October 22, 2023

Vol. 4, No. 43

Remembering October 27

The October 27 Archive:

Murray & Forbes Vigil

Restaurants:

Ben Gross

Jewish Encyclopedia:

The Jewish Press

Resources:

Newspapers



Calendar:

Nov. 5: JGS Presents: Michael Tobias

through Nov. 21: Violins of Hope

through Nov. 27: From Darkness to Light

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

Remembering October 27

Rectangular cardboard sign. Front reads, "LOVE They Neighbor" with a heart in purple, green, blue, and read marker. Back includes signatures from the Wolfson children—October 27, 2018. (Gift of Wolfson Family, 2019.168.1)

Friday will mark five years since October 27, 2018. On this day and every day, we remember Joyce Fienberg, Richard Gottfried, Rose Mallinger, Jerry Rabinowitz, Cecil Rosenthal, David Rosenthal, Bernice Simon, Sylvan Simon, Dan Stein, Irving Younger, and Melvin Wax. They were beloved by their families, by their communities, and by their congregations: Tree of Life Congregation, New Light Congregation, and Congregation Dor Hadash.

Some of the planned commemoration activities this year include:

• virtual Torah study sessions on the morning of Oct. 27,
• a commemoration ceremony in Schenley Park on Oct. 27 at 3 p.m.,
• commemorative volunteer opportunities on Oct. 22 and Oct. 29,
• a Day of Healing with wellness and self-care activities on Oct. 25,
• an evening of communal Jewish study on the evening of Nov. 1, commemorating the yahrzeit on the Hebrew calendar (18 Cheshvan).

For more information about these offerings, and other activities surrounding the commemoration, please visit the 10.27 Healing Partnership website.

The October 27 Archive:

Murray & Forbes Havdalah Vigil

In the five years since October 27, 2018, the Rauh Jewish Archives has collected thousands of objects documenting the impact of that day on people here in Western Pennsylvania and all over the world. Earlier this year, we launched the October 27 Archive website as a place to begin sharing these materials. As we catalog and digitize these objects, and add them to the website, we will occasionally share reflections here in the newsletter, highlighting individual objects and resonant themes from the collection.

We are continually collecting new materials. If you have documentation related to October 27, or would like to share your story, please contact the archive.

Of the many remarkable community responses to the events of October 27, 2018, one of the first came that evening. It was a havdalah vigil at Murray and Forbes avenues, organized by students from Taylor Allderdice High School.

Havdalah marks the end of Shabbat. It is a way of spiritually delineating between the holy respite of the Sabbath and the routines of the upcoming week. Brought to the most iconic intersection in Squirrel Hill, in a moment of communal grief, this ancient prayer became a way for thousands of people of many backgrounds to gather and mourn and to enter a new reality together. 

The October 27 Archive website currently includes 16 objects documenting the havdalah vigil at Murray and Forbes: 10 news articles; four oral histories from the Meanings of October 27 Oral History Project from people who attended the vigil; and a sign and candle brought to the vigil by a Squirrel Hill family. We expect to add more objects from the vigil in the months to come.

In a traditional work of history, you might expect a diverse array of objects such as these to come together to tell a definitive account of an event. That’s not the case here. Instead, each of these objects is a single voice, testifying to the impact of this vigil on an individual person. If you would like to add your voice—anything from photographs to memories—please contact the archive.

[LEFT] Kathleen Blee; [RIGHT] Tracy Baton

Kathleen Blee is a member of Congregation Dor Hadash and a researcher into modern White supremacy movements. In her oral history, she recalls her astonishment as she looked over the hundreds of people filling the intersection of Murray and Forbes and realized what a small group of teenagers had accomplished. “At the time, we were like, ‘This is really amazing,’” but since then, the Black Lives Matter and other movements, high school students have often been really in the forefront, so perhaps we shouldn't have been so amazed. They are really just an energized group of young people.”

One of the adults who helped those students was Tracy Baton. As a longtime activist, she had the equipment needed to run a public event on short notice.

In her oral history, Baton recalled the moment when everything came together: “I organized the stage and the sound system, and had people come over and throw them in vehicles and brought them up to Forbes and Murray. I was super busy. My memory of that day was, ‘Any minute I'm going to be upset,’ but I was super busy. Got up to Forbes and Murray. Got them set up, and got the sound system set up. The kids were speaking, and one of the girls reminded me of my daughter that passed away. I just stood up there at Forbes and Murray, holding up that big pillar that holds up the library, crying. It’s a big pillar right there, Forbes and Murray. I was laying on this pillar, crying. For me, as long as I’m busy, I’m fine. If somebody needs me, I can hold it together. As soon as nobody needed me, that’s the end of me.”

