Actors Temple Click to Enlarge

On Sunday, July 8th, I conducted a walking tour of Times Square for the Brooklyn Center for the Urban Environment.

Despite the 93 degree weather, we had a respectable turn out.

The walk beginning at the Actors Temple, shul to a generation of legendary Jewish performers.

We were given an excellent tour by Rabbi/Cantor Jill Hausman (only wish we had been able to get a good picture of her).

American Guild Variety Artists click to enlarge

The temple contains numerous references to the past. "In memory" is written on a stained glass honoring comedian Joe E. Lewis. Another glass is dedicated to Sophie Tucker, who used to headline an annual benefit for the Actors Temple at a Broadway theater.

On a plaque are the names of the members of the American Guild Variety Artists who have worshiped here. This includes Jack Benny, Ted Lewis, and the comedy duo Smith & Dale.

A framed document for the cigarette fund lists Eddie Cantor and the Ritz Brothers. Rabbi Hausman didn't know the background of the fund.

Despite its show biz connections, actors originally were not permitted to say prayers on 47th Street. But Rabbi Beril Birstein, an Orthodox rabbi with a passion for theater, changed all that when he came to the temple in 1920s.

His daughter Ann Birstein has written an excellent biography of her father and his unusual congregation: The Rabbi on 47th Street.