Magnin, Edgar F. (Edgar Fogel), 1890-1984

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Edgar Magnin was born in San Francisco, California on 1 July 1890. He attended Temple Israel in San Francisco as a boy and always knew that he wanted to enter the rabbinate. Magnin was ordained from Hebrew Union College, Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1914.

Magnin returned to his beloved California immediately following ordination to serve one year in Stockton, California, before becoming the rabbi at the oldest Jewish congregation in Los Angeles, B'nai B'rith Temple (which became Wilshire Boulevard Temple in 1929) in 1916. Magnin served at Wilshire Boulevard Temple for 69 years, a record for the Reform rabbinate. He chaired numerous temple building campaigns, including one in 1923 following damage by an earthquake. In 1962, the temple named their new religious school after their long-term rabbi.

During World War II, Magnin served within his community through both the National Jewish Welfare Board as he had during World War I and the more recently formed United Service Organization (USO). Through his connections to these wartime organizations, Magnin became friends with celebrities such as Bob Hope.

While Magnin only published two full length books (one published posthumorously) - How to Live a Richer and Fuller Life (1951) and 365 Vitamins for the Mind (1984), he was a columnist for the Los Angeles Herald-Examiner for several decades. Dr. Magnin Says remained a perennial favorite for readers, and the latter book was a compilation of his best columns. These columns gave information about Jewish traditions, reviewed the latest films and books, and advised on the art of remaining young. Magnin taught at the University of Southern California from 1935 to 1955 and the College of Jewish Studies and in addition was a frequent guest speaker on both radio and television shows.

Magnin was to remain a supporter of his alma mater for the rest of his life, and instrumental in the creation of HUC-JIR's Los Angeles campus. The precursor to the Rhea Hirsch School of Jewish Education was the Jewish College of Studies sponsored by the Wilshire Boulevard Temple in the early 1950s. Later the graduate school of the Los Angeles campus was renamed after Magnin. Additionally, Magnin was named HUC-JIR's "Graduate of the Century."

He was also extremely involved in several non-Jewish organizations. Magnin was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal in 1978- Los Angeles County's highest award for community service. His service included sitting on the board of the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, search committees for the Los Angeles Public Schools, the local Red Cross, the Los Angeles World Affairs Council and several other organizations. Magnin was also a dedicated member and leader in the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry.

Magnin was a friend and advisor to several celebrities in both entertainment and the political world. He participated in the inagurations of both Richard M. Nixon and Ronald Reagan. He was also one of the first rabbis to conduct a Jewish service at the White House in January 1973. Magnin met with Albert Einstein in 1931, an event he always remembered. But the rabbi to the stars regularly married and buried stars such as Irving Thalberg, Adolf Zuker, Eddie Cantor, George Jessel and Jack Benny.

Magnin died of natural causes at his Beverly Hills home on 18 July 1984. He was 94.

Edgar Magnin married Evelyn Rosenthal in 1916. Like her husband, Evelyn Magnin was extremely involved in local affairs, including the auxilary of the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. The Magnins had a daughter, Mae Brussell, and a son, Henry.

From the guide to the Edgar F. Magnin Papers, 1909-1984, (The Jacob Rader Marcus Center of the American Jewish Archives)

