Vol. 4

No. 6

Restaurants:

The Kosher Restaurant

The Jewish Encyclopedia

Congregation Kahal Chassidim

Neighborhoods:

Deutschtown

Calendar:

Feb. 6: Tu B'shvat

Feb. 12: LitvakSIG

Research Tools:

Newspapers, Cemeteries, Memorial Plaques, Books, Newsletters

Restaurants:

The Kosher Restaurant

Photograph showing 1700 block of Murray Avenue, following fire. Businesses include Harry’s American Bar, Kaufman’s Market, The Kosher Restaurant, and John’s Coffee Shop.

—Jewish Chronicle, February 21, 1964 [from Pittsburgh Jewish Newspaper Project]

Like “organic” or “artisan” or even “fresh,” the word “kosher” can have a very specific meaning or almost no meaning at all, depending on how it’s used.

In some instances, the word “kosher” describes the mountains of Jewish religious ordinances governing the preparation and consumption of food. In others, the word becomes a handy euphemism for “Jewish," if that.

A majority of the restaurants we will profile this year used the word “kosher” in their advertisements. With the passage of time, it can be surprisingly difficult to map their use of that word onto our current understanding of its meaning. A restaurant might promote a “strictly kosher” menu prepared under “rabbinic supervision,” but those strong claims actually provide very little insight into the system of certification in place at that time. Who were the rabbis? What supervision did they provide? How does it compare to today?

One way to circumvent this ambiguity is by following the Talmudic axiom, “Go out and see what the people are doing.” In other words: Who ate where?

Advertisement from Dec. 14, 1962, announcing the grand opening of The Kosher Restaurant at 1718 Murray Ave. in Squirrel Hill. Listed hours show that the restaurant closed early on Friday afternoons and opened late on Saturday evenings.

—Jewish Chronicle

[Pittsburgh Jewish Newspaper Project]

After the closing of Cappy’s Restaurant in 1962, 1718 Murray Ave. became The Kosher Restaurant.

It billed itself as “the only Kosher Restaurant in the Tri-State Area” and one of the few nationally. It was co-owned by Abe Dunn, who was a lay leader at Yeshiva Achei Tmimim, the day school started in the early 1940s by local representatives of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement. The school and its auxiliaries regularly held meetings at the restaurant. 

That patronage gives some suggestion of the strict standards of the restaurant, but no firm details.

Advertisements show that the restaurant observed Shabbat by closing early on Friday afternoons and opening late on Saturday nights. It also closed on Passover, rather than attempting to accommodate the food restrictions of that holiday with a special menu. But the available sources reveal nothing about food suppliers or certification methods. 

The Kosher Restaurant was created as a business, but it acted more like a community service initiative.

Advertisements describe the restaurant as an “achievement” benefiting “the entire community.” In early 1963, it created a sponsorship program to improve cash flow. You could buy $25, $50, or $100 bonds to be redeemed for meals over time.

For those in the Jewish community who kept an extremely strict standard of kosher, it must have been a thrill to eat out, perhaps for the first time.

The Kosher Restaurant was short lived. It opened in December 1962 and closed in February 1964, after a neighboring building caught fire, damaging several properties on the block. Dunn intended to reopen soon after Passover, but never did.

By the following year, the building at 1718 Murray had become the Tel Aviv Self Service Kosher Meat Market.

Advertisement for The Kosher Restaurant at 1718 Murray Ave., announcing “Sponsor Bond” program to support the restaurant.

—Jewish Chronicle

[Pittsburgh Jewish Newspaper Project]

Do you remember The Kosher Restaurant? Did you know Mr. Abe Dunn? Do you have one of those sponsor bonds hidden away somewhere?

Next week: Back to Fifth Avenue

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.

Jewish Encyclopedia of Western Pennsylvania:

Congregation Kahal Chassidim

Kahal Chassidim was the first Chassidic congregation in Pittsburgh.

Rabbi Yosef and Rebbetzin Sarah Leifer founded the congregation in the 1920s, after relocating to the city from their native Galitzia. The family initially lived at 2035 Wylie Ave. in the Hill District, in a house converted to include a mikveh (ritual bath) in the basement, a sanctuary on the first floor, and living quarters for the Leifer family on the second floor.

They moved to 33 Niagara St. in Oakland in late 1932, then to a house at 5818 Bartlett St. in Squirrel Hill in 1939, and finally down the block to a house at 5807 Bartlett St. in 1943.

With the final move, the congregation changed its name to Ahavas Yisroel, meaning Love of Israel. The Leifers were perhaps best-known for their hospitality, hosting large gatherings at their table on a near-daily basis.

