Vol. 4

No. 12

Restaurants:

2203 Murray Ave. (Part 1)

The Jewish Encyclopedia:

Young Peoples Synagogue

Article:

Bertha Rauh

and Bishop Henry Potter

Calendar:

Mar. 26: Remembering Kaufmann's

April 16: Tammy Hepps

Community:

Under the Dome of Rodef Shalom

JCBA "Road-Trip"

Shantytown

Jewish Daily Forward exhibit

Mystery portraits

Research Tools:

Newspapers, Cemeteries, Memorial Plaques, Books, Newsletters

Restaurants:

2203 Murray Ave. (Part 1)

The corner of Murray and Douglas, August 2021.

—from Google Street View

One of the most iconic buildings in Squirrel Hill sits at the southeast corner of Murray and Douglas, 2203 Murray Ave. Today, it's the restaurant Coriander.

The building is iconic for three reasons.

The first is the large mural covering the long Douglas Street side of the building. The mural features a portrait of Gandhi with the words “Be The Change You Wish To See In The World.” It was created around 2014 by CMU-OM, a Hindu, Sikh, & Jain student organization at Carnegie Mellon University.

The second reason is its look. Amid storefronts built in the 1930s and 1940s and perennially modernized, the facade of 2203 Murray instantly evokes the spirit of the late 1960s: that zigzagging wood paneling and diagonal window.

The third reason is its history. For nearly 90 years, 2203 Murray Ave. was home to a series of Jewish restaurants—some beloved, some forgotten.

Advertisement for Murray Sandwich Shop at 2203 Murray Ave., in Squirrel Hill, advertising “fresh and smoked meats, salads, sandwiches and drinks.”

—from Jewish Criterion, May 11, 1928 [Pittsburgh Jewish Newspaper Project]

If we zip back to 1928, the building was split into two addresses.

The popular Tisherman’s Bakery operated a Squirrel Hill branch at 2201 Murray Ave. The Murray Sandwich Shop was next door at 2203 Murray Ave.

The Murray Sandwich Shop appears to have been owned by the young Milton Rubin, who lived with his uncle Manuel Volensky on Chislett Street in the East End. According to the few surviving advertisements, it specialized in “fresh and smoked meats, salads, sandwiches and drinks,” as well as “toasted wieners.” 

Advertisement for Volensky Grill and Delicatessen at 2203 Murray Ave., in Squirrel Hill. References relationship between Volensky and Murray Sandwich Shop.

—Jewish Criterion, April 24, 1931 [Pittsburgh Jewish Newspaper Project]

Manuel Volensky took over in 1931.

Volensky remodeled the building and changed the name to Volensky Grill and Delicatessen. The new name brought with it a broader menu. A brief in the Criterion noted, “instead of just having a sandwich shop, he will serve delicious home cooked lunches and dinners.” He also installed a soda fountain.

Advertisement for Hebrew National Delicatessen and Restaurant Company at 2203 Murray Ave., in Squirrel Hill, under the management of Adolph Schwalb (likely Adolph Schwartz). Location previously Volensky’s Restaurant and Delicatessen.

—from Jewish Criterion, February 11, 1938 [Pittsburgh Jewish Newspaper Project]

Volensky sold the business in early 1938 to the Hebrew National Restaurant & Delicatessen Company, under the management of Adolph Schwartz (sometimes listed as Adolph Schwalb). It was a local affiliate of the Hebrew National brand of meat products. The restaurant sold Hebrew National products from its deli counter and also used them for its menu items.

The Hebrew National Restaurant was sold in 1942 to Abe N. Polonsky. He operated as a Hebrew National affiliate until the early 1950s.

That’s where we’ll pick up next week.

Next Week: Part 2

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

Young Peoples Synagogue

Black and white photograph showing Young Peoples Synagogue members (standing, from left) Chuck Newman, Hilda Diamond, Walter Vogel, (seated, from left) Mensace Levy, Cantor Henry Perlmutter, and Sidney Deutsch.

—Young Peoples Synagogue Photographs [MSQ 180]

Young Peoples Synagogue is a Jewish congregation in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood of Pittsburgh. It was founded in late 1945 and early 1946 by a young people affiliated with the Hapoel Hamizrachi Zionist Youth Organization and working with the Hebrew Institute of Pittsburgh. The congregation was modeled on the emerging Young Israel movement, providing a modern American take on traditional Orthodox ritual. From the beginning, Young Peoples Synagogue prioritized lay participation as a way to train younger people in basic congregation affairs such as leading services, giving sermons, and running organizational meetings. Early members were encouraged to retain their membership in larger congregations throughout the area.

Starting in the early 1950s, a second wave of members joined. These new members included several families that had recently transferred to Pittsburgh to work at the University of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon University, and Westinghouse Electric Corporation. Young Peoples Synagogue legally incorporated in 1955. The purpose of the congregation, as described in its first constitution, was “to promote traditional Judaism in all facets of living; to encourage young men and young women to participate actively in all phases of the Synagogue service; to stimulate participation in other forms of Jewish communal life; to strengthen the bonds with our brethren in Israel and with the Jewish people everywhere; and to exemplify Judaism by emphasizing the principles of righteousness and brotherhood ins society at large.”