Relation Name
associatedWith Advisory Committee on Resettlement of Displaced Persons. corporateBody
associatedWith American Federation for Labor and Congress of Industrial Federations corporateBody
correspondedWith American Jewish Committee William Wiener Oral History Library corporateBody
associatedWith Anti-Defamation League. corporateBody
correspondedWith Anti-Defamation League of B'nai B'rith corporateBody
correspondedWith Associated Press corporateBody
correspondedWith Association of Reform Zionists of America corporateBody
correspondedWith Bancroft Library (Berkley, Calif.) corporateBody
associatedWith Bancroft Library. Regional Oral History Office. corporateBody
associatedWith Bancroft Library. University of California at Berkley. (Berkley, Calif.) corporateBody
correspondedWith Belousoff, Sheldon person
correspondedWith Bendat, Benjamin person
associatedWith Benezet, Louis person
associatedWith B'nai B'rith Temple (Los Angeles, Calif.) corporateBody
correspondedWith Board of Education (Los Angeles, Calif.) corporateBody
correspondedWith Board of Rabbis of Southern California corporateBody
correspondedWith Board of Supervisors (Los Angeles, Calif.) corporateBody
correspondedWith Bowles, Norma person
correspondedWith Boy Scouts of America corporateBody
correspondedWith Burg, Gerald person
correspondedWith California State Legislature corporateBody
associatedWith Cedars Sinai. corporateBody
correspondedWith Cedars-Sinai Medical Center (Los Angeles, Calif.) corporateBody
correspondedWith Central Conference of American Rabbis corporateBody
associatedWith Chall, Malca. person
correspondedWith City Council (Los Angeles, Calif.) corporateBody
associatedWith Cooke, John D. (John Daniel) person
correspondedWith Davis, Edward M. person
correspondedWith Dimont, Max I. person
correspondedWith Disney Corporation corporateBody
correspondedWith Dubin, Maxwell person
associatedWith Dubin, Maxwell H person
correspondedWith Durant, Ariel and Will person
associatedWith Edgar F. Magnin School of Graduate Studies. corporateBody
correspondedWith Edgar Magnin Religious School. (Los Angeles, Calif.) corporateBody
associatedWith Edgar Magnin School of Religious Education. (Los Angeles, Calif.) corporateBody
associatedWith Edgar Magnin School of Religious Education. Wilshire Boulevard Temple. (Los Angeles, Calif.) corporateBody
associatedWith Federation of Jewish Welfare Organizations. corporateBody
correspondedWith Fields, Harvey person
associatedWith Ford, Gerald person
correspondedWith Front, Henri I. person
associatedWith Glueck, Nelson person
correspondedWith Goldmark, Lawrence person
correspondedWith Goodman, Mark person
associatedWith Gottschalk, Alfred person
correspondedWith Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons. (San Francisco, Calif.) corporateBody
correspondedWith Grayce, Allan person
associatedWith Hebrew Union College. corporateBody
correspondedWith Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion corporateBody
correspondedWith Hillcrest Country Club. (Los Angeles, Calif.) corporateBody
associatedWith Holizer, Honorable, Harry A. person
correspondedWith Jewish Chautauqua Society corporateBody
associatedWith Jewish Committee for Personal Service. corporateBody
associatedWith Jewish Committee for Personal Services. (Los Angeles, Calif.) corporateBody
correspondedWith Jewish Community Council. (Los Angeles, Calif.) corporateBody
correspondedWith Jewish Federation Council. (Los Angeles, Calif.). Jewish Community Relations Council. . corporateBody
associatedWith Jewish Publication Society. corporateBody
correspondedWith Jewish Welfare Board corporateBody
correspondedWith Kaplan, Israel person
correspondedWith Katz, Burton person
associatedWith Kennedy, Edward person
associatedWith King Features Syndicate. corporateBody
correspondedWith Kramer, Augusta person
associatedWith KTTV. corporateBody
correspondedWith Laemmle, Richard person
correspondedWith Lesser, Sol person
correspondedWith Lester, Edwin person
associatedWith Levey, Samson H. person
correspondedWith Levine, Leonard person
associatedWith Los Angeles Herald Examiner. corporateBody
associatedWith Los Angeles World Affairs Council. corporateBody
associatedWith Magnin family
associatedWith Magnin, Cyril person
correspondedWith Magnin, Dale person
associatedWith Magnin, Evelyn person
associatedWith Marcus, Jacob Rader person
correspondedWith McIntyre, James Francis person
correspondedWith McKesson, William B. person
correspondedWith Milsten, Harry person
associatedWith Mondale, Walter person
correspondedWith Navy League corporateBody
correspondedWith Newman, Louis I. (Louis Israel), 1893-1972. person
associatedWith Nixon, Richard person
correspondedWith Nixon, Richard M. person
associatedWith Nizer, Louis person
correspondedWith Pepperdine University corporateBody
correspondedWith Phillips, Abigail person
associatedWith Piness, George. person
associatedWith Prentice Hall, Inc. corporateBody
associatedWith Queen Beatrix of Netherlands person
correspondedWith Ray, Joseph person
correspondedWith Reagan, Ronald person
associatedWith Reform Jewish Appeal. corporateBody
correspondedWith Roberti, David person
associatedWith Roosevelt, Eleanor person
associatedWith Rosenthall, George M person
correspondedWith Rosten, Rees person
correspondedWith Sardis Synagogue. (Rome, Italy) corporateBody
correspondedWith Scottish Rite of Free Masonry corporateBody
correspondedWith State of California. Advisory Committee on Displaced Persons corporateBody
correspondedWith Union of American Hebrew Congregations corporateBody
correspondedWith United Service Organization corporateBody
correspondedWith University of California at Irving. (Irving, Calif.) Board of Trustees. corporateBody
correspondedWith University of Southern California. (Los Angeles, Calif.) corporateBody
associatedWith William Wiener Oral History Library . American Jewish Committee. corporateBody
associatedWith Wilshire Boulevard Temple. corporateBody
associatedWith Wilshire Boulevard Temple (Los Angeles, Calif.) corporateBody
associatedWith Wohl, Amiel person
correspondedWith World Affairs Council. (Los Angeles, Calif.) corporateBody
associatedWith Zukor, Adolph person
Place Name Admin Code Country
California
California--Los Angeles
Subject
Jews
Jews
Rabbis
Occupation
Rabbis
Activity

Person

Birth 1890-07-01

Death 1984-07-17

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