Rabbi Goodman A. Rose was the first spiritual leader of Congregation Beth Shalom. He was energetic, eloquent, and beloved by the congregation.
He was also a rising star within the growing Conservative movement. In 1926, he wrote a prayerbook titled "Childrens' Services for Rosh Hashonoh and Yom Kippur." It was published by the United Synagogue of America (now known as the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism).
In the late teens and early 1920s, Beth Shalom was the only Jewish congregation in Squirrel Hill. It served the function of a community center, as well as a synagogue. It was known locally as "The Community House."