1938 until 1990s

The congregation was founded in 1938.^[4][5] The first rabbi, Ernest Trattner, served until 1947, when he left amid dissension among the congregation, culminating in litigation.^[6][7]

The current building, completed in 1953, was the first religious building designed by architect Sidney Eisenshtat, who went on to become a noted designer of synagogues and Jewish academic buildings.^[8] Built with red brick and concrete, it is considered an important example of Modernist synagogue architecture.^[9]

Inside, the Belle Chapel presents a permanent memorial to the victims of the Holocaust.^[10] The sculpture inside the chapel was designed by Dr Eric May and donated by Nicolai Joffe.^[10]

Isaiah Zeldin served as one of its rabbis from 1958 until he left to found Stephen S. Wise Temple in Bel Air in 1964.^[11][12] Rabbi Zeldin was preceded by Bernard Harrison; after Rabbi Harrison's death, a chapel was dedicated in his honor.^[13][14] Edward Krawll was cantor for many years.^[15] Meanwhile, comedian Groucho Marx was a congregant.^[16]

By 1993, the synagogue had a US$2 million debt.^[2] One of the proposed solutions was to merge with the Wilshire Boulevard Temple, a large Reform synagogue located at Western and Vermont Avenues in Koreatown.^[17] However, Temple Emanuel's congregation narrowly voted to reject the merger, deciding that it would change the traditional culture of the synagogue too much.^[2] Finances were stabilized by donations, and a capital campaign eventually yielded approximately $10 million.^[18] The building underwent a substantial renovation in 2011, under the supervision of Rios Clementi Hale Studios.^[9][19]

Since 1994

From 1994–2015, Laura Geller had served as senior rabbi.^[1] This made her the first female rabbi to lead a major metropolitan congregation.^[20][21] Rabbi Jonathan Aaron has served as senior rabbi since 2015. The clergy team who work alongside Rabbi Aaron are Rabbi Sarah Bassin (Associate Rabbi), Rabbi Adam Lutz (Assistant Rabbi/Director of Education), and Cantor Lizzie Weiss.

In 2019, the school and community building, located across the street, was sold to a developer; and, in 2021, they were demolished to make way for a residential apartment project.