By Donald H. Harrison
SAN DIEGO – Temple Beth Shalom of Chula Vista celebrated its 60th anniversary Sunday with a banquet, historical reminiscences, and Yiddish folk music at Elijah’s Banquet Hall at 7061 Clairemont Mesa Boulevard.
Founded in 1958 by businessman Samuel Vener who purchased the former St. John’s Episcopal Church buildings at the corner of Second Avenue and Madrona Street, the Conservative synagogue’s early history was personified by the presence at the banquet of Vener’s son, Louis, who recalled his boyhood playing on its grounds.
Additionally, Dr. Louis Towne, M.D., who served as the congregation’s cantor and acting rabbi from 1975 through 1988, was on hand as a reminder of the congregation’s middle years.
Filling in the gaps of the congregation’s history was Jewish historian Joellyn Zollman, who curated the recent exhibit on San Diego Jewry that lasted more than a year at the San Diego History Center in Balboa Park.
Zollman said she was thrilled by some of the architectural features of the congregation’s sanctuary building, which has a white stucco exterior and red tile roof typical of the Spanish Eclectic style so popular in San Diego. She said whereas it would be hard to tell just by looking at the buildings of other San Diego County Jewish congregations in what part of the country they were located, one senses almost immediately that Temple Beth Shalom belongs to the American Southwest.
She also marveled over the fact that a menorah sits proudly atop the former church’s bell tower, which she suggested may be unique. Additionally, Zollman said, Beth Shalom is the “only synagogue I’ve visited with a fire place in the social hall.”
Zollman said that even as the synagogue buildings had an interreligious history, so too was its very first service an example of the cooperative, interreligious community spirit that has exemplified Beth Shalom ever since.
She noted that 1958 inaugural services attracted two ministers from nearby congregations, as well as all three rabbis who were serving San Diego Jewish congregations – Reform Rabbi Morton Cohn of Congregation Beth Israel, Conservative Rabbi Monroe Levens of Tifereth Israel Synagogue, and Orthodox Rabbi Baruch Stern of Beth Jacob Congregation. Also on hand were Congressman Bob Wilson (R-San Diego) and Chula Vista political and civic leaders were present to welcome the new congregation.
Zollman said that whereas Chula Vista was best known for its lemon crops in 1911 when the city was founded, it subsequently harvested kelp for use in gunpowder, and also attracted Rohr Aircraft to the city. From a population in 1940 of 5,000, it grew to 16,000 by the next ten-year census. In the 2010 census, the city’s population was nearly 244,000.
At Beth Shalom’s 60th anniversary banquet, tribute was paid to the Vener family as well as to Ellie and Richard Adams, who are longtime members; Ron Cohn, owner of Sprouts grocery stores in Chula Vista; Ed Fishauf, whose family helped found the congregation; Dr. Louis Lurie, a retired orthopedist; Marcellino Rosales, a Christian friend of the congregation who helps maintain the synagogue’s exterior; Dr. Barry Scher, a past president and occasional lay leader of the synagogue; Marie Sackett, who donated a Torah scroll that is read weekly at the congregation; and the congregation’s current spiritual leader, Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel.
Rabbi Samuel dedicated his award to Arlene LaGary, the congregation’s president. He noted that the synagogue continues to be a place of worship for all people. His Jewish congregation prays there on Fridays and Saturdays, while a Christian congregation rents the building for Sunday services. Rabbi Samuel also paid tribute to the organizer of the evening’s festivities, Stephanie Rendino, whom he identified as a descendant of the philosopher Baruch Spinoza.
Following a catered dinner offering choices of salmon or vegetable plates, klezmer musician Yale Strom, his wife Elizabeth Schwartz, and the rest of the Hot Pstromi Band entertained, at one point prompting celebrants to perform a slow hora around the banquet hall. Strom’s father, David, a retired San Diego State University professor, is a member of the congregation.
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Harrison is editor of San Diego Jewish World. He may be contacted via donald.harrison@sdjewishworld.com
Very interesting!!