Temple Beth Solomon of the Deaf (TBS) occupies a unique place in the history of American Judaism. Founded in 1960, in Los Angeles, TBS was the first Deaf synagogue of, by and for the Deaf, in the world. To this day TBS continues to be a pioneer in the exploration and enrichment of the Jewish identities of Deaf people.
At the beginning of the twentieth century, Deaf Jews began to congregate in major cities and form clubs. In July, 1947, the Hollywood Hebrew Society of the Deaf was founded and later its name was changed to the Hebrew Association of the Deaf of Los Angeles (HAD). Like other HAD's, it focused on social programs with very little religious content. By the late 1950's many HAD members longed for a synagogue in which they could worship and study, as well as socialize. At the same time, a woman named Rose Zucker, was looking for a way to provide her deaf daughter with a Jewish education. With the help of the Union for Reform Judaism, known at that time as the Union of American Hebrew Congregations (UAHC), and the advice of Rabbi Solomon Kleinman, a synagogue of, not for, Deaf Jews was born. In gratitude to Rabbi Kleinman the members named the synagogue Temple Beth Solomon of the Deaf. To this day TBS is a proud member of the URJ.
On June 10th, 1960, with Jewish comedian Georgie Jessel in attendance, TBS held its first Shabbat service in the Chadwick Chapel of Temple Israel of Hollywood. For the first five years, temple members traveled to various host congregations and during this period became known as the "mobile congregation." For many years Wilshire Boulevard Temple (WBT) had welcomed TBS members to gather for worship in the Piness Chapel in their building, led by student rabbis from the Hebrew Union College. Supported by WBT's Sisterhood and by Rabbi and Mrs. Edgar Magnin personally, a very warm friendship developed between TBS and Wilshire Boulevard Temple.
By the mid-1960's TBS had outgrown the facilities of WBT and was searching for a permanent location. In 1965, TBS bought the property of another synagogue in a Jewish suburb of Los Angeles, Arleta. On June 12th, 1966, with the sign language choir performing and the three former student rabbis reunited, Temple Beth Solomon of the Deaf was officially dedicated. In the following years, stability and order came to TBS and in the early 1970's, ordained rabbis began to serve the synagogue on a part-time basis. The Religious School met weekly, a regular schedule of Shabbat and Holy Day services was established and fundraising events were stepped up.
In 1981, TBS president, Alvin Klugman and Deborah Friedman, a staff member of the Jewish Federation Council, wrote a grant proposal to the Council on Jewish Life. The CJL funded the grant and the Ben Zukor Community Program began which launched a continuous co-operative relationship between TBS and the hearing Jewish Community. Since that time, TBS members have written several grant requests and received funding for a variety of programs such as our Visual Media program, our Prayer Book Video Tape project, our publication: Celebrating Judaism In The Home: A Manual For Deaf Jewish Families, all funded by the The Jewish Community Foundation of Los Angeles and the CJL. A companion volume to our book, also funded by the JCF, entitled: Bar/Bat Mitzvah for Deaf Jewish Families is currently in development to be released at future publication date.
In April of 2000, Temple Beth Solomon entered a new phase of its life. The property which was our home for 35 years, bought in 1965, was sold. We could no longer keep up with the exorbitant costs of operating such a large, aging property, but even so, we knew that our future still held new directions and opportunities. Don Goor, the benevolent rabbi of Temple Judea in Tarzana, California, which is only few miles west of our old location, offered us such an opportunity and invited us to share space with his warm congregation. Without question, Temple Beth Solomon of the Deaf is the most sophisticated, the most advanced and the most active Deaf Jewish organization in the world. We regard ourselves as the flagship of the Jewish deaf community, and we take that responsibility seriously. Now beginning the twenty-first century, we give thanks for our accomplishments of the past, and we greet the future with enthusiasm and high expectations. We have a detailed, 19 page accounting of our history for anyone interested in reviewing it. It is available by an e-mail attachment, if you contact us, we will be happy to send it.