September 17, 2023

Vol. 4, No. 38

Restaurants:

Weinstein Brothers

Jewish Encyclopedia:

Agudas Achim Congregation

Article:

Nusach Sfard



Calendar:

Oct. 4-6: Galitzianer Days

Oct. 18: JGS Presents:

Jennifer Mendelshon

Community:

SHHS archives

"How We Got Here"

JCBA "Road-Trip"

Mystery portraits

Research Tools:

Newspapers, Cemeteries,

Memorial Plaques, Books,

Population Figures, Synagogues, Newsletter Archive,

Shul Records America

Restaurants:

Weinstein's, Part 1

Advertisement announcing opening of Weinstein Bros restaurant at 1830 Center Ave. in the Hill District—Sept. 14, 1923.

—from Jewish Criterion

Pittsburgh Jewish Newspaper Project

In a 1969 oral history with the National Council of Jewish Women-Pittsburgh Section, interviewer Ida Cohen Selvan asked narrator Herman Gordon a simple question about the day-to-day social life of Jews in the Hill District in the 1920s and 1930s: “Were there any local meeting places like restaurants or cafes or halls where the gang would meet?”

“Yeah, Weinstein’s Restaurant up on Center Avenue,” he said.

“Ah, that’s what I was waiting for!” Selvan remarked, delighted. “Can you tell me a little bit about it?... I heard that you could sit there for hours and have a long glass of tea.”

As soon as we launched our current initiative to better document Jewish-owned restaurants in Western Pennsylvania, readers began asking if we would include Weinstein’s. 

The answer is: which Weinstein’s?

For many people today, “Weinstein’s” means the former restaurant at 1938 Murray Ave., at the corner of Beacon Street in Squirrel Hill. It’s been a bank now for several decades.

But there were other “Weinstein’s.”

The family produced several generations of restaurateurs. They started in the Hill District, moved into Uptown and downtown, and later expanded into Oakland, Squirrel Hill, and the East End. Some of these restaurants operated almost like a chain, and others were entirely independent, sharing only a name.

We have very little documentation of the Weinsteins and their restaurants, aside from newspaper listings and an oral history with a Weinstein’s matriarch conducted entirely in Yiddish. We are asking you to send us menus, matchbooks, photographs, and memories. In the meantime, here is what the existing record reveals.

“War Declared on Housewives.” Unsigned editorial advertisement for Weinstein Bros. restaurants at 1830 Center Ave. and 1209 Fifth Ave—April 8, 1932.

—from Jewish Criterion

Pittsburgh Jewish Newspaper Project

Advertisement announcing opening of Weinstein’s Restaurant & Delicatessen at 6118 Center Ave. in East Liberty. Copy reads, “Something East Liberty Has Long Needed! A first Class Jewish Restaurant”—March 8, 1935.

—from Jewish Criterion

Pittsburgh Jewish Newspaper Project

Jacob and Rachel Weinstein came to the United States from the Russian Empire around 1919. According to city directories, they quickly opened a restaurant at 1720 Center Ave. in the Hill District, first in partnership with Harry Schachter and then independently. Their sons—Ben, Hyman, Samuel, and Harold—were all associated with the business at points, as well as their own businesses.

In 1923, the restaurant became "Weinstein Brothers" and relocated to 1830 Center Ave. It was probably the best location in all of Western Pennsylvania for a restaurant catering to Jewish clientele. It stood directly across the street from the Irene Kaufmann Settlement House. According to Selaven, this Weinstein’s became a parlor for left-wing Jewish politics, especially the Jewish socialist labor movement through the affairs of the local Workmen’s Circle. 

The Weinstein family expanded in 1930 by opening a second location at 1209 Fifth Ave., catering to the Jewish mercantile and wholesaling community. 

