Beth Chayim Chadashim
| Beth Chayim Chadashim | |
|---|---|
| Basic information | |
| Location | 6090 West Pico Boulevard, Los Angeles, California, United States |
| Affiliation | Reform Judaism |
| Status | Active |
| Leadership | Rabbi: Lisa A. Edwards Cantor: Juval Porat |
| Website | bcc-la |
| Architectural type | 1st Leeds certified synagogue in the United States |
Beth Chayim Chadashim ("House of New Life") was founded in Mid-City Los Angeles in 1972 as a synagogue primarily for lesbians and gays. Affiliated with Reform Judaism, it has been acknowledged by the Los Angeles Conservancy as being "culturally significant" as both the first LGBT synagogue in the world, the first LGBT synagogue recognized by the Union for Reform Judaism and, in 1977, as the first LGBT synagogue to own its own building.
On April 4, 1972, Selma Kay, Jerry Gordon, Jerry Small, and Bob Zalkin were the only people who came to a weekly Wednesday night meeting at Los Angeles’s Metropolitan Community Church. They were all Jewish, and Selma asked, "Why don’t we form a temple with an outreach to the gay Jews?" The others agreed, and Rev. Troy Perry offered them the use of the church’s facilities free of charge. About a dozen women and men responded to the call to an ad hoc committee meeting to discuss the temple's founding, and the first service was held June 9, 1972 in Jerry Gordon’s home. In July 1972, a interfaith service was held at MCC’s sanctuary, to introduce the new temple to the gay and lesbian community. Weekly Friday night Jewish services were then held at MCC.
In 1973, BCC received a Torah scroll from the town of Chotebor, Czechoslovakia, on permanent loan from Westminster Synagogue in London. It continues to be a cherished guest at BCC.
After several temporary locations, in 1977 the BCC congregation purchased a storefront at 6000 West Pico Boulevard in West Los Angeles (the Pico-Robertson area) that was transformed into a synagogue and Jewish life-cycle space. The membership grew and flourished for over 30 years at this location.
In 1997, the congregation celebrated it's 25th anniversary. At that time, it had 250 members (not including children) with 90% of them being LGBT and it's oldest member being 87 years old.
Janet Marder was the congregation's first rabbi. Lisa Ann Edwards later served as a student rabbi under their first full-time rabbi, Denise Eger. From 1992 to 2007, Cantorial Soloist Fran Magid Chalin's unique use of music and energy served to unite, uplift, inspire, and prompt BCC's connection to Jewish tradition, especially for the growing number of BCC children. In 1994 Rabbi Lisa Ann Edwards was ordained and became BCC's rabbi.
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