Gould.