Reviewing city directories, you can see a big transition in the mid-1930s. That's when the children branched out. Hyman Weinstein opened a restaurant at 404 Market St. with brother-in-law Jack Kluchman around 1934. Harold Weinstein opened the Hub at 6118 Center Ave. in East Liberty in 1935. The original Hill District location on Center Ave closed around 1936 and was replaced by a series of other restaurants, as we described a few months ago. The same year, Hyman Weinstein appears to have relocated to 228 Diamond St.

In the early 1950s, the Weinstein family branched out again—sometimes in partnership and sometimes independently. We’ll pick up there next week.

All year, the Rauh Jewish Archives is highlighting Jewish restaurants in Western Pennsylvania. If you would like to donate a material from a Jewish restaurant, or just reminisce, contact the archive or call 412-454-6406.

Jewish Encyclopedia of Western Pennsylvania:

Agudas Achim Congregation

Detail from newspaper article reporting on dedication of "Agudus Achim Congregation" synagogue in the Hill District—August 31, 1894.

—from Pittsburgh Press

Newspapers.com

Agudas Achim Congregation was an Orthodox congregation based in the Hill District and composed of recent immigrants from parts of the Russian Empire.

The original members broke away from Beth Abraham Congregation around 1890 and obtained a charter in May 1892 under the name “Agudes Hachim.” Charter members were Soloman Broslawsky, Abe Cohen, Chajcin Cohen, Charles Landmann, Solomon Landmann, Peter Lazarowitz, Max Ostrovsky, Israel Rubenstein, Jacob Simon, and Kalmen Weiner.

Agudas Achim Congregation dedicated a new synagogue building at 127-129 Crawford St. in the Hill District in 1894 at a cost between $10,000 and $20,000. It was likely the second new synagogue building built in the Hill District after Beth Hamedrash Hagodol. Agudas Achim Congregation sold the synagogue building to Congregation Poale Zedeck around 1899.

The Congregation Agudas Achim founded in the 1890s was distinct from the Congregation Agudath Achim on Herron Hill and the Agudus Achim at Western State Penitentiary, which both started in the 1920s.

Article:

Underground History

Photograph showing Marks Family Cemetery inside Shaare Zedeck Cemetery in Carrick.

One of the most important Jewish sites in Western Pennsylvania is the Dairy Queen on Saw Mill Run Boulevard in Carrick. That’s where hundreds if not thousands of families know where to turn to reach one of the largest Jewish cemetery complexes in the region.

Pass through the arching iron gate of this complex, follow the brick road past the hairpin turn, uphill, as far as it will accommodate a car, and then hike a bit further uphill on foot, and you’ll reach the oldest part of the cemetery. It’s a four-acre plot on a two-way slope with sections of four burial grounds: Beth Abraham Cemetery, Shaare Zedeck Cemetery, the old section of the Shaare Torah/Gates of Wisdom Cemetery and the small Marks Family Cemetery — all now managed by the Jewish Cemetery and Burial Association.

As you step through the rows of stones, you will find many mysteries. Some strike you immediately, like the miniature, illegible graves in the children’s section. Certain deeper mysteries, though, only emerge as you start fitting together the ragged historical record...

Oct. 4-6:

Galitzianer Days

Handmade clock from Machsikei Hadas Congregation, listing times for prayer.

Are you a Galitzianer?

Galicia was a historic region of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, stretching across present-day southeastern Poland and western Ukraine.

At the turn of the 20th century, tens of thousands of Jewish immigrants left Galicia for parts of America, including Western Pennsylvania. They established congregations, mutual aid societies, and cemeteries. 

For our first Special Interest Days, the Jewish Genealogy Society of Pittsburgh and the Rauh Jewish Archives are hosting Galitzianer Days at the Heinz History Center on October 4-6 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. This free, drop-in event is a chance for anyone to learn more about their Galitzianer roots and to connect with others in the community.

Visit the reading room on the sixth floor of the Heinz History Center for:

• a display of rarely seen historic materials from local Galitzianer organizations;

• a take-home guide to the historic Galitzianer community locally;

• one-on-one research assistance with JGS-Pittsburgh experts;

• a chance to meet others locally who are researching Galitzianer ancestry.

