Modernism Week - October: Temple Isaiah tour tells story of unity, Sinatra connection

When Rabbi Steven Rosenberg talks about the architectural design of his synagogue Temple Isaiah, he feels a "tremendous amount of hope" for what the building will provide to future generations.

Aside from being a synagogue and a Jewish community center, Temple Isaiah is also a remarkable midcentury modern structure that also houses the Desert Winds Freedom Band and the chorus Modern Men. It also hosts quinceañera celebrations, weddings, funerals and other events.

The Temple was featured yet again in Modernism Week - October this year via a sold-out tour.

Mitchell Karp, Temple Isaiah board of trustees president, said the Modernism Week tours provide an opportunity for the synagogue to counter misconceptions and stereotypes of the Jewish faith and build dialogue with tourists and the local community as anti-Semitism is on the rise.

"(Modernism Week) has changed people's perception as to what we are about, because this building is not only a temple," Karp said. "Around the temple is a Jewish community center and there are few temples that have a Jewish community center coexisting in one building. When we built this temple, it was built under the auspices that it was for the community, not just the Jewish community."

Rosenberg said the tour has attracted Modernism Week attendees from Australia and Canada who have read previous coverage of the synagogue and its architecture on the internet.

Here are some highlights from Temple Isaiah's Modernism Week - October guided tour:

The original building was designed in 1947

Architect E. Stewart Williams designed the original structure, now known as the Al Liberman Chapel, in 1947. It opened in 1951 to local Conservative, Reform and Orthodox Jewish communities. Building materials were scarce coming out of World War II and synagogues were built with concrete, wood steel and glass.

The original Temple Isaiah's architecture featured a large square building made of concrete floors, cement walls, cinder and aggregate blocks and wood ceilings. The exterior featured a repeating Star of David motif, a breezeway and an adjacent building. This was a departure from most synagogues in the U.S. that incorporated designs inspired by Eastern European temples, such as the Great Synagogue of Prague.

The chapel has six stained glass windows, a Bzim (altar) adorned with Hebrew calligraphy of the 10 commandments, a tall ark and a fixture hanging from the ceiling with a red LED bulb symbolizing the eternal light. A set of cantilever stairs leads up to a balcony, but the stairs and balcony are not operable due to safety concerns.

Frank Sinatra raised funds for the new temple

Rabbi Joseph Hurwitz, who spent four decades at Temple Isaiah, was also a chaplain at the Desert Regional Medical Center. While Frank Sinatra's mother, Dolly, was hospitalized, Hurwitz struck up a friendship with Frank Sinatra. After Dolly Sinatra died in a plane crash near Palm Springs in 1977, Hurwitz gave a eulogy. Sinatra later thanked Hurwitz and told him he was there for the Palm Springs rabbi if he ever needed anything.

When it came time to build an expansion, Sinatra did a series of fundraisers in 1982 and 1983 and brought many of his friends from Los Angeles and New York, ultimately raising $4 million. Although Sinatra was a Catholic, he had a lifetime membership at the temple and his name is preserved in perpetuity on two pews inside the new chapel.

The new temple was built in 1987

A new brutalist addition to Temple Isaiah was designed by David Christian, who is also known for designing Lulu's California Bistro and several other restaurants in Palm Springs. Aside from the Bochner Sanctuary, the update included the Tash/Agam Ark, Warsaw Ballroom, Levy Hall, Vener Reception Hall and a new kitchen.

The addition also features seating for 700 members, a slightly sloped roof, a panoramic window above the Bzim featuring 12 panes of glass representing the 12 tribes of Israel and 18 angular windows. One of the major differences between the new chapel compared to the old — one aside from size — is the incorporation of natural sunlight and modern feel. Many have said the west end of the building resembles an ark, Christian and Temple Isaiah have said this wasn't intentional.

The glass ark is a 'radical departure'

When Israeli sculptor and artist Yaacov Agam was commissioned to build an ark for Temple Isaiah, he designed a colorful glass cabinet-like structure, leaving the Torah scrolls visible inside. Rosenberg describes this as a "radical departure" because the scrolls are traditionally placed in arks with cabinet doors or behind a curtain.

Agam, an early figure of the "kinetic art" movement, also has work on display at the Palm Springs Art Museum and Sunnylands Center and Gardens.

Brian Blueskye covers arts and entertainment for the Desert Sun. He can be reached at brian.blueskye@desertsun.com or on Twitter at @bblueskye.

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Temple Isaiah tour shares story of Palm Springs' Jewish community