Valley Beth Shalom is one of the busiest Conservative Jewish congregations in the San Fernando Valley. Located where the 101 and 405 Freeways come together, our Shabbat services provide a moving Jewish experience. Rabbi Harold M. Schulweis and Rabbi Edward Feinstein are known throughout the world as innovative, inspirational leaders. Nobody does Shabbat morning services better than we do! There are numerous choices to serve everyone's needs.

The institution of the synagogue is thought by most scholars, to have begun during the 7th Century BCE when the Jewish nation was exiled to Babylonia. Far from their homeland, from Jerusalem their holy city, and from the Temple and its sacrificial rites, Jews gathered for prayer, for study, and for celebrations. These community gatherings (the literal meaning of the Greek "synagogue") became a focal experience for the exiles, and their efforts to preserve their distinct culture and identity so far from home. So important were these gatherings, that even after their return to Jerusalem and the re-building of the Temple, the institution of the synagogue continued to flourish.

A synagogue is any place ten or more Jews gather for prayer, learning, and fellowship. In the ancient world, this concept was revolutionary. The ancients typically worshipped at special places, designated by tradition as sacred -- sacred rocks, trees, and mountains, for example. The holiness of the synagogue (and its descendant, the church) derives not from its location, but from the solidarity and fellowship of those who have gathered.

Our synagogue, Valley Beth Shalom, was founded here in the San Fernando Valley of Southern California in 1952. We are affiliated with the Conservative Movement of American Judaism -- which means you will see in our services and activities a mixture of ancient traditions and modern innovations. We continue, for example, to conduct our services in Hebrew -- the traditional language of our people. At the same time, our congregation recognizes the rights of women to participate as equals in all rituals and services. This is an innovation established during the past three decades.