Although the focus of temple life emphasized Japanese religious practices and culture, there was a very limited outreach to non-Japanese Americans interested in Buddhism. A few white ("hakujin") members were admitted into BMNA temples, and a notable few, such as the Rev. Sunya Pratt of Tacoma, Washington, and Rev. Julius Goldwater (a relative of Senator Barry Goldwater) from Los Angeles, even became ordained in the Shin tradition in the U.S. prior to World War II. In 2006, Dr. Gordon Bermant, from Ekoji Buddhist Temple, became the president of the Buddhist Churches of America, the first non-Japanese-American to hold this position.