White, Saul Elchanan, 1907-1983

Rabbi of San Francisco's Congregation Beth Sholom from the time of the building's completion in 1935 to 1983. He was born in Kolno, Poland, and immigrated to the U.S., in 1920. He graduated from the Jewish Institute of Religion in New York and married Ruth Shapiro from Brooklyn. He took part in the struggles for civil rights and protested the Vietnam War. He was also known for fighting Antisemitism, fostering Jewish education, and for building bridges with organized labor, blacks, and Christian churches. He co-chaired the San Francisco Conference on Religious, Race and Social Concerns. Because of his concerns, he was called a "prophetic voice in Judaism." White raised Beth Sholom's membership from thirty to six hundred families. He also founded Brandeis-Hillel Day School and was a president of the Northern California Board of Rabbis; the American Jewish Congress of Northern California; the San Francisco Zionist District; and the Jewish National Fund of California. In addition, he served as a chairman of the San Francisco Council of Rabbis and as a board member of the Jewish Welfare Federation, and he was an active member of the San Francisco Commission on Aging. He also wrote many columns for the San Francisco Jewish Bulletin and articles for other periodicals. The Rabbi Saul E. White Professorial Chair was established at the University of Judaism in Los Angeles in his honor.