Pretter Cousins Club
Pittsburgh Jewish Newspapers
Jewish Squirrel Hill: 1907-1957
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(Top) A survey prepared by Selma and Mel Jackson, to gauge interest in a family club.
—from Mark and Ellen Diamond Family Papers and Photographs [2019.0199]
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And so the families met at the home of Selma and Mel Jackson on Woodbine Street on Feb. 4, 1962 to start the Pretter Cousins Club.
The constitution, drafted some time later, reads, "The sole purpose of this organization shall be for socializing."
And that they did.
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Some time in late 1961 or early 1962, Selma and Mel Jackson sent a survey around to all the cousins.
The point of the survey was to determine whether anyone in the family wanted to start a club.
They did.
You can see a copy of that survey to the left. A vote tally in the top right hand corner reads: "19 Yes, 0 No."
Everything else was up for debate: how often to meet, when to meet, what to do at those meetings.
The question: "Would you be willing to be an officer in the organization?" is marked X in the "No" column.
But the important detail comes at the bottom: "Some Family Statistics."
It tallies up the aunts, uncles, cousins and spouses over four generations: 108 potential members of the club.
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(Bottom) Announcement of the formation of the Pretter Cousins Club.
—from Jewish Criterion
February 23, 1962
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"Pretter Family Tree Statistics," created in the 1980s to document the various members of the Pretter Cousins Club.
—from Mark and Ellen Diamond Family Papers and Photographs [2019.0199]
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The records of the Pretter Cousins Club come from the Mark and Ellen Diamond Family Papers and Photographs (2019.0199).
They include the constitution and bylaws, sporadic minutes of the organization into the 1970s, financial records, notices of charitable donations made by the club, membership rosters, and copies of its newsletter: The Pretter Prattler.
Starting in the early 1980s, around its 20th anniversary, the Pretter Cousins Club began considering itself in a different way. It took a broader and more historical view of itself.
One of its first efforts was "Pretter Family Tree Statistics." It's a family tree, just like those made for many families. But it's presented as a record of the club, not just the family.
A note on the cover reads: "Collection and recording of material for the family club tree began in 1983."
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(Left) Program from a Pretter Cousins Club reunion. Stuck to the front is a yellow name tag with the word "Cousin" and the name "Selma Jackson." (Right) Embroidered napkin from a Pretter Cousins Club reunion. Text reads "Pretter Cousin" in brown thread on orange fabric.
—from Mark and Ellen Diamond Family Papers and Photographs [2019.0199]
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In these years, the Pretter Cousins Club also began holding bigger occasional reunions, rather than smaller and more frequent meetings. Some of these reunions were quite elaborate. The records include invitations, programs filled with songs and reminiscences, and even embroidered napkins. The 30th anniversary party in 1992 was a major affair, requiring months of planning.
Even though the records dwindle somewhat following the 1992 reunion, the club continued for at least another decade. The Pretter Cousins Club made regular donations to the Jewish Association on Aging as late as 2002.
Another project during these years was the Pretter Cousins Club album.
Each branch of the family was encouraged to submit photographs of each of its members—every cousin. Each branch got a page or two in the photo album.
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A branch of the Pretter Cousins Club modeling t-shirts before a reunion, early 1980s.
—from Mark and Ellen Diamond Family Papers and Photographs [2019.0199]
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This shift was not uncommon. The family clubs emerged at a time when Jewish families began spreading across the Pittsburgh area. It was a way to encourage people to come back together. As that spreading continued, and as some branches left town altogether, clubs had to adjust or risk disbanding.
With its members increasing living all over, the Pretter Cousins Club shifted toward bigger projects that inspired and encouraged family to stay connected.
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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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Help the Pittsburgh Jewish Newspaper Project |
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The home page of the new Pittsburgh Jewish Newspaper Project website, hosted by Carnegie Mellon University Libraries. The redesigned website is launching this month. |
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The Pittsburgh Jewish Newspaper Project is likely the most widely used resource for conducting research about Jewish history in this region.
Launched in 2007, and expanded over a period of years, it now includes digital reproductions of four English-language Jewish newspapers—The Jewish Criterion, The American Jewish Outlook, the Jewish Chronicle, and the Y Weekly. These searchable issues begin in 1895 and continue through 2010, creating an invaluable tool for studying Jewish history and Jewish genealogy.
Carnegie Mellon University Libraries created the website, using materials and resources from the Rauh Jewish Archives, Rodef Shalom Congregation, the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, and the Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle. CMU recently announced plans to move the Pittsburgh Jewish Newspaper Project to a different online platform. As with any change, this one will require people to learn a new system: the site will look a little different and will act a little different than the one we have become accustomed to using for many years.
The new system will be an improvement in some ways. But as with any change, it will also create new quirks and shortcomings to navigate.
At this early stage in the transition, CMU is asking for help. They want you to try out the new site and to let them know what you think about it.
In the meantime, the existing site remains accessible. You can find it here.
These transitions can be exciting, and they can also be frustrating. The Rauh Jewish Archives is currently learning the new system, in order to help researchers make the switch over the coming months. We are always available to help you troubleshoot problems, and we hope to provide training workshops in the near future. You can contact the archive or call 412-454-6406.
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Dec. 13
Jewish Squirrel Hill: 1907-1957
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Squirrel Hill has been the “Jewish part of Pittsburgh” for nearly a century. How did that happen? In this presentation with Doors Open Pittsburgh, the Rauh Jewish Archives will track the development of Squirrel Hill year by year over half a century, looking at the creation of subdivisions, the establishment of businesses and the arrival of synagogues, schools and community centers. We will also consider Squirrel Hill in relationship to the larger Jewish population of Allegheny County, following migrations into the neighborhood as Squirrel Hill gradually consolidated the Jewish population of a broad region.
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[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, 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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