Following the death of Rabbi Yosef Leifer on Purim 1966, his son Rabbi Avram Aba Leifer (1918-1990) returned to Pittsburgh to assume the pulpit. The congregation continued until 1970, when the Leifer family relocated to Israel.

Rabbi Avram Aba Leifer founded Kiryat Pittsburgh in the Israeli city of Ashdod and became known as the Pittsburgher Rebbe. Following his death, his son Rabbi Mordechai Yissachar Ber Leifer (1955-2020) assumed leadership of the community and became the second Pittsburgher Rebbe. His son Rabbi Meshulam Eliezer Leifer (1979) became the third Pittsburgher Rebbe in 2020.

ABOVE: “A Living Memorial for Grand Rabbi Joseph Leifer in Jerusalem.” Advertisement announcing plans for a Jewish religious and educational center in Jerusalem in memory of Rabbi Joseph Leifer. Includes reproduction of a letter of support signed by Rabbi Baruch Poupko, Rabbi Joshua Weiss, Rabbi Joseph Shapiro, Rabbi Irvin Chinn, and Rabbi Mordcai Glatstein.

—Jewish Chronicle, January 18, 1968 [Pittsburgh Jewish Newspaper Project]

Neighborhoods:

Deutschtown

ABOVE: Beth Israel Congregation of Allegheny synagogue at 801 East St., c.1940.

—Jewish Criterion, March 29, 1940 [Pittsburgh Jewish Newspaper Project]

BELOW: Croatian National Hall parking lot at 801 East St., Sept. 2021.

—Google Street View

It’s easy to view Jewish history as a chain of neighborhoods. We often talk about the "old" Jewish neighborhood and the "new" Jewish neighborhood, as though everyone moved from one part of town to another, all at once.

In some ways, that’s true. You can follow the broad migration patterns across the decades. But when you look closer, the story is much more dynamic.

For example, the Jewish population of the Hill District declined greatly in the 1930s and 1940s but not because Jewish families started leaving in those years. They had already been leaving for nearly 40 years. Throughout the first two decades of the 20th century, newly arriving Jewish immigrants settled in the Hill District by the thousands, obscuring the ongoing exodus. The steady influx of people kept the Jewish population of the Hill District stable, even as families left in large numbers. With the change in federal immigration laws in the 1920s, the balance shifted. We can only imagine what might have happened if those laws had been left unchanged throughout World War II.

The North Side of Pittsburgh experienced a similar phenomenon at the turn of the 20th century: Jewish outmigration and Jewish in-migration were occurring simultaneously. To put it more simply: Jews were leaving the North Side in high numbers, and Jews were also arriving in the North Side in high numbers.

Who was leaving?

These were the initial Jewish settlers on the North Side. At that time, the North Side was an independent municipality called Allegheny City.

These early Jewish settlers were predominately from the German Empire. They were two or three generations into their Pittsburgh story and mostly associated with Rodef Shalom Congregation. For a brief time before 1862, Rodef Shalom even had its synagogue in Allegheny. 

In the early 20th century, these Jewish families began relocating to the emerging eastern neighborhoods of Bloomfield, East Liberty, Shadyside, and Squirrel Hill. The newly built Bigelow Boulevard—then known as Grant Boulevard—made it easy to commute between these suburbs and downtown. Rodef Shalom followed, dedicating its new Fifth Avenue synagogue in 1907.

ABOVE: Resolution by the Alleghany Young Men's Sephar Club, announcing first Torah scroll dedication in Western Pennsylvania.

—The Occident, June 14, 1860.

from Jewish Historical Press, The National Library of Israel and Tel Aviv University

As these established Jewish families were leaving one part of Allegheny, a group of recent Jewish immigrants were settling on the other side of town.

They initially clustered in a neighborhood we now call Deutschtown or East Allegheny. They first met at an unidentified hall on Third Street (now Tripoli Street) in the 1890s and later moved to Mendel’s Hall on East Ohio Street. 

Poster created by Beth Israel Congregation (Allegheny, Pa.) Ladies Auxiliary in honor of a Torah scroll presented to the congregation. Lists officers of the organization and donors to the fund. English and Yiddish, Nov. 17, 1907.

— Beth Israel Congregation Ladies' Auxiliary (Allegheny, Pa.) Records [2018.0230]

Then, in 1907, they had a burst of activity. They adopted the name Beth Israel Congregation, obtained a charter, formed a Ladies Auxiliary, commissioned a Torah scroll, hired Rabbi Henry Tolochko as their first spiritual leader, and acquired the former First German Regular Baptist Church at 801 East Street to repurpose into a synagogue. In time, the congregation joined communal ventures, such as the Southwestern District of Pennsylvania Jewish Religious Schools Program, the Agudath Kehillath, and various fundraising efforts locally and abroad.

