Wilshire Boulevard Temple on Sunday, Oct. 18 celebrated the opening of its two newly renovated schools at its historic Wilshire Center/Koreatown location. Participating in a ribbon-cutting ceremony were the two women for whom the schools are named: Geri Brawerman (left), the major funder of Brawerman Elementary School East, and Erika J. Glazer, the major funder of the Erika J. Glazer Early Childhood Center. The temple also celebrated the re-opening of the Wilshire Boulevard Temple Religious School, housed in the classrooms of Brawerman Elementary School.

(photo by Craig Mathew)

Brawerman and Glazer are pillars of the Wilshire Boulevard Temple community and have contributed other major gifts to the temple, according to Susan Gordon, communications director for the temple. Brawerman, with her late husband Richard, donated funding to establish Brawerman Elementary School West, located in West Los Angeles, which celebrated its 16th anniversary this year.

Glazer provided the core funding to revive the temple’s campus in Wilshire Center, now named the Erika J. Glazer Family Campus of Wilshire Boulevard Temple. New features at the renovated schools include fine art studios, libraries and outdoor play areas, with a rooftop sports complex for the older Brawerman students featuring a soccer field, basketball court and track. Brawerman’s new facilities also include an innovation lab, music room and science lab.

Wilshire Boulevard Temple is located at 3663 Wilshire Blvd.

For more information, visit www.wbtla.org.