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Restaurants:
Golden Triangle Restaurant
Jewish Encyclopedia:
Beth Zedeck Congregation
Databases:
Yahrzeit plaques,
synagogues
Calendar:
Dec. 10: JGS presents: Claire Weill
through Nov. 21: Violins of Hope
through Nov. 27: Mosaics
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
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Restaurants:
Golden Triangle
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Color photograph showing the Golden Triangle restaurant on Diamond Street in downtown Pittsburgh—undated.
—from McBride Sign Company Photographs [1997.0097]
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Dutch Henry’s was a popular German restaurant on Diamond Street, best known for its pig knuckles and apple strudel. It closed in 1953 and became the Golden Triangle Restaurant, billed as the largest “Kosher-style” joint in town.
The Golden Triangle was started by appliance vendor Eddie Cohen and managed by William Gross. Cohen last appeared in the newsletter in August 2023, as a member of the MaxAnn (Cohen) Cousins Club. He was also a step-nephew of Elizabeth Seabright, who last appeared in the newsletter in April 2023 as proprietor of the Elizabeth Steak House at 1600 Center Ave. Gross had worked at the Weinstein’s on Fifth Avenue. Golden Triangle changed ownership over the next few years before closing in the mid-1960s.
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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. | |
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Jewish Encyclopedia of Western Pennsylvania:
Beth Zedeck Congregation
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Detail from reproduction of charter of Beth Zedeck Congregation, listing charter members Benjamin Cohen, Jacob Colker, Morris Glass, Naman Jason, Samuel Kraus, Samuel Landaman, Israel Robins, Allen Shoob, Morris Snyder, and David Solominsky—1902.
—from Allegheny County Charter Books, Vol. 32
Allegheny County
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We are currently profiling local Rishishe shuln—Jewish congregations started by immigrants from the former Russian Empire. We’ve created entries for three of these congregations: Beth Abraham, Agudas Achim, and Beth Israel.
The next is Beth Zedeck Congregation. It was founded around 1899 and received a charter in 1902 with 10 subscribers from several parts of the city—six from the Hill District and neighboring Uptown, two from the Strip District, one from Lawrenceville, and one from Allegheny City (now the North Side).
During the wave of emigration following the 1903 pogroms in Kishinev, Gomel and other Russian towns, many refugees who settled in Western Pennsylvania joined Beth Zedeck. With the help of this increased membership, Beth Zedeck started a building fund campaign. The congregation purchased a lot on Fulton Street in 1904 for $4,200, using Harry H. Berman of the Merchants Savings and Trust Co. as a broker, but the synagogue was never constructed. Some of the newer members broke away from Beth Zedeck in 1905 to form Beth David Congregation. Beth Zedeck and Beth David merged in 1906 to create Shaaray Tefillah Congregation, which was eventually known as "the Russian Shul."
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The Jewish Encyclopedia of Western Pennsylvania brings together numerous online resources into a clearinghouse for conducting research about Jewish history in this region. As we migrate information to this new website, we’ll be announcing new entries and resources in this section of the newsletter. | |
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Databases:
Western Pennsylvania Yahrzeit Plaques Project
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Color photograph showing yahrzeit plaque for Ethel Ray Adler.
—from the Carnegie Shul
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The Western Pennsylvania Yahrzeit Plaques Project database now contains 3,110 records from 14 current and former synagogues around the region. We recently added 344 plaques from five boards at Congregation Ahavath Achim in Carnegie, Pa., better known as the Carnegie Shul.
Long before the Rauh Jewish Archives began compiling yahrzeit plaques throughout the entire community, the Carnegie Shul undertook this initiative for the memorial boards within its synagogue. We are grateful to the congregation for collecting this information and for making it publically available on its website. Rauh Jewish Archives volunteer Kathy Holter reformatted this data and Carol Hoffman translated Hebrew names and dates.
We are actively transcribing yahrzeit plaques from congregations from throughout the region. Each month, we’ll use this space in the newsletter to report on additions to the database. We are currently working through a backlog of nearly 20,000 individual records. The more help we have, the quicker we’ll go. We’re currently looking for volunteers who can read and transcribe Hebrew names and dates. Work can be completed remotely or in-person at the Archive. To volunteer, email us or call 412-454-6406.
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Western Pennsylvania Synagogues Project | |
Screen capture from the Western Pennsylvania Synagogue Project database, showing listings from the former Cneseth Israel Congregation in the Hill District and East End. | |
Dec 10:
JGS Pittsburgh Presents:
Jewish Genealogical Resources in France
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Waves of French-Jewish immigrants came to North America. In this presentation, Claire Weill will discuss some of the reasons behind emigration and tell you what else you can learn about your French Jewish relatives.
There is an extensive and varied collection of material available for genealogical research for the 20th and 19th centuries, and resources do exist for the 18th century. These include civil vital records, military documents, Census records, cadastral registers, National and Departmental Archives, and many databases. This presentation aims to show you where to find these materials and how best to use them to further your research.
The program is Sunday, Dec. 10, from 1-3 p.m. ET. 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.
"Jewish Genealogical Resources in France" 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.
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Claire Weill has French Ashkenazi Jewish roots. She is Professeure de Chaire Supérieure and teaches Spanish Literature. She has been involved in genealogy for more than 30 years, with a special interest in Alsace. She is a board member of the CGJ, Cercle de Généalogie Juive, the first Jewish French Genealogical association, with more than 700 members and a huge collection of information. She recently joined JewishGen as a Project Coordinator for the France Research Division. | |
through Nov. 21:
Violins of Hope
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Violins of Hope is a community project of educational and cultural programs surrounding stringed instruments played by Jewish musicians during the Holocaust. The central exhibit at the Posner Center at Carnegie Mellon University relates remarkable stories of these instruments and musicians. Each surviving instrument has a unique and inspiring story that connects both young and old to the history of the Holocaust in a deeply emotional, personal, and relatable way. Paralleling lessons of the past to present day issues is key to creating a future where diversity, equality, and inclusion are valued. | |
through Nov. 27:
From Darkness to Light
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Presented in collaboration with Violins of Hope, this free exhibit in the Commons of Rodef Shalom Congregation features mosaics from artists around the world, created in response to October 27. Through their pieces, artists tackle antisemitism and injustice, and promote hope, resilience, and peace. | |
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"
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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.
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From the Jewish Cemetery & Burial Association
"Road Trip: The Jewish Cemeteries of Western Pennsylvania"
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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.
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From Rodef Shalom Congregation
A mystery in primary colors
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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? | |
Pittsburgh Jewish Newspaper Project | |
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. | |
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Western Pennsylvania Jewish Cemetery Project | | |
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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. | |
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Rauh Jewish Archives Bibliography | | |
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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. | |
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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. | |
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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. | |
[IMAGE: Marian Schreiber and employees at the Schreiber Trucking Company, c.1943—from Schreiber Family Papers and Photographs, MSS 846.]
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The Rauh Jewish Archives was founded on November 1, 1988 to collect and preserve the documentary history of Jewish life in Western Pennsylvania and to make it available to the world through research assistance, programing, exhibits, publications, and partnerships. | | | | |