Congregation Beth Israel of Allegheny, Pa. grew through the 1920s. It even briefly considered building a large new synagogue to accommodate the expected growth.

But the congregation declined in the 1930s and 1940s, as members relocated to the East End and Squirrel Hill, just as the older German Jewish families had done a generation earlier. Rabbi Tolochko, for example, left his North Side pulpit in the 1920s to become cantor of Congregation Beth Shalom in Squirrel Hill.

Former Beth Israel Congregation of Allegheny synagogue at 801 East St. as The Full Gospel Church of the Sons of God, led by Brother T. Fields, c.1980.

— Corinne Azen Krause Photographs [MSP 113]

By the mid-1960s, Beth Israel Congregation was only opened for Jewish holidays. The congregation formally dissolved in 1969. It sold its synagogue and donated the proceeds to the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh.

It sent two Torah scrolls to the North Hills Jewish Community Center (now Temple Ohav Shalom) and three more to congregations outside the region. Several dedicatory plaques from the synagogue were donated to Rodef Shalom, and the surviving records came to the Rauh Jewish Archives.

Beth Israel is the best documented of the small neighborhood congregations we will profile this year. In the archive, we have a charter, a constitution and bylaws, minute books for the congregation and its Ladies’ Auxiliary, an early financial ledger, and various ephemera, like a poster from the dedication of its first Torah scroll in 1907 and a membership map from 1921. You can see these and other materials at the Jewish Encyclopedia of Western Pennsylvania.

February 6:

Tu B'shvat

Tu B’Shvat is a Jewish holiday sometimes called the “New Year of Trees” or “Jewish Arbor Day.” Going back to the times of the mishna, the fifteenth day of the Hebrew month of Shvat marked the beginning of the year for determining the age of trees for the purposes of bringing certain tithes. Over the centuries, the significance of the date has expanded into various directions, to include expressions of Zionism, Jewish mysticism, and environmentalism.

In honor of Tu B’Shvat, we share a recording of the Chassidic niggun “Ilan, Ilan.” The song was written in 1977 by Rabbi Avraham Ava Leifer, the Pittsburgher Rebbe, based upon a famous Talmudic parable (BT Taanit 5b).

Translated, the lyrics read:

Tree, O tree, 

how can I bless you?

your fruit is sweet, 

your shade is pleasant, 

and a stream flows beneath you.

May it be His will 

that all of your offspring 

should be like you!

February 12:

JGS-Pittsburgh Presents: Judy Baston

With almost 2.5 million Lithuanian Jewish record translations — mainly censuses and vital records — LitvakSIG’s publicly searchable “All Lithuania Database” provides the primary foundation for Litvak genealogical research. There are also additional sources online for researching your Litvak roots.

In her talk “Researching Your Roots with LitvakSIG,” Judy Baston will offer a comprehensive overview of the LitvakSIG (Special Interest Group) database and website, as well as other important sources. The presentation will detail the best ways to use Litvak databases and websites to achieve optimum results and to enhance your knowledge of your Litvak family information. It will also include tips for determining what records are available, for understanding search results, and for accessing information in search results. The presentation will also cover LitvakSIG and its “All Lithuania Database,” as well as other resources from JewishGen, the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, YIVO and other sources.

The program is Sunday, Feb. 12 from 2-3:30 p.m. ET It's free for JGS-Pittsburgh members and $5 for the general public. Please register online. 

All attendees are encouraged to log on 30 minutes early for a virtual open house. It’s an opportunity to share genealogy stories and make new friends.

This is a virtual program. It will be recorded, and the recording will be made available for JGS-Pittsburgh members who are current on their dues.

This program is possible through the support of the William M. Lowenstein Genealogical Research Endowment Fund of the Jewish Community Foundation.

Currently secretary of LitvakSIG, Judy Baston has served for 25 years on that organization’s Board, as well as the JRI-Poland Board, and has moderated the Discussion Groups of LitvakSIG and JRI-Poland. She coordinates LitvakSIG’s Lida and Oshmiany District Research Groups. Judy has been involved with the Jewish Community Library in San Francisco for 30 years, and serves as co-president of Friends of the Jewish Community Library. In July 2015, she received the IAJGS Lifetime Achievement Award at the IAJGS conference in Jerusalem. She is continuing her research on the Vilna Ghetto Library.

Research Tools

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.

Western Pennsylvania Jewish Cemetery Project

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 almost 400 listings.

Rauh Jewish Archives Bibliography

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.

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.