September 24, 2023

Vol. 4, No. 39

Restaurants:

Weinstein Brothers

Jewish Encyclopedia:

Young Men's Hebrew Association (1877-1905)

Family Clubs:

Golden Cousins Club



Calendar:

Sept. 25: Yom Kippur

Sept. 30-Oct. 8: Sukkot

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 2

Advertisement announcing opening of Weinstein's Restaurant and Delicatessen at 1938 Murray Ave. Includes names of contractors and suppliers—Oct. 30, 1953.

—from Jewish Criterion

Pittsburgh Jewish Newspaper Project

We looked last week at the Weinstein family’s restaurants of the 20s and 30s. The family started in the Hill District and expanded to Uptown, downtown, and East Liberty.

This week, we pick up the story in the late 1940s and early 1950s.

To recap: Jacob and Rachel Weinstein came to the United States from the Russian Empire around 1919 and entered the restaurant industry in Pittsburgh. Their four sons—Ben, Hyman, Samuel, and Harold—were all also associated with the local restaurant industry at various points.

Starting in the late 1940s and 1950s, the Weinstein family increasingly branched into other parts of the city—sometimes in partnership and sometimes operating independently.

We compiled the following list using city directories and newspaper advertisements. We are eager to expand our documentation of the family and its businesses. We welcome your photographs, menus, matchbooks, and memories, as well as any factual corrections.

Hyman Weinstein continued to operate Weinstein’s Sandwich Shop with brother-in-law Jack Kluchman. By this time, the restaurant was again located at 404 Market St. 

Hyman’s son Robert Weinstein opened Robert’s Restaurant at 635 Liberty Ave. downtown in 1953. The opening was delayed by a major fire on Liberty Avenue. The restaurant remained open into the early 1960s but under new ownership. Robert Weinstein later oversaw the Forbes House at 5841 Forbes Ave. in Squirrel Hill.

Throughout the late 1940s and into the early 1950s, patriarch Jacob Weinstein and sons Ben and Sam worked for the Edwin Schoette Restaurant Co., better known as Eddie’s Bar at 6212 Penn Ave. in East Liberty. In the early 1950s, Ben Weinstein relocated to Squirrel Hill, opening a restaurant at the corner of Murray Avenue and Beacon Street. 

Ben’s grandniece Sherry Weissman Schweitzer later recalled how matriarch Rachel Weinstein “often sat outside perched on a newspaper box collecting for Hadassah.”

Robert's Restaurant matchbook.

Advertisement for Weinstein’s at 3708 Forbes Ave. in Oakland—Dec. 28, 1956.

—from Jewish Criterion

Pittsburgh Jewish Newspaper Project

Ben Weinstein and Sons remains well remembered by a generation of Squirrel Hill kids, especially its No. 10: corned beef, coleslaw, and Russian dressing. 

Ben’s son Irwin Weinstein also entered the restaurant business, starting B&W’s Bar at 824 Federal St. on the North Side with brother-in-law Saul Brown.

Samuel and Esther Weinstein opened a restaurant at 3708 Forbes Ave. in Oakland. The address today is home to a McDonald’s, but legendary photographer Charles “Teenie” Harris captured the building in its former life. In her essay, Weissman Schweitzer provided a warm and loving reminiscence of the Oakland restaurant, especially Esther Weinstein’s light and fluffy matzo ball soup, plus the legendary bakery case and the deli counter. 

Even this long list is probably not exhaustive. If you know of any other restaurants managed by members of the Weinstein family—like Harold's Bar in East Liberty or the Weinstein's Kennilworth—please let us know.

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 Men's Hebrew Association (1877-1905)

The concept of a Young Men’s Hebrew Association struggled for decades to take hold in Pittsburgh. Between 1877 and 1905, there were five short-lived attempts by different groups. A successful attempt in 1910 eventually survived, leading to the current Jewish Community Center.

Our entry for the Young Men's Hebrew Association (1877-1905) tracks these attempts based on research from Jacob Feldman.

Unsigned newspaper article calling on young Jewish men of Pittsburgh to form an association, after the example of New York, Philadelphia, and Chicago—August 24, 1877..

—from American Israelite

Newspapers.com

Family Clubs:

Golden Cousins Club

Notice for the Golden Cousins Club, announcing formation—Dec. 25, 1953.

—from Jewish Criterion

Pittsburgh Jewish Newspaper Project

Jacob and Rachel Golden had at least eight children: Abe Golden, Joseph Golden, Sarah (Golden) Shapiro, Margaret (Golden) Frankel, Mollie (Golden) Lappin, Dora (Golden) Averback, Anna (Golden) Freeman, and Lena (Golden) Randall. By the early 1950s, many of these children were married with children of their own and living in different parts of the city and the wider region.

The second and third generations started the Golden Cousin’s Club in December 1953 and continued meeting through at least 1959. Known surnames in the club include Bernstein, Browman/Brourman, Fingeret, Goldfarb, Golden, Kweller, Levy, Needleman, Racusin, Randall, Sambol, Shapiro, Silverman, Strickler, and Waldman. Known meeting places include Kamin Street (Joseph Shapiro residence); Ridgeville Street (Harold Browman/Brourman residence); the Ankara; Chislett Street (Sidney Silverman residence); Landview Place (Abe Sambol residence); Johnstown (Al Needleman residence); Beacon Street (Lou Waldman residence); 5856 Douglas St. (Joe Levy residence); Coleman Strickler residence; Harry Goldfarb residence; Jordan Randall residence; Stanton Heights (Albert Shapiro residence); Darlington Court (Lou and Shirley Waldman residence); 5627 Bryant St. (Sam Bernstein residence); Beeler Street (Morris Golden residence); and 5665 Melvin St. (Edward Kweller residence). Special events were held at Delma’s; the Rainbow Gardens in McKeesport; the Holiday House, and the A.B.A. Club.

No known archival collections exist for the Golden Cousin’s Club. If you have information about the club or its members, please contact the archive.

Sept. 24-25:

Yom Kippur

Unidentified child learning about Yom Kippur on computer program at the Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh in Squirrel Hill—September 1990.

—from Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh Photographs [MSP 389]

Yom Kippur begins the evening of Sunday, Sept. 24. The Rauh Jewish Archives wishes a meaningful day and easy fast to those who observe the Holiday. 

Sept. 29-Oct. 8:

Sukkot

“How to Build a Sukka”—Sept. 20, 1979.

—from Jewish Chronicle

Pittsburgh Jewish Newspaper Project

The holiday of Sukkot commemorates the ancient nomadic experience of the Jewish people in the Wilderness. It is celebrated in part through the construction of temporary outdoor huts, also called sukkot. In the 1970s and 1980s, the Jewish Chronicle regularly included this helpful diagram, providing steps for the construction of a basic sukkah.

Sukkot begins the evening on Sept. 29 and continues through the end of the holiday of Shmini Atzeret and Simchat Torah on Oct. 8. The Rauh Jewish Archives will be open during the intermediate days of the holiday, Monday Oct. 2 through Friday, Oct. 6.

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.