{"nrhp_refnum":"81000154","name":"Congregation B'nai B'rith","other_names":["Wilshire Boulevard Temple"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"3663 Wilshire Blvd.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Los Angeles","county":"Los Angeles County","state":"CA","lat":34.062446211000065,"lon":-118.30393359899995,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1981-12-21","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Art","Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A synagogue complex at 3663 Wilshire Boulevard in Los Angeles, at the northeast corner of Wilshire and Hobart Boulevards. The main domed sanctuary building and assembly hall were built in 1928-29, with additions made in 1963.","why_significant":"It is the house of worship of the city's largest and oldest Jewish congregation, whose roots in Los Angeles go back to 1851, and it was a center of Reform Judaism on the West Coast. The congregation had a lasting effect on Southern California through social service and humanitarian work. The building combines Byzantine and Romanesque features and holds the Warner Murals by Hugo Ballin, described as the largest mural scheme of its time in a permanent religious building in the western United States.","narrative":"Wilshire Boulevard Temple, at 3663 Wilshire Boulevard in Los Angeles, is a synagogue complex built in 1928-29 on a site that was then a residential area far west of downtown. Its octagonal, steel-framed sanctuary is topped by a copper-clad concrete dome rising 130 feet, with marble bands, mosaic patterns and a 20-foot rose window. Inside, a 320-foot mural frieze and three large lunette paintings by Hugo Ballin, donated by the Warner Brothers, depict Jewish history. Congregation B'nai B'rith, the city's largest and oldest Jewish congregation, traces its roots to 1851 and moved here from earlier synagogues. It led Reform Judaism on the West Coast and its members helped found hospitals, charities, a library association and the first Chamber of Commerce. The design draws on Byzantine models from the eastern United States, with Romanesque touches. Additions from 1963 are included in the boundary but are not considered historically significant.","period_of_significance":"1928-1929","architect_builder":"Herbert M. Baruch Corporation/A. M. Edelman and S. Tilden Norton","architectural_style":"Byzantine synagogue style with Romanesque elements (rounded archways, stained glass)","criteria":[],"status_note":"Listed as in excellent condition and occupied; the 1963 additions are noted as altered but do not contribute to significance. The temple remains an active place of worship and religious school.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:55:31.28891-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_CA/81000154.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/81000154/e862131627-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/81000154/e862131627-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 4.0","author":"Downtowngal","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Wilshire_Boulevard_Temple_1207.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Downtowngal</a>, <a href=\"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 4.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Wilshire_Boulevard_Temple_1207.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/123859045","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilshire_Boulevard_Temple","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2362291"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/california/los-angeles-county/congregation-bnai-brith-81000154/"}