Mayor Bill Peduto Joins Our Celebration of Sophie Masloff
In her new biography, "Sophie: The Incomparable Mayor Masloff," Dr. Barbara Burstin provides the first comprehensive assessment of the life and career of Sophie Masloff, who was the mayor of Pittsburgh from 1988 and 1994.

Sophie, as she was universally known, is a singular figure in Pittsburgh history. The child of poor Romanian immigrants, she became a stalwart of the local Democratic Party through decades of hard work. Following the death of Mayor Richard S. Caliguiri, she became the only Jewish and only female mayor of Pittsburgh, leading the city through one of its most difficult periods.

The Rauh Jewish History Program & Archives is hosting an intimate, one-night-only look at Sophie’s life and career on  Thursday, March 5 from 6 - 8 p.m. at the Heinz History Center.

This  free program includes remarks by Mayor Bill Peduto; a panel discussion with Sophie's finance director Jim Turner and KDKA reporter Paul Martino; a presentation from cartoonist Tim Menees; a rare exhibition of Sophie’s personal archives; and an opportunity to purchase Dr. Burstin’s book.

[IMAGE: Sophie Masloff greeting a constituent, 1990s. Sophie Masloff Papers and Photographs, MSS 589.]
B'nai Israel: Past, Present, and Future
The B'nai Israel synagogue on Negley Avenue in East Liberty is one of the architectural gems of Pittsburgh. It is beloved by the thousands of people who worshiped there and marveled over by the thousands more who pass it daily. 

On  Sunday, March 22 at 10:30 a.m. ,   the Rauh Jewish History Program & Archives and Rodef Shalom Congregation will be co-hosting a special symposium on the history and future of the building. We will provide more details about this  free  event in this next issue of our newsletter on March 8.

[Photograph of the B'nai Israel synagogue under construction on Negley Avenue, November 1923. H. Miller & Sons Photographs, 2019.0123]
Tree of Life Collecting Stories of Memorial Objects
In the days following the attack on the three congregations worshipping at the Tree of Life synagogue on Oct. 27, 2018, thousands of people left memorial objects outside the synagogue.

These objects are beautiful and heartfelt. They are also often completely anonymous.

Stories bring objects to life and, a s part of its effort to preserve these memorial objects, Tree of Life Congregation is collecting the stories behind them and behind other public gestures made in the aftermath of the attack.

If you left something at the synagogue, or if you undertook a public memorial outside the building, please share your story here .
Featured Cookbook: "Food Fare"
Beth Zion Temple in Johnstown, Pa. was organized in 1894 as a Reform congregation but embraced certain Conservative and Orthodox practices.

"Food Fare," published by the Beth Zion Temple Sisterhood, expresses similar nuances. It begins with an essay describing traditional Jewish culinary laws and customs in great detail, but it also includes non-kosher recipes like veal parmesan.

The cookbook is undated but appears to come from the 1950s. It includes an early recipe for a "pizza pie," when the now-beloved dish was just arriving on American tables. The recipe calls for a thinly rolled biscuit mix covered slices of provolone.
Our featured recipe is "Stuffed Kolrabis."

It's a twist on stuffed peppers-cabbage-mushrooms, using a vegetable that is just coming back into fashion. The recipe could easily be made kosher by replacing either the sour cream or ground chuck.


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.