Sinai Temple, Los Angeles

If you want to take part in an eloquent and lively sermon given by one of the most popular Rabbi’s in Los Angeles, you should go to the Sinai Temple on the corner of Wilshire Boulevard and Beverly Gen Boulevard.

The Conservative Judaism movement established itself in the area in 1906 and has the largest and oldest congregation in Los Angeles. The temple was built by Sidney Eisenshtat in 1956 and its structure and use of stained glass has caused it to be compared with the buildings by Frank Lloyd Wright. The Sinai Akiba Academy, with its classes from to pre-kindergarten to the 8th grade, has been part of the temple since 1968.

The temple’s “Friday Night Live” event attracts large numbers of young people with its interesting talks, music and parties. Since 2010 the Head Rabbi is the well-known author and public speaker David Wolpe.

Rabbi Wolpe is a popular TV show guest and he also invites interesting guest speakers to the temple. Named the “N° 1 Pulpit Rabbi” in 2008 by Newsweek Magazine, Rabbi Wolpe is considered by more orthodox Jews as something of a controversial figure, after his Passover Sermon in 2001, when he questioned the historicity of the Exodus out of Egypt. He backed his arguments by showing that there was no archaeological proof of Moses and his people spending 40 years in the desert, while there was ample proof of settlements around Canaan long before the parting of the Red Sea. In spite of this controversy, the sermons at the temple are interesting, well thought out and well attended.