October 8, 2023

Vol. 4, No. 41

Restaurants:

Hotel Fleisig

Small Towns:

Canonsburg

Databases:

Yahrzeit Plaques

Synagogues



Calendar:

Oct. 10: Homestead

Oct. 18: JGS Presents:

Jennifer Mendelshon

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

Restaurants:

Hotel Fleisig

Advertisement for Hotel Fleisig, listing “Sausages, Bolognas, and all kinds of smoked meats at Wholesale and Retail”—March 7, 1902.

—from Jewish Criterion

Pittsburgh Jewish Newspaper Project

A wire report from 1906 describes a matinee at Ellis Island for Jewish orphans who had recently escaped Russian pogroms. The performer was child star Belle Jeanette Fleisig, described as the “daughter of a wealthy New York merchant.” 

Of the four claims in that brief description, “daughter” and “merchant” were correct, but “wealthy” and “New York” may have been a bit of an exaggeration.

Samuel and Rosie Fleisig immigrated to New York from their native Russia in the 1890s. Over the next decade, they had a daughter Jeanette and came to Pittsburgh. Once here, they opened Hotel Fleisig at 1345 Fifth Ave. In advertisements, it was billed as a “kosher restaurant” with “Sausages, Bolognas, and all kinds of smoked meats at Wholesale and Retail.”

Black and white photograph, showing child actress Belle Jeanette Fleisig delivering newspapers on Fifth Avenue, as part of a car tour of downtown—December 16, 1907.

—from Pittsburgh Press

Newspapers.com

Over the next few years, the Fleisigs discovered their daughter’s talents as a singer and actress. Soon, Hotel Fleisig became a ticket office for local theatrical events. The Fleisigs took their daughter for New York for training and left the restaurant business. By 1904, 1345 Fifth Ave. was Wolfson & Canter’s. 

Samuel Fleisig began managing his daughter’s career. She headlined in “A Child Shall Lead Them” at Blaney’s in the East End but was already halfway to New York and a career with a road company. She returned to Pittsburgh in December 1907 to sell newspapers on Fifth Avenue, as a promotional gig.

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.

Small Town Jewish History Project:

Canonsburg

Black and photograph showing members of the Jewish community of Canonsburg attending a Homecoming Day at the Tree of Life synagogue in Canonsburg. Pictured (left to right) Zelig Klahr, Edith Adler, Minnie Flickman, Nettie Levin, Ida Green, Florence Klahr Roth, Irene Klahr, unknown, Bert Adler, Helen Cushner, Louie Levin, Hannah Levin, Harry Levin, Jack Cohen, Sam Cushner, and (seated) J. D. Levin—October 1951.

—from Arnold Cushner Research Collection [MSS 1114]

In the six years since we published our entry on Canonsburg in April 2017, we have received two new collections documenting Jewish life in the town.

The Arnold Cushner Genealogical Collection [2018.0146] contains census schedules, city directories, maps, photographs, and correspondence documenting the Cushner family, including the Klahr, Klee, and Katz branches of the family. Cushner was a child of the Canonsburg community and has spent decades documenting its Jewish residents. This collection expands and complements the earlier Arnold Cushner Research Collection [MSS 1114]

The Ilene Cohen Papers [2020.0068] includes a series documenting her grandfather Meyer Potashman, who ran the well-loved Canonsburg grocery store Meyer’s Market for several decades. Included in the series is a set of photographs and a run of the Meyer’s Market circular from 1964 and 1966.

Black and photograph of Meyer's Market in Canonsburg.

—from Ilene Cohen Papers [2020.0068]

To reflect these additions, we’ve revised our Canonsburg page to include:

• an updated historical essay with improved citations,

• an updated bibliography of known archival sources,

• an updated chart of known population figures for Canonsburg,

• a list of known Jewish organizations in Canonsburg,

• a list of known Jewish clergy in Canonsburg,

• additional photographs from the October 1951 “Homecoming Day” hosted by Tree of Life Congregation of Canonsburg, 

• Arnold Cushner’s “Canonsburg Jewry Database,” listing known Jewish residents of Canonsburg, along with family and business information,

• and a link to the Wayback Machine with earlier versions of the page.

Even with these additions, gaps inevitably remain. If you have records or memories of Jewish life in Canonsburg, please contact the archive at rjarchives@heinzhistorycenter.org or 412-454-6406.

Databases:

Western Pennsylvania Yahrzeit Plaques Project

Color photograph showing memorial board from the Jewish community of Titusville.

