The Jewish youth clubs of the 1960s were expected to organize charitable projects in addition to competing in athletics and putting on great shows.
These charity projects were often sales. The Titans (Squirrel Hill, boys, 9th grade) went door-to-door along Murray and Forbes Avenues in 1963 selling lightbulbs to benefit the American Cancer Society. The Hondas (Squirrel Hill, boys, tween) raised $40 for the Children's Hospital in 1966 by selling candy.
Other clubs performed service work for charity. The Corvettes (East End, boys) stuffed more than 3,000 envelopes for the Easter Seal Society in 1963.
[IMAGES: (Top) Standing, from left to right: Ben Gidron, Teddy Kwalwasser, Steve Leyton, Murray Siegel, Lee Passekoff, Glenn Harlow, Jeff Malkin, Steve Haynes, Jimmy Lichtenstein, Howard Lowy. Seated: Howard Sapper, Allan Bochner, Eddie Rosenberg, Timmy Cohen, Philip Recht, Ronnie Sollow and Jeff Letwin. Warren Wechsler presents the check to· Miss Alice Reed of the hospital staff, from Y Weekly, April 1, 1966. (Bottom, left) Left to right: Bill Clovsky, Ed Davidson, Eddie Lauten, Bill Shapiro, Marshall Shorin, Mark Schwartz, Aaron Caplan, Jerry Silvers, Jack Davis, Zane Hepner, Arnold Young, and Sheldon Canter, from Y Weekly, March 8, 1963. (Bottom, right) The Titans, including Mark Lantzman, Eric Nauhaus, Bob Grinberg, Bill Drosnes, Brian Schreiber, from Y Weekly, January 4, 1963.]
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Some projects emerged from personal circumstances. The BOWS (East End, girls) collected old clothes in 1962 to send to Korea. "This project was inspired by the vice-president, Sheila Leff, whose sister is now teaching art in that far-away country," the Y Weekly reported in its Eastern Beat column that week.
Bigger clubs sometimes arranged impressive events. The Sigma Kappa fraternity sponsored a charity football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers to benefit the Home for Crippled Children, now known as the Children's Institute.
A team of Y-IKC kids and staff lost 70-68. That's an incredible showing, even considering that the 1967-1968 Steelers were coming off of a 4-9-1 season.
[IMAGES: (Left) Y Weekly, October 12, 1962, (Right) Y Weekly, May 17, 1968.]
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The Y-IKC leadership encouraged clubs to be thoughtful about charity.
In 1966, Squirrel Hill Inter-club Council President Richie Serbin encouraged clubs to get involved with the charities they supported.
"Some groups feel that service to the community consists of only going out and knocking on doors to raise money and then handing the money over to the charity," Serbin announced at the time. "In awarding points for service, the process the group goes through and the amount of people involved will be taken into consideration."
[IMAGE: from Y Weekly, Feb. 18, 1968.]
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All this year, the Rauh Jewish Archives is highlighting stories of Jewish club life in Western Pennsylvania. If you would like to donate records of a local Jewish club, or just chat about clubs, contact the archive or call 412-454-6406.
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May 30: A Special Gift: The Act of Valor Award (Rescheduled) |
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We invite you to join the Rauh Jewish Archives for a virtual ceremony this afternoon at 3 p.m. as we graciously accept the donation of a special object: the Medal of Valor Award given to Officer Tim Matson for his bravery in the line of duty during the synagogue attack on October 27, 2018.
That morning, hundreds of law enforcement officers rushed to the synagogue in Squirrel Hill to protect members of the three congregations—Dor Hadash, New Light, and Tree of Life*Or L’Simcha—that were worshipping in the building at the time and the broader public. Officer Tim Matson was among the initial responding city police officers at the scene, and he was wounded alongside his fellow city officers Michael Smidga, Daniel Mead, and Anthony Burke.
One of the congregants who survived the attack was Dan Leger. Leger is a longtime nurse and hospital chaplain, and he had been preparing for services with Congregation Dor Hadash at the time of the attack. He was taken for treatment to the same local hospital where Matson was being treated. Upon learning that one of the officers who had saved his life was in a room nearby, Leger set himself a physical therapy goal: to gather enough strength to visit Officer Matson. The fortitude, courage, and friendship of these two men was a rare moment of hope during those dark weeks following the attack.
In November 2019, Matson and his fellow officers were each given the Act of Valor Award for their bravery that day. In a spirit of friendship and mutual gratitude, Matson gave his award to Leger. In turn, Leger is donating the award to the Archives, to publicly commemorate the bravery of the officers.
This virtual ceremony will include brief remarks, the donation of the Act of Valor Award, and reflections of the meaning of historic artifacts. You can use the link below to view the ceremony on our website on Sunday, May 30.
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If you like this newsletter, why not forward it to a friend? We want to share the story of Western Pennsylvania Jewish history with as many people as possible.
If you've received this newsletter from a friend or neighbor, and you want to read more, just click on the link below to start receiving future editions.
[IMAGE: Marian Schreiber and employees at the Schreiber Trucking Company, c.1943—Schreiber Family Papers and Photographs, MSS 846.]
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The Rauh Jewish History Program & Archives was founded on November 1, 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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Plan a Visit
Senator John Heinz History Center
1212 Smallman Street
Pittsburgh, Pa. 15222
412-454-6000
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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.
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