The Concordia Club
"Group A: Legacy (1944-1969)"
Mindfulness in Elul
Jackie Mason in Latrobe
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The Concordia Club was founded in 1874 and chartered a decade later “to promote social and literary entertainment among its members.”
Those members were Jewish men and, initially, men of German origin.
Its first clubhouse was on Stockton Avenue in Allegheny City, now the North Side of Pittsburgh. A state historic marker was installed in 2007 to memorialize the location.
The Concordia Club eventually followed its members to the eastern part of the city, building a clubhouse on O'Hara Street in Oakland in 1913.
It sold the building to the University of Pittsburgh in 2009 and closed
The records of the Concordia Club provide a rich and detailed look into the affairs of the organization from its founding until its closing, including bylaws, minutes, membership rolls, and financial statements, as well as photographs and souvenirs from the various social functions held there during the 19th and 20th centuries.
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First page of Concordia Club membership book, showing prominent members including J. Affelder and Marcus Aaron—from Concordia Club Records, MSS 434. |
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Gertrude Sunstein dressed as the "Strong Woman of the Gay Ninties" during the Harvey Circus at the Concordia Club, 1927—from Sunstein, Speyer and Kingsbacher Family Papers and Photographs, Mss 1037. |
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Some of the most interesting documentation of the club, though, is found not in the records of the organization itself, but in the records of the families that used it.
That's where we find photographs from the Harvey Circus, a carnival-themed birthday party held in honor of Harvey Strassburger in 1927. And that's where we find many wonderful photographs of the famous Concordia Follies, variety shows without equal.
Because of its size, longevity, and prominence, Concordia Club is the best documented of all the Jewish clubs in Pittsburgh, adult or youth. In the next few weeks, we'll pull together materials from some of the less documented clubs in the area.
All this year, the Rauh Jewish Archives is highlighting stories of Jewish club life in Western Pennsylvania. If you would like to donate records of a local Jewish club, or just chat about clubs, contact the archive or call 412-454-6406.
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Group A: Legacy (1944-1969) |
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Abstract art initially faced great resistance in Pittsburgh, both from audiences and from art critics.
But area artists were eager to experiment with its groundbreaking ideas. And so in 1944, four Carnegie Institute of Technology instructors formed The Abstract Group to encourage and promote the art form.
One of those founders was Samuel Rosenberg, who had grown up in the Hill District and become one of the leading painters and art instructors in Pittsburgh—not only at CIT but also at the YM&WHA. His presence and guidance attracted many young Jewish artists to the collective in the 1940s and 1950s, including Rochelle Blumenfeld, Aaronel deRoy Gruber, and Milton Weiss. All three of those artists, and Rosenberg, have papers in the Rauh Jewish Archives.
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Polaroid of Samuel Rosenberg's "The Importance of Red (1969)"—from Samuel Rosenberg Papers and Photographs, MSS 576. The painting is currently on display as part of Group A: Legacy (1944-1969). |
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Works by those and other artists are on display through Aug. 10 in "Group A: Legacy (1944-1969)" at the Christine Frechard Gallery at 5126 Butler St. in Lawrenceville. The exhibit is part of a series of 75th anniversary programming launched in late 2018 and now resuming after the disruption of the pandemic.
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August 8—Rosh Chodesh Elul |
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Cornerstone laying ceremony for the Irene Kaufmann Center at the corner of Fobres and Murray, 1958—from Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh Photographs, MSP 389. |
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The Hebrew month of Elul is traditionally a time of spiritual reflection before the High Holidays arrive in the fall. In keeping with its mission to provide communal opportunities for reflection, support and connection, the 10.27 Healing Partnership is organizing a free afternoon of learning on August 8 from 2:30 to 5 p.m. at Temple Sinai, 5505 Forbes Avenue in Squirrel Hill.
Presenters include Sara Stock Mayo, Cantor Julie Newman, Rabbi Doris Dyen, Rabbi Moshe Mayir Vogel, and Robert and Stephanie Miller. Rauh Jewish Archives Director Eric Lidji will lead a discussion on Deuteronomy 27:1-8, which describes one of the earliest public monuments in Jewish history.
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"Message of Greeting" from Rabbi Jack G. Maza to Beth Israel Congregation of Latrobe, Pa., 1956—from Beth Israel Cong. (Latrobe, Pa.) Records, MSS 1067. |
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The legendary stand-up comedian Jackie Mason died this week at 93.
Known as the last of the Borscht Belt comedians, Mason was born into a family with a long rabbinic lineage. Before pursuing comedy, he briefly followed in the family profession under the name Rabbi Jack G. Maza.
Beth Israel had been founded in the 1890s and chartered an Orthodox congregation in 1906. The congregation became dormant in the 1930s but was revived in November 1954 with a new synagogue and religious school, and a shift to the Conservative movement. Rabbi Maza came to town the following year.
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[IMAGE: Marian Schreiber and employees at the Schreiber Trucking Company, c.1943—from Schreiber Family Papers and Photographs, MSS 846.]
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The Rauh Jewish Archives was founded on November 1, 1988 to collect, preserve, and make accessible the documentary history of Jews and Jewish communities of Western Pennsylvania. You can help the RJHPA continue its work by making a donation that will directly support the work being done in Western Pa. |
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Plan a Visit
Senator John Heinz History Center
1212 Smallman Street
Pittsburgh, Pa. 15222
412-454-6000
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A proud affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution, the Senator John Heinz History Center is the largest history museum in Pennsylvania and presents American history with a Western Pennsylvania connection.
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