November 5, 2023

Vol. 4, No. 45

Restaurants:

Braverman's

Small Town Jewish History Project:

DuBois

Neighborhoods:

The South Side



Calendar:

TODAY: JGS Presents: Michael Tobias

Nov. 6: Ellis Silvette

through Nov. 21: Violins of Hope

through Nov. 27: Mosaics

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:

Braverman's

Advertisement for Braverman's Restaurant at 1044 Fifth Ave., promoting "strictly kosher" status—January 20, 1922.

—from Jewish Criterion

Pittsburgh Jewish Newspaper Project

In the late teens, Pittsburgh had dozens of retail meat vendors, including many who marketed kosher meat to a mostly Jewish clientele. To better monitor these claims, members of the local Orthodox community organized a Va’ad HaKashrus (Kosher Committee) in early 1918. The local Va’ad HaKashrus joined a wider movement throughout the state to lobby the Pennsylvania General Assembly to pass a “kosher law” in 1919. The law regulated claims about the kosher status of meat. Violators could be fined or jailed. 

The first prosecution in Pittsburgh under the "kosher law" came the following summer, in July 1920. A butcher working in Oakland admitted to slaughtering chickens himself, rather than using a trained and approved shochet (ritual slaughterer). The butcher only avoided jail time by paying the prosecution’s legal fees and by agreeing to never again sell meat to the kosher community.

To further address the problem, the Va’ad HaKashrus chartered the “Bosher Kosher Butchers Association of Pittsburgh” that same month. According to its charter, the association was created to protect the interests of kosher butchers in the city and to prevent fraud, especially when it came to marketing.

While the work of the Va’ad HaKashrus initially focused on retail sales, the committee was also forced to reckon with the growing popularity of Jewish-owned restaurants. Just before the start of Passover in late April 1921, Sol Braverman opened a restaurant at 1044 Fifth Ave. that claimed to be “a STRICTLY KOSHER RESTAURANT where all Orthodox Dietary Laws will be observed. Under the supervision of the Orthodox Rabbis of Pittsburgh.”

The restaurant continued advertising through 1923, with a similar claim.

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 Towns Jewish History Project:

DuBois

Black and white photograph showing meeting of the Ladies Auxiliary of Sons of Israel Congregation in DuBois meeting at the local Kiwanis Club. Pictured (standing, left to right) Dorothy Shakespeare, Mildred Herer Witten, Ruth Gottlieb, Rose Gordon, Ruth Bloom, Mrs. Steinberg, Mrs. Sommers, Margaret Gordon Katzen, (seated) Eva Rita Adelson Kaufman, Mrs. Witten, Doris Levinson Good, Gertie Shakespeare, Helen Levinson, Freda Simmons, Ann Singer, Esther Blankfield, ____ Tamler, Rose Pauline Klewans Miller, Gussie Shakespeare Gusky, Helen Dym, and others—undated.

—from DuBois Jewish Community Records [2008.0258]

DuBois is the largest city in Clearfield County. It was developed over the early 19th century, incorporated as a borough in 1881 and then as a city in 1914. A local Jewish population emerged in DuBois in the 1890s, as part of a larger population boom in the area connected with the growth of the timber industry.

Sons of Israel Congregation was chartered in November 1894. It purchased a former church on Morrison Street and West Weber Street in November 1911 and converted the building into a synagogue. The congregation undertook a major remodel of the synagogue building in 1927, including the addition of a community center wing onto the back. The synagogue and community center became home to many Jewish communal organizations, including the Hebrew Aid Society, the Council of Jewish Women—DuBois Section, the Free Loan Society of DuBois, B’nai B’rith DuBois Lodge No. 1225, a branch of Israel Bonds, and a series of schools attending to the needs of local Jewish children.

Sons of Israel Congregation donated its records to the Rauh Jewish Archive earlier this year. The archive previously received records from community member Richard Levine. We have combined these collections into the Sons of Israel Congregation (DuBois) Records [MSS 1313], which is open for research.

We also have a new entry on DuBois on the Jewish Encyclopedia of Western Pennsylvania—the 62th entry in our Small Towns Jewish History Project.

Our entry for DuBois includes:

• population figures for the city and its Jewish community;
• a list of Jewish families known to have settled in the city;
• a copy of the program from its 1943 event to celebrate the retirement of its mortgage, including historical essays about the community and many of its organizations about Rabbi Nandor Martin;
• historical essays by Marvin and Ruth Bloom;
• a photograph of the Sons of Israel Sisterhood;
• an index of the Sons of Israel Congregation memorial boards, including photographs; 
• an index of the congregation’s Hillside Cemetery, including photographs and a map;
• links to Clearfield County and DuBois city historical societies.

If you have a personal connection to the Jewish community of DuBois and would like to share memories or materials, please contact the archive.

Neighborhoods:

The South Side

Black and white photograph showing former synagogue of Talmud Torah Congregation of the South Side as AD-Lithograph Inc. offices—c.1980s.

—from Corinne Azen Krause Photographs [MSP 113]

In an oral history from 1975, the banker and legendary basketball player Meyer “Buck” Gefsky sketched local Jewish history from the turn of the century. 

He described three distinct communities: a large one in the Hill District and two smaller ones in old Allegheny City on the North Side and in the South Side. In his recollection, each had its own synagogue, religious school, and cemetery. 

“As the years rolled along, the Jewish population moved to all parts of the city area, such as Oakland, East End, Squirrel Hill, etc.,” Gefsky explained. “The Allegheny interest still remained the same, and the South Side interest still remained the same.”

