Edgar Magnin | |
---|---|
Born | July 1, 1890 San Francisco, California, U.S. |
Died | July 17, 1984 Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
(aged 94)
Resting place | Home of Peace Cemetery |
Residence | Beverly Hills, California, U.S. |
Occupation | Rabbi |
Spouse(s) | Evelyn Magnin |
Children | 1 son, 1 daughter (Mae Magnin Brussell) |
Edgar Magnin (July 1, 1890 – July 17, 1984) was rabbi and spiritual leader of Wilshire Boulevard Temple (previously Congregation B’nai B’rith), the oldest Jewish congregation in Los Angeles, California. Magnin served at the temple for 69 years and was considered one of the most prominent Jewish leaders in the United States, sometimes called the "Rabbi to the Stars" because of his close connections to the Hollywood film industry.
Edgar Fogel Magnin was born on July 1, 1890 in San Francisco, California. His grandparents, Mary Ann Magnin and Isaac Magnin, founded the I. Magnin department store chain. He was ordained in Judaism's Reform movement by the Hebrew Union College in 1914.
Magnin became the rabbi of Congregation B’nai B’rith in Los Angeles, California in 1915. After becoming senior rabbi of the oldest Jewish congregation in Los Angeles in 1919, he distinguished his sixty-nine-year tenure at Wilshire Boulevard Temple through close ties with the motion picture and television industry.
Magnin was in charge of the temple during the construction and opening of its Wilshire Center building, now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The building is known for its distinctive stained glass windows and its immense Byzantine revival dome. It is also known for Magnin's decision to include biblically-themed figurative murals, now known as the Warner Murals; these were highly unusual, given Judaism's traditional avoidance of figurative synagogue art.