It rained that evening.

Most news coverage shows a field of umbrellas and raincoats. Standing out from the middle of this field is a sign reading, “Love Thy Neighbor.”

The sign was created by Amira Wolfson, who lives in Squirrel Hill. She wanted a safe way to process the news with her young children. Together, they made the sign (and her kids signed the back). After her kids went to sleep, Wolfson brought the sign to the vigil at Murray and Forbes, along with a memorial candle. 

White paraffin candle with burned wick and wax drippings down sides.—October 27, 2018. (2019.168.2)

The news coverage from that evening records many practical details: the size of the crowd, the remarks from the speakers, even some video recordings.

And then there is this one small notice, important in the moment and quickly forgotten: the Port Authority of Allegheny County detoured the 61, 64, 67, and 74 bus lines throughout the day, in deference to the communal gatherings. By evening, after the havdalah vigil had ended, all the busses resumed their regular routing—except the 74, which follows Wilkins Avenue between South Dallas and Murray, past the synagogue. It remained detoured for weeks.

Restaurants:

Ben Gross

[LEFT] Ben Gross menu featuring mural from the "Country Squire room—early 1960s; [RIGHT] Black and white photograph showing Ben Gross restaurant on Route 30 near Irwin, several months after opening at the new location—December 4, 1953.

—from Jewish Criterion

Pittsburgh Jewish Newspaper Project

The family of Solomon and Anna Gross accounted for a sizable portion of the Jewish community of Jeannette before World War II. The couple had at least eight children, and most started families in town. According to a 1939 membership list of the local Chevra Sholom Congregation, the family accounted for more than 10 percent of the organized Jewish community.

Their son Ben Gross (1910-1968) went into the restaurant business, starting the Ben Gross Tavern at 724 Clay Ave. in Jeannette in the mid-1930s. By the late 1940s, the restaurant was advertising “fine seafoods for the gourmet” with a menu bearing no hint of traditional Jewish cuisine. It claimed to be the first restaurant in the area to serve fresh seafood—a logistical accomplishment for a landlocked region in the years before Interstates or commercial air travel.

Gross sold his Jeannette restaurant in the early 1950s and relocated to Route 30 near Irwin in 1953. The move allowed for a major expansion. By the early 1960s, the building on Route 30 had five party rooms with combined seating for 600 and a staff of 75. Gross boasted a clientele from a 300-mile radius and claimed that five motels had been built in Irwin to accommodate these visiting diners in the decade after his restaurant opened. Gourmet magazine even included Ben Gross on its list of best restaurants in the country in 1961.

Following the death of Ben Gross in 1968, the restaurant stayed in the family for years. Jerry and Richard Gross maintained the nationally recognized standard of the kitchen. They also added regular entertainment programs, including some of the well-liked Brockett & Barbara variety shows of the late 1960s and 1970s. (One featured a young Michael Keaton). In the mid-1980s, the building became Chesterfield’s. It was demolished in the mid-2000s.

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:

The Jewish Press

[LEFT] Front page of “Der Volksfreund,” 1920

[RIGHT] Front page of first issue of Jewish Chronicle, 1962.

—from Bloom Family Papers

—from Pittsburgh Jewish Newspaper Project

The Jewish press has covered Western Pennsylvania for at least 180 years—first through national publications based in other cities and for the past 135 years through several locally produced publications in Yiddish and in English.

Our new entry on Jewish press in Western Pennsylvania provides an overview of the major publications responsible for covering Jewish news in this region.

Resources:

Newspapers

Black and white photograph showing Pittsburgh Jewish Publication and Education Foundation President Joseph W. Feldman, Board Member Dorothy Binstock, and Printing Committee Chairman Irving R. Isaacs inspecting new photo-typesetting machine—1965.

—Jewish Chronicle Records [MSS 906].

In addition to our new entry on the Jewish press, we’ve created a related research tool: a bibliography compiling useful newspaper resources for researching Jewish history in Western Pennsylvania. Did you know that Cleveland reported Jewish news out of Pittsburgh in English as early as 1889? That the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh maintains a large collection of local newspapers not currently available online? That decades of local Yiddish newspapers can be viewed on microfilm at the University of Pittsburgh?

For these and more, check out the “Newspapers” tab on our Resources page.

We are eager to make this resource as comprehensive as possible. If you know of additional newspapers not listed on the website, please let us know.

Nov. 5:

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 Sunday, November 5, from 1-3 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. 

"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.

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.