Like many personal recollections, Gefsky’s description is entirely true without being entirely accurate. In the early 20th century, there were Jewish communities in all three of these areas—the Hill District, the North Side, and the South Side—as well many other parts of the city, as we’ve seen this year. 

The neighborhood known today as the South Side Flats was originally two independent municipalities: Birmingham and Sidneyville. These boroughs met at 17th Street, which explains the jag in the street grid still present there today. The city of Pittsburgh annexed these municipalities in 1872.

Already by the 1850s and 1860s, the area was attracting Jewish merchants along Carson Street. The brothers Jacob and Isaac Kaufmann started a store in the South Side in 1871. It later became Kaufmann’s Department Store.

By the turn of the 20th century, the few Jewish families in the South Side Flats were generally affiliating with existing congregations and organizations across the river. The growth of the local Jewish population in the first decade of the 20th century led to the creation of neighborhood institutions. B’nai B’rith Birmingham Lodge No. 609 was formed in the South Side in 1907, followed by a National Council of Jewish Women-sponsored religious school in 1911.

Congregation Talmud Torah was founded in the South Side in late 1913, after a Rosh Hashanah appeal by Rabbi Aaron Mordechai Ashinsky. The congregation dedicated a synagogue in 1917 at a storefront at 1908 Sarah St. and built a synagogue at the same location in 1930. The building is still there.

As early as 1916, Talmud Torah Congregation was operating a cheder or Hebrew school that was distinct from the religious school overseen by the National Council of Jewish Women. The congregation renewed this efforts in 1931 by hiring Rev. Aaron Linker to oversee the school. Linker was a local educator who spent time at several small neighborhood congregations, including Beth Israel on the North Side and Beth Zion in Homewood.

Talmud Torah never established a cemetery. The large complex of Jewish cemeteries in nearby Carrick was created by Hill District congregations.

Already by the mid-1920s, some of the founding families of Talmud Torah had begun relocating to other parts of the city. The population loss continued steadily through the 1930s and 1940s. When the congregation held a party in 1947 to celebrate the retiring of its mortgage, it noted encouragingly, “All old and new members are cordially invited to attend the joyous occasion.” By the early 1960s, the South Side Flats had only three Jewish households, down from 68 in the late 1930s. The congregation disbanded sometime after 1970.

In his quick summary of the development of the local Jewish community, Gefsky captured a small, important nuance. He understood that Jewish communal life here had been geographically dispersed from an early period, and he also understood that this dispersion persisted for years, even as the local Jewish population decisively migrated toward the eastern neighborhoods. 

TODAY:

JGS Pittsburgh Presents: Michael Tobias

During the coronavirus pandemic in July 2020, a woman in the United Kingdom asked for help in identifying her Jewish birthfather, who had been newly discovered via DNA. She could not imagine the story about to unfold. In the next three weeks, following the DNA trail and building family trees for each of eight significant DNA hits on three different websites, her ties to four half-siblings were identified, sharing a father but each with a different mother. Verifying the connections between the DNA matches and the half-sibling required using the JRI-Poland database to create family trees going back to the late 1700s. In the process the accuracy of the DNA-estimated family relationships could be compared with the true family relationships and the impact of any endogamy could be analyzed. In his talk “Ich Bin Ein Berliner: (Re)uniting five half-siblings from four different mothers,” Michael Tobias will present this incredible story and share insights.

The program is this afternoon, from 1-3 p.m. ET. 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. 

"Ich Bin Ein Berliner: (Re)uniting five half-siblings from four different mothers" 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.

Michael Tobias is a co-founder and Board Member of Jewish Records Indexing-Poland (1995-), President of the Jewish Genealogical Society of Great Britain (JGSGB; 2022-), Honorary Research Fellow-Genealogical Studies, University of Strathclyde (2020-) and former Vice President of Programming for JewishGen Inc. (1995-2018). He was database matching consultant for the International Commission on Holocaust Era Insurance Claims. Michael received the International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies Lifetime Achievement Award in Washington, D.C., in 2011. He was awarded the OBE (Order of the British Empire) for services to the Jewish community in the Queen’s 2021 New Year’s Honours List.

Nov 6:

"Painter Ellis Silvette, My Grandfather"

Color photograph showing E. Myer Silverberg’s portrait of Adolph Edlis, hanging in the Jewish section of the Special Collections gallery of the Heinz History Center.

E. Myer Silverberg—later known as Ellis Silvette—was a popular painter in the Pittsburgh in the early 20th century. Silverberg known for his warm and humanizing portraits of local civic, business, and communal leaders, including many from the Jewish community. His grandson David Heller has spent years researching Silverberg’s career and will present some of his findings in an evening talk at Rodef Shalom Congregation on Monday, Nov. 6 at 7 p.m. 

through Nov. 21:

Violins of Hope

Violins of Hope is a community project of educational and cultural programs surrounding stringed instruments played by Jewish musicians during the Holocaust. The central exhibit at the Posner Center at Carnegie Mellon University relates remarkable stories of these instruments and musicians. Each surviving instrument has a unique and inspiring story that connects both young and old to the history of the Holocaust in a deeply emotional, personal, and relatable way. Paralleling lessons of the past to present day issues is key to creating a future where diversity, equality, and inclusion are valued.

through Nov. 27:

From Darkness to Light

Presented in collaboration with Violins of Hope, this free exhibit in the Commons of Rodef Shalom Congregation features mosaics from artists around the world, created in response to October 27. Through their pieces, artists tackle antisemitism and injustice, and promote hope, resilience, and peace.

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.

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