A survey by the Union of American Hebrew Congregations released today shows that the worst damage suffered by any of its Reform temples during the earthquake two weeks ago was at the synagogue serving the Jewish deaf and their families in Southern California. Temple Beth Solomon of the Deaf in the San Fernando Valley sustained damages which Alvin Klugman, president of the temple, described as “a heavy blow to the unique congregation which five years ago became the only deaf group in the world to own its own synagogue building.” Klugman said that the congregants are determined to carry on and their first effort to make up some of the loss, which he estimated was at least $5000, will be a free Purim carnival on March 7. The purpose of this initial fund raising effort, he said, will be to rebuild part of the religious school where the debris has been cleared away and classes continue as usual. An earlier report by Albert Bronstein, executive director of the Jewish Federation Council of Greater Los Angeles, said that damage to the Jewish community shops, centers and synagogues and private homes was relatively limited.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
