B'nai Israel: Past, Present, and Future
What is the future of this building?

The former B'nai Israel synagogue in East Liberty is a gem. It is beloved by those who used the building, and it is marveled over by those who pass it daily. It has been vacant for years, leading many to wonder about its fate. 

At this moment of transition, the Rauh Jewish History Program & Archives, the Rodef Shalom Congregation Archives, and the University of Pittsburgh Jewish Studies Program are co-hosting B'nai Israel: Past, Present, and Future on  Sunday, March 22  from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. This  free program will celebrate the history and architecture of the synagogue and will also provide a chance for the public to learn about future plans for the historic building.

The program will include talks by architectural historians Charles Rosenbloom and Angelique Bamberg; a presentation by the developers proposing to renovate and restore parts of the building; rarely seen records from the B’nai Israel archives; and artist Ryder Henry’s handmade model of the synagogue.

Attendees will also have an opportunity to see nearly 20 new digital exhibits on local Jewish history and culture created by students in Dr. Rachel Kranson's "Jews and the City" course at the University of Pittsburgh. This is the third year of this collaboration, which has proven to be popular with the public.

[Photograph of the B'nai Israel synagogue under construction on Negley Avenue, November 1923. H. Miller & Sons Photographs, 2019.0123]
Purim!
Purim is a great Jewish holiday, as far as the archives are concerned.
The annual springtime celebration commemorates the salvation of the Jewish people from a genocidal plot in ancient Persia. Between the photographs of Purim costumes and the scripts of Purim "spiels" (plays), the day produces a lot of really fun archival material.
RJHPA Director Eric Lidji will be at Parkway Jewish Center in Monroeville on March 9 at 7 p.m. to discuss the history of Purim celebrations in our region.

[IMAGE: Howard and Dottie Braun attending a Purim party hosted by Dor Hadash Congregation, 1976 (Dor Hadash Records, MSS 410)]
Featured Cookbook: "Kosher Kalories"
The Tree of Life Sisterhood published "Kosher Kalories" in November 1971. The cookbook was so successful that the Sisterhood published a second edition in January 1972.

Carole Neiberg recently donated a copy of the second edition of "Kosher Kalories" to the Rauh Jewish History Program & Archives. She made the donation in memory of her aunts Rose Mallinger and Sylvia Moidel, who she described as being "strong supporters" of the Tree of Life Sisterhood throughout their lives.

The cookbook includes more than 600 recipes, a series of kitchen tips and diet options, and charming illustrations by Cookbook Chair Barbara Miller Trellis.

In a lighthearted touch, Rabbi Solomon Kaplan included a recipe for "giraffe stew." (The joke is that the giraffe is a kosher animal, although rarely eaten.)

In honor of Purim, our featured recipe is for hamantashen . Sandra Wasserman suggests a unique filling of poppy seeds, apples, raisins and chopped nuts.
We are placing a special focus on cookbooks in 2020. If you have a cookbook published by a Jewish person or group in Western Pennsylvania, please contact Eric Lidji at eslidji@heinzhistorycenter.org or 412-454-6406.
The Rauh Jewish History Program & Archives was founded in 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.
Plan a Visit

Senator John Heinz History Center
1212 Smallman Street
Pittsburgh, PA,15222
412-454-6000

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.