Landmark Sanctuary Renamed
The Rabbis Steven Z. Leder and Edgar F. Magnin Sanctuary
Isaac Herzog, President of Israel, Extends Thanks from Jerusalem
A Night to Honor a Legacy Featured Special Guests Jeff Ross, Amanda Kloots and Singer-Songwriter Peter Himmelman
LOS ANGELES, CA – MAY 2024…Wilshire Boulevard Temple honored Rabbi Steven Z. Leder, who began his career as a newly ordained rabbi at the historic Los Angeles congregation in 1987 and rose to become one of the most influential rabbis in America, for his four decades of indelible leadership in A Night to Honor a Legacy, May 19, 2024. The Gala, held on the Erika J. Glazer Campus, celebrated Rabbi Leder’s vision and his drive to revitalize the landmark campus, grow its schools with excellence, expand across three vibrant campuses, and secure a strong Jewish future.
The program featured actor, writer, comedian, “Roastmaster General” Jeff Ross, Amanda Kloots, co-host of The Talk, and Grammy and Emmy nominated singer-songwriter, film composer, and rock artist Peter Himmelman, Rabbi Leder’s seventh grade bandmate in Minnesota. An elegant dessert reception in the Wendy and Leonard Goldberg Grand Ballroom in the Audrey Irmas Pavilion followed the program.
Among Rabbi Leder’s significant achievements are the restoration of the Temple’s Sanctuary, built by Rabbi Edgar F. Magnin and opened in 1929, and the 21st-century development of the Erika J. Glazer Family Campus, which culminated with the 2021 opening of the award-winning Audrey Irmas Pavilion.
In recognition of the man who built the sanctuary and the one who lovingly restored it, the sanctuary, which was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982, was renamed Rabbis Steven Z. Leder and Edgar F. Magnin Sanctuary. Current Temple President Scott Edelman, and Past Presidents Alberto Valner and Rich Pachulski announced the honor.
Accepting the honor, Rabbi Leder focused his remarks on the key lessons he learned about Judaism and the Jewish people, emphasizing the centrality of Israel, addressing Jew-hatred and antisemitism, the synagogue as the engine of Judaism, and three foundational pillars: Torah, Avodah (work and pray), and gimilut chassadim (acts of loving kindness).
“You know that we can never take the Jewish future for granted. You know that Israel needs us and we need Israel. You know that excellence is what our faith demands of us as we raise the next generation. That Torah is the heartbeat of our people and the rest is commentary. You know objectification of others is evil. But empathy can save us all. Hope for tomorrow abounds. You know that without humility and forgiveness, love dies. And we all know there is a final end to which we all someday must surrender.”
“Jews trust that every ending is also a beginning. All life is separation. Every departure, an arrival, Tonight marks the beginning of an ending. And the first time in my entire adult life I am letting go of the trapeze with no idea what I will grasp next so that I do not tumble from the sky. I only know that it is time to loosen my grip. Release. Trust. Live. I hope from the soul of my soul that you carry the Torah we have shared together with you. That it helps guide you in this profoundly sacred place along the way. All life is separation. The sages were right. All rivers flow into the sea, and the sea is never full. To the place the streams come from, there they return again. Life flows, fluid and bending., “ he concluded, “Life is so beautiful. Mine because of you.”
Isaac Herzog, President of Israel, spoke in a recorded message from Jerusalem, saying, “Rabbi, you have long shared a teaching that we can only truly become whole after we have allowed ourselves to be broken. I don't need to tell you that so much is broken right now, that there is so much grief and pain and vulnerability in Israel and throughout the Jewish world. The October 7th massacre, ongoing war against Hamas, a massive Iranian threat and 132 hostages still held in Hamas captivity. And yet within it, we must believe that the seeds of wholeness await, that the seeds of wholeness are here right now. I want to thank you, dear Rabbi Leder, on behalf of the State of Israel, for bringing your wisdom and intelligence and leadership for the past four decades to the community, for nurturing the deep ties and connections that bind us all together, Israel and the Jewish world."
The emotional evening began with abundant laughter, cued first by daughter Hannah Leder, “Please rise!” she said and then marveled at the full sanctuary on their feet. “I'm just kidding….I just wanted to know what that feels like. Wow, dad, that's pretty cool.”
The comedian Jeff Ross followed and roasted Rabbi Leder before an extended riff on his own Jewish roots. “Tonight, we're going to celebrate a career that's been more miraculous than finding a parking spot on Yom Kippur here. We're all excited to see what your next chapter looks like – which is something nobody's ever said while reading one of your books…Since this is Hollywood Rabbi Steve, you understand that now we have to replace you by a younger, hotter version of yourself. How about a hand for Rabbi Joel?” Ross joked in reference to Rabbi Joel Nickerson who will succeed Rabbi Leder.
Amanda Kloots, who tragically lost her husband to complications of Covid in 2020, recalled reading Rabbi Leder’s book, The Beauty of What Remains, as she prepared for him to be a guest on The Talk. “It truly was the first time that I felt like someone understood my pain. Somebody got it…it was the first time I felt kind of comforted and not as alone,” she said. “I think that your special gift beyond your words is how you make people feel. I think your presence makes people feel safe. Your words make people feel understood and your friendship makes people feel loved. And I think that's why we're all here. Because you make us feel so loved.”
Rabbi Leder announced his plan to step aside as Senior Rabbi on August 31, 2024 and remain part of the rabbinical team on a more limited basis for an additional two years in February 2023. Rabbi Joel Nickerson, a member of the Wilshire Boulevard Temple clergy since 2019, will succeed Rabbi Leder as Senior Rabbi on September 1, 2024.
Scott Edelman, President of Wilshire Boulevard Temple, remarked, “Perhaps your most important legacy is that you have built a leadership team that is ready to take the flight controls. With Rabbi Nickerson and Cantor Peicott at the helm, our temple will continue to soar. And somehow, you have done all these things with good humor, unrelenting optimism, and infectious joie de vivre.”
