Wilshire Boulevard Temple in Los Angeles. The landmark temple, the oldest Jewish congregation in Los Angeles, is associated with the men who invented the motion picture industry, (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)
Pews inside the temple’s 1,800-seat sanctuary. The sanctuary is tentatively scheduled to close after the High Holy Days in 2010 and reopen18 months to two years later. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)
The murals on the Wilshire Boulevard Temple’s walls tell the history of the Jews. They were donated by the Warner brothers and painted by Hugo Ballin, head of their movie studios art department. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)
One of the two menorahs inside Wilshire Boulevard Temple. Part of the 135-foot dome was a gift from film producer Irving Thalberg. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)
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A detail of one of the Ballin murals insisde the sanctuary. Many of them are pulling off the wall and need cleaning. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)
There is no air conditioning insisde Wilshire Boulevard Temple, so on days when the temple is filled, it is more like a schvitz -- a steam bath -- than a synagogue. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)
A Star of David shadow is cast on a hallway ceiling. In the background are doors leading out to Wilshire Boulevard. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)