The Western Pennsylvania Yahrzeit Plaques Project contains 2,766 records from 13 institutions. We recently added 55 plaques from one memorial board from the former Jewish community of Titusville, including names from Kane, New Bethlehem, and other nearby towns. Rauh Jewish Archives volunteer Kathy Holter transcribed the plaques. 

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.

Western Pennsylvania Synagogues Project

Screen capture of the Western Pennsylvania Synagogues Project, showing listings for Chofetz Chaim Congregation in Squirrel Hill.

The Western Pennsylvania Synagogue Project now includes 105 listings from 28 congregations in 20 different parts of the Greater Pittsburgh area.

Recent additions include information about Beth Jacob Congregation (Hill District), Beth Israel Congregation (1852, Downtown), the Butler Street Congregation, and Chofetz Chaim Congregation (Squirrel Hill).

Oct. 10:

The Destruction of the Ward: Eighty Years Later

The Carnegie Library of Homestead welcomes Tammy Hepps on Tuesday, October 10 at 6 p.m. for a free presentation on the destruction of "the Ward," including rare film footage of the area from the Heinz History Center.

In June 1941, the U.S. government announced plans to dramatically expand the Homestead Works by demolishing the largely immigrant, working-class neighborhood called the Ward, located below the train tracks that ran through Homestead. The government and the steel mill, with the support of local politicians, community leaders, and clergy, put out propaganda that it was the patriotic duty of the 8,000 residents of the Ward to vacate their "blighted slum." 1,566 families left behind 1,363 buildings, five schools, 12 churches, and innumerable small businesses. What is lost when an entire neighborhood is wiped off the map? Eighty years later, what lessons have we learned about how to balance so-called modernization projects with the wellbeing of the affected residents?

Oct. 18:

JGS Pittsburgh Presents: Jennifer Mendelsohn

DNA has the potential to be an essential and exciting genealogical tool. But many Eastern European Jewish testers find their DNA results completely overwhelming and unnavigable. In her talk “No, You Don’t Really Have 7900 4th Cousins," Jennifer Mendelsohn will help those with Ashkenazi heritage learn how to make sense of their DNA results. She’ll cover the basics of DNA testing, including why our match lists are so large (hello, endogamy!), why all our matches seem to match each other (endogamy, again!), and how to spot the meaningful matches and separate them from the faux ones. Using real-life examples of DNA success, you’ll learn techniques that will help you work effectively with DNA to expand your Ashkenazi family tree.

The program is Wednesday, Oct. 18, from 7:30-9 p.m. 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. 

"No, You Don’t Really Have 7900 4th Cousins" 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.

Jennifer Mendelsohn is a sought-after genealogist who specializes in helping Eastern European Jewish families shattered by the Holocaust reclaim their history. Her journey began in 2013, when she reunited her husband’s grandmother—a Polish Holocaust survivor who had lost her entire immediate family and most of her extended family—with three living first cousins she had never known. Since then she has worked on scores of cases, solving complex family mysteries using a blend of traditional and genetic genealogy. Her sleuthing was featured in the 2019 bestseller “Inheritance” by Dani Shapiro. In 2022, she co-founded the DNA Reunion Project at the Center for Jewish History, which seeks to promote DNA testing as a tool for helping Holocaust survivors find family.

Mendelsohn is also known for the innovative use of genealogy as a tool for activism. She created the viral hashtag #resistancegenealogy, which uses genealogical and historical records to fight disinformation and honor America’s immigrant past. The project received international media attention, including being featured on CNN.com, The New Yorker, The Washington Post, and Yahoo News.

A native Long Islander now based in Baltimore, Mendelsohn serves on the board of the Jewish Genealogy Society of Maryland and is the administrator of Facebook’s Jewish Genetic Genealogy group, with over 10,000 members worldwide.

Prior to her work as a genealogist, Jennifer spent many years as a freelance journalist. Her work has appeared in countless publications including People, Slate, The New York Times, The Washington Post, USA Today, The Los Angeles Times, Time, and Tablet. In addition, she is the author of a children’s book and helped fashion guru Carson Kressley pen his New York Times best-selling mens’ style manual “Off the Cuff.”

Community

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"

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.

From the Jewish Cemetery & Burial Association

"Road Trip: The Jewish Cemeteries of Western Pennsylvania"

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. 

From Rodef Shalom Congregation

A mystery in primary colors

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?

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 more than 2,700 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.

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.

Synagogues

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.

Shul Records America

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.

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.