Temple Sholom is a Canadian Reform congregation, and the largest synagogue in Western Canada. It is an inclusive and egalitarian community.
Members come from a diverse background with a range of Jewish knowledge and experience.
Temple Sholom is many things to many people: a welcoming, multi-generational community for connecting with others, a sanctuary for engaging in meaningful prayer and study, and a receptive environment for nurturing cherished traditions and new ideas. Most of all, Temple Sholom is a sacred and safe place - it's your place to belong.
Since opening our doors in 1964, the congregation we've built and nurtured has been a strong advocate for Reform Judaism and progressive values, resolute in our mission to honour each person and integrate Jewish tradition with contemporary life. As the largest congregation in Western Canada-we're now more than 800 households strong-we take pride in our distinct culture: the egalitarian values that underscore everything we do; our commitment to tzedakah and the pursuit of justice; and our inclusive, kind community, which welcomes Jews of all ages and backgrounds, and warmly embraces interfaith families.
In 65 years Temple Sholom of Vancouver has evolved from a handful of potential members to what is now a pre-eminent Canadian Reform congregation of more than 950 families. We are the largest Jewish congregation west of Toronto.
In 1988 we opened our current sanctuary – a spacious and acoustically praised Temple seating over 1100 worshippers. Music, song and ritual play major roles in our services and celebrations.
Our home is a two story building, fronting on Oak Street. There is a chapel, classrooms, library and meeting rooms, offices, kitchen, playground and outdoor space. We are set in an easily accessible neighbourhood in the city. Greater Vancouver has a diverse population of 2.5 million with a Jewish population of 25-30,000. There are two other major longer established synagogues – Beth Israel (Conservative) and Schara Tzedeck (Orthodox) The congregation has a history of strong rabbinic and lay leadership both in the Temple and the community at large. This tradition of involvement continues locally, nationally and internationally. From 1965 to 1980 we were served by Rabbis John Sherwood , Harold Rubens, and Richard Messing and growth was steady.
In the summer of 1980 Rabbi Philip Bregman became the Temple's spiritual leader, and over the following 33 years the Temple experienced strong spiritual growth and much greater community involvement. The firebombing of our sanctuary in 1985 led to the successful design and building of our new home. In 2013 Rabbi Bregman retired as Rabbi Emeritus.
Our growth continues under the strong leadership of Senior Rabbi Dan Moskovitz (2013) and Associate Rabbi Carey Brown (2011 part-time, 2013 full-time). Membership has increased from 630 households in 2013 to nearly 900 households in 2020 and our religious school has grown from 70 students to 150+ in the same period. Temple Sholom launched our very successful EastSide Jews outreach program for families living in Vancouver’s East Side, monthly family shabbat services, nefesh minyan Shabbat Services for 20-30s. During this period we have launched numerous social justice initiatives including successfully sponsoring 10 Syrian Refugees for asylum and residency in Canada, Shomrei HaAdamah - Jewish Environmental Justice and B’tzelem our effort to be more inclusive of Jews of Colour and to promote anti-racism efforts within and out of the Jewish community.
Our staff has expanded during the period as well adding experienced and qualified professionals in the roles of Executive Director, Director of Congregational Engagement, Programming, Development, Education and administration.
.svg)