Rabbi Albert Plotkin and Sylvia Plotkin

Religious Life

Born in 1920, Albert Plotkin grew up in South Bend Indiana, with his parents, who were immigrants from Russia. Albert was a talented singer and before deciding on college he was offered a job with a Major Bowes talent show out of New York City. His talent was so obvious that his mother had to stop him from running off to Vaudeville. Instead, he went onto receive his undergraduate degree from the University of Notre Dame and then entered the Hebrew Union College in 1943. In 1948, he was ordained by the college, graduating with a Master of Hebrew Letters.

After college, Rabbi Plotkin had several prospects on where to start his rabbinic career. He accepted a position as an assistant rabbi at Temple De Hirsch in Seattle. While there he met his future wife, Sylvia Pincus, whose family had been long-time members of the congregation. The two married a year later and Plotkin became the senior rabbi at Temple Emanuel in Spokane. Rabbi Plotkin and his wife Sylvia had two daughters Janis and Debra.

After meeting Rabbi Krohn at a youth conference, Rabbi Plotkin relocated the family to Phoenix in 1955. At the time there were only 3,000 Jews living in Phoenix and Temple Beth Israel only had 350 families in their congregation. Rabbi Plotkin would go on to serve Temple Beth Israel almost 40 years before his retirement in 1992 becoming a rabbi emeritus.

During his tenure at Beth Israel, Plotkin was heavily involved in Phoenix’s Jewish and non-Jewish communities. He was a strong Zionist at Hebrew Union College, at a time when the movement was unpopular there, and was later a staunch supporter of Israel. He was an advocate for civil rights, and a supporter of the arts. He helped establish the Jewish Studies Program at Arizona State University and taught there, and volunteered for 25 years as a chaplain at Phoenix Veterans Hospital. In 1972, the National Conference of Christians and Jews awarded him the National Award for Brotherhood.

Two years after his retirement, Rabbi Plotkin sang professionally for the Arizona Opera. He also served the Jewish Community of Sedona from 1993 until they hired a full-time rabbi in 2005. On February 3, 2010, Rabbi Albert Plotkin passed away at the age of 89.

CLICK HERE or above to hear Rabbi Plotkin giving the Bar Mitzvah Blessings. 

Sylvia Plotkin Judaica Museum

Sylvia had always been fascinated with Jewish art and in the early 1960’s she served as the chairwoman for the art shows that Temple Beth Israel would have. Several years later, Beth Israel added a cultural and educational wing to its Flower Street building in 1967, and in it, Sylvia Plotkin founded a Jewish museum. She started to raise funds through the community in order to purchase Judaica pieces from around the world and even traveled to Israel fifteen times to obtain items.

DOWNLOAD: Sylvia Plotkin Judaica Museum Brochure

 The museum had three galleries: one housed artifacts from a Tunisian synagogue, a second held a Judaica collection that chronicled the history of Arizona Jewry and a third was used for exhibitions. Sylvia Plotkin would direct the museum until her death in 1996, acquiring and mounting many exhibitions there. Sylvia was honored for her work at the museum by being named Woman of the Year by the Temple Sisterhood, Hadassah, and Israel Bonds. The museum was renamed the Sylvia Plotkin Judaica Museum the day before her death, it is one of the largest and most respected synagogue museums in the United States.

Sources: You Tube, The Jewish News, imageman751, We Remember Holocaust Art Project, Janice Plotkin

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AZJHS is deeply grateful to all our donors and sponsors for their generous support and gifts throughout the year. Because of you, we are able to continue providing to the public at no cost our many programs, events and exhibits.

Mid Century Exhibit Key

(Please choose from the links below to enter the exhibit room of your choice.)

1. Exhibit Entrance

   1. Welcome to Mid-Century Jewish Life in Phoenix

2. Featurette

   1. Korricks Department Store

3. Social Life in Phoenix

   1. Social Calendar

   2. Purim Carnival and Queen Esther

   3. Jewish Festivals, Plays, Dances

   4. Fashion & Jewelry

4. Community Enrichment

   1. Kivel Nursing Home

   2. Jewish Community Center

   3. Youth Organizations

   4. Social Services

5. Religious Life

   1. Temple Beth Israel

   2. Beth El Congregation

   3. Beth Hebrew

   4. Har Zion, Temple Beth Shalom, Beth Joseph, Temple Shalom, and Temple Beth Sholom

   5. Rabbi Albert Plotkin and Sylvia Plotkin

6. Jewish Engagement in Civil Rights

   1. Camelback Inn

   2. Establishment of the State of Israel

   3. Civil Rights

7. Activities Corner

   1. The Poodle Skirt

   2. Paper Dolls

If you have Mid-Century Photos or Documents from 1945-1975 and would like to add to our photographic and informational collection, please fill out the below and submit. Our Special Collections Curator will be in contact with you. Thank you.

VIDEO: Baby naming in Phoenix with Rabbi Plotkin, April 2009
(Source: You Tube, imageman751)

Rabbi Albert Plotkin (middle right) holds the 1979 Human Relations Award presented at the American Jewish Committee's annual dinner at the Camelback Inn. Others in the picture are Milton Bonn who was the 1978 award winner (left); guest speaker Rita Hauser; and Phoenix Chapter Chairman Michael Jonas. Plotkin helped found the Phoenix chapter over 50 years ago in 1979.