Magnin Mausoleum

Rabbi Edgar Fogel Magnin
July 1, 1890–July 17, 1984
Home of Peace Cemetery
Los Angeles, California

This granite mausoleum houses the earthly remains of Rabbi Magnin, sometimes called the “Rabbi to the Stars.” Edgar Fogel Magnin was born in San Francisco, and was a member of the family that founded the Magnin department stores I. Magnin and Joseph Magnin Co. Edgar attended the Hebrew Union College in Cincinnati and was ordained in 1914. He became the rabbi of the Congregation B’nai B’rith, now known as the Wilshire Boulevard Temple, in 1915, a position he held for 69 years. He actively pursued motion picture and television celebrities and executives, and performed many Hollywood marriages and funerals. He also participated in the inaugural ceremonies of Presidents Richard M. Nixon and Ronald Reagan. Rabbi Magnin was a member of more than 20 local and national organizations, hosted a radio program, gave frequent lectures, and was a liaison between Jewish and Christian communities. During his tenure, his congregation grew from a few hundred to close to 3,000 families. His fundraising abilities were in large part responsible for the construction of the Wilshire Boulevard Temple that opened in 1929. The temple, now a designated historic landmark, has a 100-foot-diameter dome and magnificent murals commissioned by the Warner Brothers. In 1980, the site of the temple was named Edgar F. Magnin Square.
Text and copy © Douglas Keister Visit Doug’s Author Page

[address cemetery=”Home of Peace Cemetery” street=”4334 Whittier Blvd” city=”Los Angeles” state=”California” zip=”90023″]