Founded in 1926, the congregation initially held services in the Hayakawa Mansion before the first Temple Israel building was established on Ivar Street under the leadership of Rabbi Isadore Isaacson.

[citation needed] Shortly after its founding, the Temple began staging its Midnight Show, a fundraiser that over the years saw such stars as Benny Rubin, Lucille Ball, Al Jolson, Eddie Cantor, Jack Benny, Milton Berle, Frank Sinatra, Judy Garland, Shirley MacLaine, and Lena Horne perform on behalf of the Temple.

[citation needed] Many famous speakers were also brought in to speak before the congregation including Rabbis Mordechai Kaplan, Leo Baeck, and Stephen S. Wise.

Harry Belafonte, Leon Uris, and Theodore Bikel also spoke before the congregation; and in 1965 Martin Luther King Jr. gave a rousing speech from the bima.

[3] In January 2015, the Temple celebrated the 50th Anniversary of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s visit with a celebratory evening featuring speeches from Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and talk show host and author Tavis Smiley.