The Pacific Jewish Center, also known as The Shul on the Beach or PJC, is a synagogue in Venice, California known for its outreach to unaffiliated and disconnected Jews. The Shul remains the last of the synagogues built in Venice during the first part of the 20th century. Although an Orthodox

Orthodox Judaism

Orthodox Judaism , is the approach to Judaism which adheres to the traditional interpretation and application of the laws and ethics of the Torah as legislated in the Talmudic texts by the Sanhedrin and subsequently developed and applied by the later authorities known as the Gaonim, Rishonim, and...

 synagogue, due to its location in an eclectic neighborhood worshippers who identify themselves as many different denominations are all welcomed when attending services and other events.
The current Rabbi is Eliyahu Fink.

History

The congregation was one of several synagogues established in Venice Beach in the 1920s, all except this one had disappeared by the late 1960s. The membership had gradually dwindled until there was hardly a minyan

Minyan

A minyan in Judaism refers to the quorum of ten Jewish adults required for certain religious obligations. According to many non-Orthodox streams of Judaism adult females count in the minyan....

 available. However in the 1970s by a group of young, Orthodox Jews led by Michael Medved

Michael Medved

Michael Medved is an American radio host, author, political commentator and film critic. His Seattle, Washington-based nationally syndicated talk show, The Michael Medved Show, airs throughout the U.S...

, David Horowitz

David Horowitz

David Joel Horowitz is an American conservative writer and policy advocate. Horowitz was raised by parents who were both members of the American Communist Party. Between 1956 and 1975, Horowitz was an outspoken adherent of the New Left before rejecting Marxism completely...

, and Rabbi Daniel Lapin

Daniel Lapin

Daniel Lapin is a political commentator and American Orthodox rabbi living on Mercer Island, Washington. He is the founder of Toward Tradition, a politically conservative Jewish-Christian organization. He once headed the Pacific Jewish Center in Venice, California. He is also the former head of...

 re-established the community and it soon became the nexus of Orthodox outreach in Los Angeles for the next decade. Lapin was the unpaid rabbi of the congregation from 1976 to 1991.

The Bar Mitzvah of Jason Gould

Jason Gould

Jason Emanuel Gould is an American actor, writer and director.Gould is the son of singer/actress Barbra Streisand and actor Elliott Gould, who divorced July 9, 1971. Gould spent his formative years around major Hollywood players in Los Angeles, California...

, son of Barbra Streisand

Barbra Streisand

Barbra Joan Streisand is an American singer, actress, film producer and director. She has won two Academy Awards, eight Grammy Awards, four Emmy Awards, a Special Tony Award, an American Film Institute award, a Peabody Award, and is one of the few entertainers who have won an Oscar, Emmy, Grammy,...

 and Elliot Gould, was held at the shul.