This event is free but does not include admission to the Heinz History Center’s regular exhibits. For more information, please contact the archive.

Oct. 18:

JGS Pittsburgh Presents: Jennifer Mendelsohn

DNA has the potential to be an essential and exciting genealogical tool. But many Eastern European Jewish testers find their DNA results completely overwhelming and unnavigable. In her talk “No, You Don’t Really Have 7900 4th Cousins," Jennifer Mendelsohn will help those with Ashkenazi heritage learn how to make sense of their DNA results. She’ll cover the basics of DNA testing, including why our match lists are so large (hello, endogamy!), why all our matches seem to match each other (endogamy, again!), and how to spot the meaningful matches and separate them from the faux ones. Using real-life examples of DNA success, you’ll learn techniques that will help you work effectively with DNA to expand your Ashkenazi family tree.

The program is Wednesday, Oct. 18, from 7:30-9 p.m. This is an online program, occurring exclusively on Zoom. The program will be recorded, and the recording will be made available to current JGS-Pittsburgh members. 

"No, You Don’t Really Have 7900 4th Cousins" is a collaboration between the Jewish Genealogy Society of Pittsburgh and the Rauh Jewish Archives.

Please register online. This program is free for JGS-Pittsburgh members and $5 for the general public. To become a member of the JGS-Pittsburgh and to receive a free membership code for this program, please visit its website.

This program is possible through the support of the William M. Lowenstein Genealogical Research Endowment Fund of the Jewish Community Foundation.

Jennifer Mendelsohn is a sought-after genealogist who specializes in helping Eastern European Jewish families shattered by the Holocaust reclaim their history. Her journey began in 2013, when she reunited her husband’s grandmother—a Polish Holocaust survivor who had lost her entire immediate family and most of her extended family—with three living first cousins she had never known. Since then she has worked on scores of cases, solving complex family mysteries using a blend of traditional and genetic genealogy. Her sleuthing was featured in the 2019 bestseller “Inheritance” by Dani Shapiro. In 2022, she co-founded the DNA Reunion Project at the Center for Jewish History, which seeks to promote DNA testing as a tool for helping Holocaust survivors find family.

Mendelsohn is also known for the innovative use of genealogy as a tool for activism. She created the viral hashtag #resistancegenealogy, which uses genealogical and historical records to fight disinformation and honor America’s immigrant past. The project received international media attention, including being featured on CNN.com, The New Yorker, The Washington Post, and Yahoo News.

A native Long Islander now based in Baltimore, Mendelsohn serves on the board of the Jewish Genealogy Society of Maryland and is the administrator of Facebook’s Jewish Genetic Genealogy group, with over 10,000 members worldwide.

Prior to her work as a genealogist, Jennifer spent many years as a freelance journalist. Her work has appeared in countless publications including People, Slate, The New York Times, The Washington Post, USA Today, The Los Angeles Times, Time, and Tablet. In addition, she is the author of a children’s book and helped fashion guru Carson Kressley pen his New York Times best-selling mens’ style manual “Off the Cuff.”

Community

Squirrel Hill Historical Society Archives

Squirrel Hill Historical Society has added a collection of 60 historic images of Squirrel Hill to the Historic Pittsburgh website. The collection contains selected images from three organizations: the Squirrel Hill Historical Society, Squirrel Hill Urban  Coalition, and Mary S. Brown Memorial-Ames United Methodist Church. The photographs document many aspects of life in Squirrel Hill, including many beloved businesses from the 1990s that no longer exist.

From the Jewish Genealogy Society of Pittsburgh

"How We Got Here"

Each family is unique. 

Each family has its own traditions, its own spirit, and its own dynamics. 

Despite all these differences, every Jewish family in Western Pennsylvania has at least one thing in common: They all have a story about how they got here.

Perhaps your family sailed in steerage across the Atlanti in the 19th century.

