May 27: Tikkun Leil Online

One of the most beloved recent traditions in Jewish Pittsburgh is the community-wide Tikkun Leil Shavuot. On the evening of the summer holiday of Shavuot, hundreds of people from across the Jewish spectrum gather late into the night to learn Jewish texts and ideas (and to eat cheesecake and other treats). This year, the pandemic makes such large gatherings impossible. Instead, the community will be gathering online on May 27, the evening before Shavuot, for "Tikkun Leil Online."

At 9 p.m., Rauh Jewish Archives Director Eric Lidji will present new research on the history of "Siyum Sefer Torah" celebrations in Western Pennsylvania. The completion, or "siyum," of a Torah scroll is a major event in the life of any Jewish congregation. There have been more than 100 of these ceremonies locally over the past 125 years. Studying these celebrations offers insights into Jewish observance, migration, and economic status. And it reveals how local Jewish communities have developed ties with those in Europe and Israel.

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[IMAGE: A program from a Siyum Sefer Torah celebration in Donora, October 23, 1960. (Ohav Shalom Congregation (Donora, Pa.) Records, MSS 16)]

Featured Cookbook: "Kugels & Kisses Strikes Again!!!"

The Congregation Beth Shalom Preschool published "Kugels & Kisses" in 1999 and followed up with "Kugels & Kisses Strikes Again!!!" in 2005. For both cookbooks, preschool parents hand-wrote their favorite recipes on prepared templates, which were reproduced in the cookbook. This novel format gives these two cookbooks a charming, intimate quality. The changing handwriting from page to page reveals the personality of each contributor. All throughout are personal notes, alongside the recipes. Each page feels like it was sent to you by a friend.

The featured recipe this week is Macaroni and Cheese by Elinor Zaremberg, dedicated to her son Robert, "who loves this!" She even added a reminiscence at the bottom. The recipe is a no-nonsense take on a classic, made from common household ingredients, and sure to bring some comfort to your table. The Rauh Jewish Archives is placing a special focus on cookbooks in 2020. If you have a copy of a cookbook published by a Jewish individual or a Jewish 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.

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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.  History at Home 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.