Elliott Broidy attends Wilshire Boulevard Temple’s musical Shabbat

Eliott Broidy and other esteemed attendees watched as 70 members of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra performed on Dec. 6 at the newly renovated Wilshire Boulevard Temple. Image Courtesy JewishJournal.com. Photo by Greg Grudt/Mathew Imaging

The Wilshire Boulevard Temple was the setting of a unique event last week when 70 musicians from the Los Angeles Philharmonic performed at the recently renovated Wilshire Boulevard Temple as LA philanthropist Elliott Broidy and his wife Robin were among a packed house of renowned attendees.

“This was a truly remarkable performance,” said Elliott Broidy, philanthropist and Chairman and CEO of Broidy Capital. “This was the perfect event to showcase the temple’s beautiful renovations.”

Inspired by Cantor Don Gurney’s memory of the Cleveland Orchestra celebrating the 100th anniversary of his hometown synagogue, the Jewish Journal lauds last week’s event as one that cements the temple as an acoustic rival to the famed Disney Hall.

After the candle-lighting by architect Brenda Levin and Kiddush by congregation leaders Rabbi Steven Z. Leder and Cantor Gurney, conductor Antonio Mendez went on to lead the orchestra through three full pieces by Beethoven, Tchaikovsky and Dvorak.

The Jewish Journal reports that although the seats in the downstairs sanctuary were full prior to intermission, many attendees gathered in the balcony during the second half to experience the dramatic sounds bouncing off the 100-foot high Byzantine dome.

“It was a unique experience to witness how well the temple accentuated the power of the orchestra, while bringing the pieces to life,” said Elliott Broidy.

Attended by a who’s who of distinguished guests, the event also featured Los Angeles County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky, philanthropists Audrey M. Irmas, Stanley and Ilene Gold, Ambassador Lester and Carolbeth Korn, Elizabeth and Yehuda Naftali, Darcie Denkert Notkin and Shelby Notkin, Nancy and Steve Lovett.

Founded in 1862 as Congregation B’nai B’rith, the Wilshire Boulevard Temple is the oldest Jewish congregation in Los Angeles. The temple’s renowned sanctuary is a City of Los Angeles Historic Cultural Monument, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and its immense Byzantine revival dome has been a Los Angeles landmark since 1929.