Or perhaps your family drove the Pennsylvania Turnpike in a station wagon in the 1960s to work for the universities and hospitals during Renaissance.

Or perhaps your arrival into one of the many Jewish communities of Western Pennsylvania involves marriage, or conversion, or a surprising DNA discovery.

Each of these stories is special, and each contributes to the larger story of our community. To collect and honor these origin stories, the Jewish Genealogy Society of Pittsburgh is launching a new initiative called “How We Got Here.” To participate, just write a short account explaining how you or your ancestors came to settle in Western Pennsylvania. All stories are welcome.

Stories will be eligible for inclusion in the JGS-Pittsburgh’s monthly newsletter Z’chor and also for preservation in the Rauh Jewish Archives. For more information about this initiative, or to contribute, contact Eric Lidji.

From the Jewish Cemetery & Burial Association

"Road Trip: The Jewish Cemeteries of Western Pennsylvania"

The Jewish Cemetery and Burial Association of Greater Pittsburgh has released a new documentary showcasing Jewish cemeteries in Western Pennsylvania.

“Road Trip: The Jewish Cemeteries of Western Pennsylvania” is a one-hour tour of the many cemetery properties overseen by the JCBA, as well as an overview of the organization’s ongoing work to care for these sacred burial grounds. The video is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate these special Jewish cultural sites in our region. The video includes many historic photographs and documents from the collections of the Rauh Jewish Archives. 

From Rodef Shalom Congregation

A mystery in primary colors

The Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle reports on an effort by Rodef Shalom Congregation to identify two people from a pair of mid-19th century portraits in the congregation's holdings. Do you recognize these two people?

Research Tools

The Pittsburgh Jewish Newspaper Project contains digitized, searchable copies of four local English-language Jewish newspapers between 1895 and 2010. It is a valuable tool for researching almost any topic about Jewish history in Western Pennsylvania. For a primer on using the website, watch our video.

Western Pennsylvania Jewish Cemetery Project

The Rauh Jewish Archives launched the Western Pennsylvania Jewish Cemetery Project in 1998 to preserve burial records from Jewish cemeteries across the region. Over a period of fifteen years, the information was compiled into a searchable, online database containing approximately 50,000 burial records from 78 Jewish cemeteries throughout the region.

Western Pennsylvania Yahrzeit Plaques Project

The Rauh Jewish Archives launched the Western Pennsylvania Yahrzeit Plaques Project in 2020. The goal was to create a comprehensive collection of burial records from memorial boards at synagogues across the region. Volunteers are currently transcribing these boards and records are being added monthly to our online database. The database currently contains more than 2,700 listings.

Rauh Jewish Archives Bibliography

University of Pittsburgh librarian and Rauh Jewish Archives volunteer Laurie Cohen created this comprehensive bibliography of the Rauh Jewish Archives library holdings from 1988 through 2018. It lists nearly 350 volumes arranged by type and then by subject. This a great tool to use early in your research process, as you’re surveying available resources on a given subject.

Jewish Population Estimates

Looking to figure out how many Jews lived in a certain part of Western Pennsylvania at a certain moment in time? This bibliography includes more than 30 estimates of the Jewish population of Pittsburgh and small-towns throughout the region, conducted between 1852 and 2017.

Synagogues

A database of buildings throughout Western Pennsylvania known to have hosted Jewish worship services. Includes links to photographs and citations with original source material. Database currently includes 90 locations from 2 institutions

Rauh Jewish Archives Newsletter

The Rauh Jewish Archives has been publishing a weekly newsletter since 2020. The newsletter contains a variety of articles about local Jewish history, including much original research not found anywhere else. You can find and read every issue—more than 150!— in our new index.

Shul Records America

Online finding aid from JewishGen listing congregational archival collections held at publicly accessible repositories across the United States. Includes 63 listings from the Rauh Jewish Archives, as well as other repositories with Western Pennsylvania congregational records.