Message from the President

It is my honor to serve as President of Stephen Wise Temple and Schools.
For 61 years on this mountaintop, Stephen Wise has been a place where tradition and innovation make beautiful music together.

Our mission is simple and profound: to provide Jews, those who love Jews, and those who seek to become Jewish with a place to practice their Judaism, educate their children Jewishly, belong to and be in community with Jews, and live Jewishly.

We do this by welcoming all into our Big Tent.

OCTOBER 7^TH REINFORCED OUR FOUNDING COMMITMENT TO TORAH AND TO ISRAEL.  Rabbi Zeldin laid out our mission – to serve the Jewish community in Los Angeles and to be HOME for as many in this community as possible.

Our love of Torah and Jewish learning shines through every stage of life, with access points for all:

• Aaron Milken Center: our early childhood education
• Wise School: our elementary program
• Center for Youth Engagement: our after-school Hebrew School, B’nai Mitzvah prep school, and teen programs
• Center for Jewish Life: our adult learning and community education

Wise belongs to all of us. This is our Temple, our synagogue, our shul.

I encourage you to lean into what makes Wise special and what unites us:

• Our tradition, which has endured for thousands of years
• Our Jewish values of kindness and respect, guiding us through the darkest times
• Our love of community, binding us together no matter the challenge
• Our commitment to the State of Israel, whose survival and success renew our strength and purpose

I invite you to join us — to pray with us, learn with us, study with us, celebrate with us, and advocate for Israel with us.

At Wise, there are countless ways to live Jewishly and connect meaningfully.

Let us remember we are one people.

Step inside our tent and be part of your community.

As we and our children confront a world forever changed by the events of October 7th, our mission has never been more vital. Together, we will ensure that our people, our traditions, and our homeland continue to shine as a beacon of light unto the world.

Victor Svilik
President, Stephen Wise Temple and Schools