Temple Sherith Israel

1. October 1902

   Congregation Sherith Israel completed its purchase of the corner lots at California and Webster Streets, and the houses standing at 2266 and 2268 California Street were demolished or moved from November.

   National Register of Historic Places nomination, National Park Service
2. 1904

   Built.

3. 1904

   Congregation Sherith Israel moved from Post and Taylor streets into a new building here in 1904: a grand neoclassical design with a large central dome by the Beaux-Arts-trained architect Albert Pissis, whose other work includes the Hibernia Bank and the Flood Building. Its sanctuary holds a stained-glass window showing Moses carrying the Ten Commandments from El Capitan into Yosemite Valley.

   Japantown Historic Context Statement, May 2009
4. February 22, 1904

   The cornerstone of the new synagogue was laid, in the rain.

   National Register of Historic Places nomination, National Park Service
5. September 24, 1905

   Dedicated and occupied: Albert Pissis's domed synagogue, brick walls and stone veneer around a steel cage carrying the dome, Byzantine and Romanesque in a Beaux Arts composition, with an interior painted by Attilio Moretti and an organ of 46 stops by the Los Angeles Art Organ Company. It cost about $250,000 and was called the largest and costliest synagogue west of Chicago. Its great west window of Moses at Yosemite, showing the Promised Land in California, is a masterpiece of American stained glass.

   National Register of Historic Places nomination, National Park Service
6. 1906

   One of the few large buildings left standing after the earthquake and fires of 1906, it served as the city's Hall of Justice while the Civic Center was rebuilt.

   Japantown Historic Context Statement, May 2009
7. April 24, 1906

   With City Hall and the Hall of Justice destroyed, the Superior Court moved into the synagogue — eight of its twelve departments by the end of the year, with the city's law library in a gallery. Here the grand jury sat and much of the Graft Prosecution was heard, the cases that brought down Mayor Eugene Schmitz and the political boss Abe Ruef; Schmitz was sentenced in the temple. The last courts left on 28 February 1908.

   National Register of Historic Places nomination, National Park Service
8. March 1935

   An addition holding a lift was built on the east side, designed by Samuel Lightner Hyman and Abraham Appleton.

   National Register of Historic Places nomination, National Park Service
9. April 1949

   Temple House, the congregation's annex of classrooms, theatre, auditorium and kitchen on the lots bought next door in 1947, opened at a cost of $250,000, designed by Bernard G. Nobler; the synagogue's ground-floor chapel was remodelled the same year.

   National Register of Historic Places nomination, National Park Service
10. Jun 1984

    Permit 8406200 $$$ $24,600

    School improvement-remove non-bearing/paint walls.

11. Apr 1987

    Permit 8705276 $$$ $425,000

    Reroofing and repair to existing structure.

12. Jun 1987

    Permit 8707537 $$$ $36,000

    Selective demolition of exterior.

13. Apr 1988

    Permit 8804390 $$$ $38,937

    Parapet strengthening.

14. May 1995

    Permit 9507476 $$$ $4,800

    Replace type i range hood, replace exh blower, add air fan.

15. Sep 1996

    Permit 9617002 $$$ $1,075,000

    Horizontal addition.

16. Apr 1997

    Permit 9706170 $$$ $11,300

    Modification of existing fire sprinkler.

17. Aug 1997

    Permit 9714736 $$$ $13,300

    Fire alarm.

18. Aug 1997

    Permit 9716675 $$$ $1,100

    Install fire system into the existing hood & duct.

19. Jan 2005

    Issued Permit M30874

    Streetspace.

20. Jan 2007

    Permit 200701302909 $$$ $5,400,000

    Project provides seismic strengthening. roof access stair will be modified to accommodate revisions to roof diaphragm. project also includes new roofing & exterior repairs to facade. improvements to disabled access include provision for accessible seating at main floor and balcony.

21. March 31, 2010

    Listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the principal site of the Graft Prosecution and as a major work of Albert Pissis.

    National Register of Historic Places nomination, National Park Service
22. Apr 2016

    Permit 201604275859 $$$ $1

    Revision to permit application 200701302909 - revised accessible path of travel to provide ramp @ hallway & change use from chapel to multipurpose room.

23. May 2016

    Permit 201605137448 $$$ $1

    Revision to north reaction wall, piers foundations to permit application 200701302909.

24. Sep 2016

    Permit 201609147669 $$$ $1

    Revision to permit application 200701302909 sheet a701; to provide structural design for spiral steel stairing in northeast stairwell of building.

25. Dec 2016

    Permit 201612275893 $$$ $20,000

    Replace existing flexible ductwork with new 26 gauge steel ductwork in crawl space in conjunction with replacement of 3 existing forced air furnaces with new.

26. Jan 2017

    Permit 201701308164 $$$ $150,000

    Reroofing.

27. Dec 2017

    Permit 201712045391 $$$ $7,000

    Replace existing temporary shoring with permanent steel shoring epr designs & plans as drawn & calculated by structural engineer.

22 nominal $1 street-space or sidewalk permits are omitted from the timeline. 4 expired or cancelled permits are not shown. The congregation's move into the synagogue is dated 1904 in one entry here; the building's cornerstone was laid in February 1904 and it was dedicated and occupied on 24 September 1905.