All About us:

Temple Ami Shalom is a product of the merger in 1994 of two congregations in the eastern San Gabriel Valley area of Los Angeles County. The two congregations, Temple Shalom of West Covina, and Temple Beth Ami, were themselves products of a denominational split some 30 years ago of the original Citrus Valley Jewish Community Center, which was formed almost 40 years ago.

Temple Shalom became the reform congregation, and Temple Beth Ami became the conservative congregation. Under the leadership of Rabbi Elisha Nattiv, Temple Shalom flourished for many years, purchased a building in the eastern area of West Covina, adjacent to Baldwin Park, started a pre-school, and joined the Union of American Hebrew Congregations.

Likewise, Temple Beth Ami grew, but was temporarily set back by a devastating fire. The congregation was able to rebuild on a new expansive site on the eastern edge of West Covina, in a beautiful area adjacent to rolling hills. Under the leadership of Rabbi Henry Kraus, Temple Beth Ami also flourished and joined the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, and in the late 1980s a community day school, Atid Hebrew Academy, opened on space rented from Beth Ami.

Major demographic changes were ultimately in store, however, for the entire San Gabriel Valley. The membership of Temple Shalom increasingly resided further and further east, and by 1994 very few members resided near the Temple. Similarly, the membership of Temple Beth Ami felt the pressure of the change in demographics, and the retirement of Rabbi Kraus.

In September 1994 the two congregations finished several years of negotiations, and agreed to merge into the new entity -- Temple Ami Shalom. What had divided 30 years prior was once again whole.

The hopes for the new congregation are high. It is the only synagogue in eastern Los Angeles county between Temple City (Temple Beth David) and Arcadia (Congregation Shaarei Torah) some 23 miles west and north, and Pomona (Temple Beth Israel) some 7 miles east and north.

By all accounts, from a ritual standpoint the merger has been a success. Friday night services are run with much singing and use of instruments and keyboard when available, and are expressly announced to be designed for Reform worship. While Gates of Prayer is occasionally used as the text, the congregation opted for an abbreviated service from Likrat Shabbat due to it's extensive transliteration of the Hebrew prayers. 

Saturday mornings and morning B'nei Mitzvah services are conducted from the Greenberg & Levine Siddur Hadash in an abbreviated Conservative service, and includes an alternative Musaf service which incorporates egalitarian changes in the Amidah.  All services are completely egalitarian, with women and men sharing equal status in all matters.

The congregation is now an affiliate of the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism.