By Donald H. Harrison
CHULA VISTA, California –Temple Beth Shalom, a Conservative congregation that in 1958 became one of the first local Jewish houses of worship to locate outside the City of San Diego, was designated on Wednesday, Feb. 17, as a historic site of the suburban City of Chula Vista.
The Jewish congregation, then using the Ashkenazic spelling ‘Beth Sholom,’ remodeled a Spanish-style building that since 1924 has been the home of St. John’s Episcopal Church, which in the meantime had moved to larger quarters. Beth Sholom replaced Christian symbols with menorahs in front and atop the sanctuary building.
The seven-member Historic Preservation Commission of Chula Vista voted unanimously for the historic designation after City Planner Marilyn Ponseggi reported that Beth Shalom, located at 208 and 210 Madrona Street, met two criteria for historic preservation for buildings that are over the age of 45.
She identified these as its Spanish style architecture and the service the building has rendered to Chula Vista as home to two successive congregations, one Christian and one Jewish.
“Every building has a special narrative, especially a place of worship,” commented Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel, spiritual leader of Temple Beth Sholom. “Our synagogue has been around for a long time and has served a variety of religious communities. The synagogue was originally an Episcopalian Church. Ironically on Sunday we rent the synagogue out to an Evangelical Church and it’s a place of worship not just for Jews but also for Christians. We are very proud of our relationship with the general community. I believe that people of different faiths share something in common in this building. It is a connection not just to the present, certainly to the past, and it is our hope and aspiration that it will continue to be a magnet for new Jewish families moving to Chula Vista…”
Rich Pulido, a Gideon International brother, told the Commission that while he is not a member of the congregation, he does do a lot of volunteer work to help Beth Shalom both with its maintenance and its IT needs. He also commented that he had moved to Chula Vista from Corpus Christi, Texas, where he said he had served as a member of the Human Relations and Public Access Commissions. He said he could testify that the rabbi and members of Beth Shalom are “very warm people, and they accept people with open arms. They are very friendly and I have never seen anyone turned down or looked down at. This is a very strong community.”
Steve Goldkrantz, a Beth Shalom congregant who spearheaded the research necessary for the application for historic designation, commented that “I cannot say enough how fortunate we are to have this shul exist in our local community.” In other localities, he added, “as older communities have moved, buildings become dilapidated.” Beth Shalom, on the other hand “has stood the test of time … This particular location has a long life ahead of it provided we take good care of it. There are a lot of hidden treasures inside this building,” including artifacts which he anticipates in the future Beth Shalom will exhibit in a small museum on the property.
Before the vote was taken Commissioner Mario Orso commented that the hearing had helped to make commissioners and members of the public “conscious and aware of the historical value you all have in your temple and how you are willing to share it with the rest of the community. I commend you for that, really applaud you for being conscious of this and taking action, and at the same time opening your arms to the rest of the community to share the treasure that you have.”
Besides the cachet of being an official historic place – Number 103 on the Chula Vista Historic Register – the designation brings with it eligibility for Beth Shalom congregants to apply for various federal and state grants to refurbish the property, according to Ponseggi.
After the vote, an exultant Beth Shalom delegation began making plans to purchase a historic site plaque and to hold a public ceremony when it is affixed to the site.
*
Harrison is editor of San Diego Jewish World. He may be contacted via donald.harrison@sdjewishworld.com . Comments intended for publication in the space below must be accompanied by the letter writer’s first and last name and by his/ her city and state of residence (city and country for those outside the U.S.)