"The Start of Something New"

Sometime late morning or early afternoon on Nov. 4, 1904, Bishop Henry Codman Potter arrived at the home of Bertha and Enoch Rauh on Bartlett Street in Squirrel Hill. He attended a small luncheon at 1 p.m., catered by the Union Restaurant. Attending were a select group of leading religious, business and cultural figures of Pittsburgh. Following lunch, there was an open house reception from 3 to 5 p.m., attended by some 500 leading figures of Pittsburgh society. This was likely the first large Jewish social event in Squirrel Hill.

IMAGES: (Left) Bishop Henry C. Potter letter to Bertha Rauh, Dec. 27, 1907 (Richard E. Rauh Papers and Photographs [MSS 301]); (Right) Jewish Criterion, Nov. 11, 1904.

March 26:

JGS-Pittsburgh and the Rauh Jewish Archives present:

Once More Under the Clock: Remembering Kaufmann's

Photograph showing Kaufmann's Department Store on Smithfield Street in downtown Pittsburgh, during construction, July 19, 1913.

—from "Progress Photographs, Kaufmann’s Department Store [2008.0040]

Kaufmann’s Department Store holds a special place in Pittsburgh memory.

Kaufmann’s iconic clock, its decorated window displays, its special cultural exhibits, its dynamic promotional offers, and of course its beloved Tic Toc Restaurant, Arcade Bakery, and Vendome boutique—all recall a golden age of downtown retailing history. Starting from a small menswear store on the South Side in 1871, Kaufmann’s grew to become the largest department store in downtown Pittsburgh. In the years since its flagship building on Smithfield Street passed into new use in 2015, three books have been written locally about the legendary department store and the family behind it.

In “Once More Under the Clock,” a special presentation hosted by the Jewish Genealogy Society of Pittsburgh and the Rauh Jewish Archives, the authors of all three books will offer insights into Kaufmann’s Department Store and the Kaufmann family. They’ll also share their favorite discoveries from the vast collection of Kaufmann’s materials held at the Rauh Jewish Archives.

The program will begin with a talk from journalists Marylynne Pitz and Laura Malt Schneiderman, authors of the new book “KAUFMANN’S, The Family That Built Pittsburgh’s Famed Department Store" (University of Pittsburgh Press). The book traces the Kaufmann family’s tremendous influence in the Pittsburgh region as retailers, philanthropists, and patrons of the arts and architecture. It also tells the decades-long story of the struggles and successes of a Jewish immigrant family in Pittsburgh.

Following the talk, Pitz and Schneiderman will join a panel discussion with Letitia Savage (author of the 2016 book "Kaufmann's: The Big Store in Pittsburgh") and Melanie Linn Gutowski (author of the 2017 book "Kaufmann’s Department Store." Together they’ll trade stories and insights from their research. Each author has chosen a selection of materials from the Kaufmann’s Department Store collections, all of which we be on display for one-day only.

The program is Sunday, March 26 from 11-1:00 p.m. ET. This is a hybrid program. It is designed for in-person attendance but will have a virtual option.

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

Marylynne Pitz is an award-winning journalist covering art, architecture, books, and history. She was a member of the news team that won the Pulitzer Prize for coverage of the Tree of Life shooting in 2018. She has won five Golden Quills, an Inland Press Association award for investigative reporting, and a Matrix Award. A native of Indianapolis, she has lived in Pittsburgh since 1980.

Laura Malt Schneiderman is a journalist and web developer in Pittsburgh. She has won seven Golden Quills and was part of a team that won the Scripps Howard Edward J. Meeman Award in 2011. Originally from Saint Louis, she has worked in journalism in Washington, D.C., and Pennsylvania.

Melanie Linn Gutowski is a historian and museum educator based in the Greater Pittsburgh area. She is the author of the pictorial histories “Pittsburgh’s Mansions” and “Kaufmann’s Department Store” (Arcadia Publishing).” A self-professed “Gilded Age geek,” Melanie is continually fascinated by American and European history and culture from 1865-1920, especially robber barons, historic homes and decorative arts. Melanie holds a Master’s degree in professional writing from Chatham University and a Bachelor of Arts in French and history of art & architecture from the University of Pittsburgh.

Letitia Savage published her first article while still in college, a chapter for an engineering book on the effects of oil spills on marine organisms. She continued freelance magazine writing while working as an environmental consultant, primarily on hazardous waste cleanups for the military and the USEPA. In addition to contributing environmental and gardening articles to Country Journal, she wrote about horse training and horse keeping for many national horse publications, including Chronicle of the Horse and Horse Illustrated. After years of magazine writing, Letitia published her first book on Kaufmann’s Department Store in Pittsburgh for Arcadia Press in 2016. She and her husband live in a pre-Civil War farmhouse that they restored in Sewickley.

