Welcome to the
Joan & Ephraim Sales Community Center
The Joan and Ephraim Sales Community Center:
The Joan and Ephraim Sales Community Center is beautifully designed space for flexible, multipurpose, ‘living-room’ adult gatherings, with comfortable, bright meeting rooms and the Sherrie Zacharius and David O. Levine courtyard. The Joan and Ephraim Sales Community Center enhances Temple Isaiah’s ability to be the community’s “home at the intersection of innovation and tradition,” furthering Rabbi Dara’s vision for Temple Isaiah. It provides space that up until now didn’t exist for congregants to gather in ways that are meaningful and that foster deeper relationships. Whether for Torah study, social justice, book clubs, or support groups, the Joan and Ephraim Sales Community Center is a place where small groups of Isaians can support, uplift, learn from, and celebrate with each other.
The Joan and Ephraim Sales Community Center was made possible through a major gift from Joan and Ephraim Sales (z’l) and their family, and Sherrie Zacharius and David O. Levine whose gift contributed to the project and for whom the patio is named.
About Joan and Ephraim Sales:
שֶׁ֖מֶן תּוּרַ֣ק שְׁמֶ֑ךָ
Your name is like finest oil – Song of Songs 1:3
Ephraim Sales was born in Berlin, Germany. His early childhood was surrounded by Nazis and fighting with Nazi youth on his way to and from yeshiva in Berlin. When he was eight years old, he witnessed his father’s Jewish bookstore get destroyed during Kristallnacht.
When Ephraim was in his early 20s, he moved to Los Angeles, California with his parents, following his married sisters who were already in Los Angeles.
Ephraim passed the CPA exam and started his career in Beverly Hills, eventually becoming a partner at the firm where he was hired.
Joan Sales was born in Chicago, Illinois. Her younger brother passed away when Joan was 13. The family moved to Los Angeles in 1944. Joan graduated from Fairfax High School and later became a teacher, a physical therapist and finally a special education teacher in the 60’s.
Joan and Ephraim met in 1962 at a Cedars-Sinai singles event. They married on September 29, 1963. They settled in Beverly Hills, each bringing a child from a previous marriage. They then had Lisa in 1965, and Jerald, in 1967.
They joined Temple Isaiah in 1975. Both Joan and Ephraim participated in Board of Director and Trustee activities. Ephraim was Treasurer for many years, while Joan was on the Arts Committee and Education Committees.
Joan and Ephraim celebrated Jewish ingenuity by supporting Technion in Israel, They were devoted to the community, and the center of a large wonderful group of friends, hosting fabulous social gatherings. They loved Shabbat, and Joan sang in HaSharim, Temple Isaiah’s choir. They loved Jewish music, classical music, and attending concerts. Ephraim also enjoyed chess and ping pong.
Ephraim loved the Song of Songs, and became Temple Isaiah legend when instead of giving the financial report at a Board Meeting, he instead decided to read the entire Book of the Song of Songs, all eight chapters!
Joan and Ephraim traveled the world together. They loved traveling, opera, musical theater, music, and art.
Lisa married and gave them 3 amazing grandchildren whom they absolutely adored.
They were blessed to have 17 years with their grandchildren, who called them Bubbie and Baba.
Ephraim passed in May 2020 and just a few months later Joan joined her beloved in September 2020, both at the age of 90, under the care of The Jewish Healing and Hospice Center of Los Angeles. They were married 57 years.
It makes sense that Ephraim loved the Song of Songs, because he and Joan had a beautiful love, always smiling, laughing, and holding hands.
We are eternally grateful to Joan and Ephraim Sales and their family, for their generosity, and making it possible for Isaians to gather to strengthen their relationships with Judaism, with Social Justice, Israel, with Torah and with each other.
