Temple Beth El Postpones Vote on Whether to Sell

In an emotional and often acrimonious meeting Sunday morning, members of the Hollywood Temple Beth El postponed a decision on whether to sell the financially floundering temple.

The historic temple--once the synagogue of Hollywood luminaries such as Edward G. Robinson, Mervyn LeRoy and the Warner brothers, who helped finance the building--has seen its congregation dwindle from 1,200 families to 240. The executive committee of the temple, on Crescent Heights Boulevard just south of Sunset Boulevard, called a meeting of the congregation hoping to vote on whether to sell off the sanctuary to pay debts while retaining a classroom facility and a hall that could be used for services.

“This congregation cannot afford this property,” congregation President Sanford Gaum told the group.

But a poor turnout of about 40 members and impassioned disagreement over several issues--including whether enough people were present to even vote on behalf of the whole congregation--led Gaum to table the vote. He said a mailer outlining the temple’s options would be sent to members.

“This is the fifth meeting in a row where they’ve decided not to decide,” said a frustrated Mark Cohen, executive director and business manager of the temple. At 40, he is one of its younger members. Cohen’s wife, Robin, is director of the temple’s nursery school, which pays for itself. Cohen said the postponement of the vote just exacerbates the temple’s financial problems, which are so severe that it cannot even afford a rabbi. (An on-call rabbi is available for high holiday services.)

“The temple is presently operating at a deficit of $10,000-plus per month,” Cohen said.

Cohen looked over the small group in the Sapper Hall meeting room. “There should be 200 people here, screaming at each other, fighting with each other to keep this temple alive. . . . What we have here is a shanda--a shame and a sin.”

Part of the problem is that longtime members are loathe to do anything that would change their beloved temple--even though they are no longer a big enough group to need the 44,000-square-foot facility.

“We’re old-timers here,” said Ruth Haines, 89, with her husband, Harry, 90. “It’s very sad for us. We’ve seen so many wonderful times here.”

The options now facing the traditional Conservative temple include selling off the sanctuary and keeping a meeting hall--or selling off the meeting hall and keeping the sanctuary. Members will also consider merging with another temple. If they sell, the members insist, they will only sell to another Jewish congregation or organization.