April 16:

JGS-Pittsburgh presents:

"When Henry Silverstein Got Cold: How Terrible Enumerators Help Us Do Better Census Research"

with Tammy Hepps

IMAGES (clockwise from upper left): Tammy Hepps; Google Map showing households included in Enumeration District 144 of Homestead's Third Ward in the 1920 Census; Section of page 11A, Homestead Ward 3, ED 144 of the 1920 Census. Handwritten text reads, "Here Ends Enumeration of District 144 Homestead Borough Henry Silverstein."

On Jan. 2, 1920, Henry Silverstein began his first day as a census enumerator by turning left instead of right. Things went downhill from there, and within days he became so overwhelmed that he resorted to an illegal scheme to finish the job. Through this shocking story and the painstaking detective work that uncovered it, you’ll come to see the census—and your ancestors’ presence or absence in it—in a whole new light. You’ll laugh at Henry’s misdeeds, and you’ll grow your census research skills.

The program is Sunday, April 16 from 11-1:30 p.m. ET. This is a hybrid program. It is designed for in-person attendance but will have a virtual option.

“When Henry Silverstein Got Cold: How Terrible Enumerators Help Us Do Better Census Research” is a collaboration between the Jewish Genealogy Society of Pittsburgh and the Rauh Jewish Archives at the Heinz History Center. Please register online. The program is free for JGS-Pittsburgh members and the general public. To become a member of the JGS-Pittsburgh and receive a free membership code for this program, please visit its website.

This program will be recorded and made available to current JGS-Pittsburgh members. Those who attend in person are encouraged to stick around after the program for refreshments and a meet-and-greet with JGS members.

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

Tammy Hepps is a historian of the Jewish experience in Western Pennsylvania. She combines in-depth historical research with techniques from technology and genealogy to reconstruct overlooked stories from the past in an engaging way. She has presented her findings around the world, including the Library of Congress and the International Jewish Genealogy Conference in Jerusalem. Her best-known research is into the history of the Jewish community in the former steel-making center of Homestead, PA (HomesteadHebrews.com). Tammy earned her AB in computer science from Harvard and is a Wexner Heritage Fellow.

Community

From NEXT Pittsburgh

"What's Under the Dome at Rodef Shalom?"

NEXT Pittsburgh's Boaz Frankel visits with archivist Martha Berg to discover the secrets of Rodef Shalom Congregation's historic Fifth Avenue synagogue.

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 the Pittsburgh Playwright Theatre Company

SHANTYTOWN

The Ballad of Fr. James Cox: A Musical

Father James Cox was the pastor of Old St. Patrick’s Church during the Great Depression. He printed the first food stamps, fed almost 3 million people, led a major march on our national’s capital with 25,000 jobless, and was even nominated for President. He was one of the first preachers on national radio, defended Jewish Americans, and went head-to-head against antisemites.

But who was the man behind it all?

“SHANTYTOWN: The Ballad of Fr. James Cox” explores the forgotten tale of Fr. Cox and celebrates what he accomplished—his courage, his ideas, his love for his people, his rise to near sainthood, and his survival of a federal trial for a lottery scam.

The musical also considers Father Cox's longstanding friendship with Henry Ellenbogen, using materials from the Rauh Jewish Archives.

Performances runs March 11-26 at Madison School, 3401 Milwaukee St.

Book, music and lyrics by Ray Werner

Composer and Music Director: Dwayne Fulton with arrangements by Mike Gallagher, Bruce Foley, Jerry McCarthy and Walter Woodward

Directed by Gregory Lehane

From the Jewish Studies Program

PRESSED: Images from the Jewish Daily Forward

Detail from front page of Jewish Daily Forward, including photograph showing President and First Lady Kennedy, 1960.

Founded in 1897 on Manhattan’s Lower East Side, the Jewish Daily Forward became the most widely read Jewish news source anywhere. By the 1920s, this Yiddish-language daily had more readers than the New York Times. With rigorous reporting, incisive editorials and powerful commentary, the Forward chronicled the events that affected immigrants eager to earn their place in American life. This was the paper read by congregants from its neighborhood’s many synagogues, by families squeezing into tenement apartments, by sweatshop workers and pushcart vendors. Its articles were debated on park benches and at local haunts like the Garden Cafeteria and the Royal Café, its discarded pages then used to wrap fish for Friday night Sabbath eve dinners. The Forward’s ideals have been held dear for generations of readers, not just on the Lower East Side but across the country and around the world.

The new exhibit Pressed at Hillman Library on the University of Pittsburgh campus looks into the vast Forward archive to present a selection of metal plates used to print photographs in the paper from the 1920s to the 1960s. These plates are accompanied by prints made just for this exhibition. These prints have rendered the images with greater clarity than they had as dotted, halftone prints in the newspaper. The Forward pages on which some of these images appeared are also displayed. These pages are enlarged and reproduced from microfilm and photographs because printed copies of the newspaper have not been preserved at the Forward or in any other archive, although they occasionally pop up at auction or in private collections. Together these images of strikes and activists, Yiddish theater stars and baseball players, daily life and historic moments, present the depth and breadth of this singular publication, its audience and Jewish life in America and around the world.

Pressed is organized by the Forward in collaboration with the Museum at Eldridge Street, and hosted by the University of Pittsburgh Library System and the Jewish Studies program. It will remain on display through April 2023.

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 almost 400 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.

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.