Our "Sitting" Tours Continue
At this time when people are stuck at home, the Rauh Jewish Archives is offering a series of online "sitting" tours of local Jewish historical sites.

Just like our popular walking tours, a "sitting" tour allows you to visit historic sites throughout Western Pennsylvania and discover their hidden stories. But a sitting tour takes place in your home, using a combination of Zoom video conferencing, Google Street View, and digitized materials from the archives.

Each 30-minute tour zigzags across the region and toggles through time, allowing you to experience Jewish history in an immersive and interactive way. 

Here is our upcoming schedule:

Tuesday, April 7 at 6:00 p.m.: The History of the JCC in Five Buildings

Sunday, April 19 at 10:15 a.m.: Gene Kelly's Pittsburgh: Part 1 (replay)
Sunday, April 19 at 11:00 a. m.: Gene Kelly's Pittsburgh: Part 2

If your organization would like to schedule tours for your members, please contact Eric Lidji at eslidji@heinzhistorycenter.org or 412-454-6406.

[IMAGES: (left) The former Gene Kelly Studio of the Dance on Forbes Avenue as it appears in a screen capture from Google Street View and (right) a pair of advertisements for the studio, 1935 (Pittsburgh Jewish Newspaper Project).]
The Cornerstone Ep. 3: The Hebrew Institute
The Rauh Jewish Archives has launched its first podcast. The Cornerstone connects Jewish places throughout our region to materials in the archive. 

Each episode digs into the history of one place in Western Pennsylvania. The third episode looks at the original Hebrew Institute in the Hill District. It was the first community-wide Jewish educational institution in Pittsburgh.

Be sure to check out the exclusive StoryMap , where you can see cool photographs, documents, and newspaper articles featured in the episode.

You can subscribe to the Cornerstone on the Heinz History Center website .

[IMAGE: An architectural rendering of the Hebrew Institute, several years prior to its construction (Jewish Criterion, October 2, 1914, page 8).]
Passover Begins the Evening of April 8
Passover is the central holiday of Jewish history, commemorating the exodus of the Jewish people from their slavery in ancient Egypt. The Rauh Jewish Archives will be closed April 9, 10, 15, and 16, in honor of the holiday.

In the meantime, please enjoy our online exhibit Passover in Pittsburgh , where you can 80 years of Passover celebrations in Western Pennsylvania.

[IMAGE: A member of Ohav Shalom Congregation in Donora oversees the sale of Passover supplies, April 1962 (Ohav Shalom Photographs, MSQ 16)]
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.
Visit Online

The Senator John Heinz History Center is currently closed to the public, however we have you covered with an array of virtual history offerings. 
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.