History of the Jews in Pittsburgh

Last updated

Tree of Life - Or L'Simcha Congregation Memorials outside the Tree of Life, Pittsburgh.jpg
Tree of Life – Or L'Simcha Congregation

The history of the Jews in Pittsburgh dates back to the mid-19th century. In 2002, Jewish households represented 3.8% of households in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. [1] As of 2017, there were an estimated 50,000 Jews in the Greater Pittsburgh area. [2] In 2012, Pittsburgh's Jewish community celebrated its 100th year of federated giving through the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh. [3] The city's Jewish federation is one of the oldest in the country, marking the deep historical roots of Jews in Pittsburgh.

Contents

Founding

Former synagogue on Miller Street near downtown Pittsburgh, August 2007. SynagogueOld072.jpg
Former synagogue on Miller Street near downtown Pittsburgh, August 2007.

There are no reliable records of the beginnings of the Pittsburgh Jewish community, but it has been ascertained that between 1838 and 1844 a small number of Jews, mostly from Baden, Bavaria, and Württemberg, Germany settled in and around Pittsburgh. These communities continued to expand from 1847 until 1852. Though the first official Jewish service was held in the autumn of 1844, Jews in Pittsburgh did not officially organize until 1847, when several men worshiped in a room on Penn Street and Walnut (now 13th) Street, having engaged the Rev. Mannheimer as cantor. After this meeting, the men also formed a Bes Almon Society and purchased a cemetery at Troy Hill. This newly formed organization lacked homogeneity due to the varying religious views of its members, and divisions and reunions took place from time to time until about 1853, when a united congregation was formed under the name Rodef Shalom. In 1864 a small group of congregants dissatisfied with the movement toward Reform practices at Rodef Shalom formed a breakaway Orthodox congregation, Etz Chayyim (Tree of Life), and purchased a cemetery at Sharpsburg. By 1886, Etz Chayyim, now called Tree of Life Congregation, had affiliated itself with the Conservative movement.

In the broader American Jewish community, Pittsburgh is also famous for the 1885 "Pittsburgh Platform" which articulated bold and radical new ideas from the Reform movement on approaching theology and the modern world. [4]

At the turn of the century, two or three synagogues were established in or on the fringe of the area which is now called the Lower Hill District. One old building near Elm Street (called the "Old Jewish Church" by some)[ who? ] was demolished and replaced. A group called Beth Hamedrash Hagodol-Beth Jacob Congregation meets in the new synagogue. At least one old building has survived on nearby Miller Street in the area once known colloquially as "Jews Hill"[ citation needed ], although it has since been converted into a church.

Philanthropic associations

Pittsburgh is notable in American Jewish history on account of the conference (see Jew. Encyc. iv. 215, s.v. Conferences, Rabbinical) held there in 1885, and is also well-known as a generous supporter of national Jewish movements, notably the Hebrew Union College and the Denver Hospital. Among the more prominent local philanthropic and charitable institutions may be mentioned the following:

Newspapers

There were two weekly newspapers for the Jewish community. The Jewish Criterion , in English, was published from 1895–1962, of which Rabbi Levy and Charles H. Joseph were the editors. Another newspaper was in Yiddish and Hebrew, known as Der Volksfreund [9] from its founding in 1889 and later renamed to Der Idisher Folksfreynd, [10] which was in circulation from 1922–1924.

Since 1962, the Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle is published weekly for the Jewish community of the Greater Pittsburgh Region.

Prominent Jews

Donors to non-sectarian charities included J.D. Bernd and Isaac Kaufmann, the latter of whom in 1895 gave the Emma Kaufmann Free Clinic to the medical department of the University of Pittsburgh. Among those who held positions in public life are Emanuel Wertheimer, select councilman and member of the state House of Representatives; Morris Einstein, select councilman (15 years); Josiah Cohen, judge of the Orphans' Court; E.E. Mayer, city physician; L.S. Levin, assistant city attorney. Isaac W. Frank was president of the National Founders' Association, and A. Leo Weil was a member of the executive committee of the Voters' Civic League.

There was a steady increase since 1882 in the number of Jewish people in Pittsburgh, the new settlers coming mostly from eastern Europe. Russian, Romanian, and Hungarian Jews came in large numbers and began to display an appreciable interest in public affairs. They had six synagogues in 1906 (whose rabbis included Aaron M. Ashinsky and M.S. Sivitz), many ḥebras, and a number of small religious societies. The Pittsburgh Jewry strongly sympathized with the Zionist movement, having a large number of Zionist societies. The number of Jewish inhabitants in 1906 was estimated at between 15,000 and 25,000, in a total population of about 322,000.

Some notable Jews from Pittsburgh include rapper and record producer Mac Miller, entrepreneur and television personality Mark Cuban, and actor and musician Jeff Goldblum. [11] [12] [13]

Squirrel Hill

Pittsburgh's Squirrel Hill neighborhood is considered to be the city's primary Jewish hub. Nearly half of the population of Squirrel Hill is Jewish. [14] Squirrel Hill has had a large Jewish population since the 1920s, when Jewish people began to move to the neighborhood in large numbers from the Oakland and Hill District neighborhoods of Pittsburgh. According to a 2002 study by the United Jewish Federation, 33% of the Pittsburgh Jewish population lived in Squirrel Hill and another 14% in the surrounding area. [15] Squirrel Hill currently contains three Jewish day schools, catering to the Lubavich, Orthodox, and Conservative movements. There are over twenty synagogues. This Jewish community also offers four restaurants, a Jewish community center, and an annual festival.

Synagogue shooting

The Pittsburgh synagogue shooting was an antisemitic terrorist attack that took place at the Tree of Life – Or L'Simcha Congregation [lower-alpha 1] synagogue in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. The congregation, along with New Light Congregation and Congregation Dor Hadash, which also worshipped in the building, was attacked during Shabbat morning services on October 27, 2018. The perpetrator killed eleven people and wounded six, including several Holocaust survivors. [17] [18] It has so far been the deadliest attack on a local Jewish community in American history, [19] [20] seconded by the 2019 Jersey City shooting committed by a Black Hebrew Israelite (BHI). [21]

The perpetrator, identified as 46-year-old Robert Gregory Bowers, [22] was shot multiple times by police and arrested at the scene. [23] Bowers had earlier posted antisemitic comments against HIAS (formerly, Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society) on the online alt-tech social network Gab. [24] [25] [26] Dor Hadash [27] had participated in HIAS's National Refugee Shabbat the previous week. Referring to Central American migrant caravans and immigrants, Bowers posted a message on Gab in which he wrote that "HIAS likes to bring invaders in that kill our people. I can't sit by and watch my people get slaughtered. Screw your optics, I'm going in." [28] [29] He was charged with 63 federal crimes, some of which are capital crimes. [23] He pleaded not guilty. [23] On June 16, 2023, he was found guilty on all federal counts, and on August 3, 2023, he was sentenced to death by lethal injection. [30] He separately faces 36 charges in Pennsylvania state court. [31] *

See also

Bibliography

Notes

  1. Hebrew: עֵץ חַיִּים – אוֹר לְשִׂמְחָה [16]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Squirrel Hill</span> Neighborhood of Pittsburgh in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States

Squirrel Hill is a residential neighborhood in the East End of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. The city officially divides it into two neighborhoods, Squirrel Hill North and Squirrel Hill South, but it is almost universally treated as a single neighborhood.

African-American Jews are people who are both African American and Jewish, weather by mixed ancestry or conversion. African-American Jews may be either Jewish from birth or converts to Judaism. Many African-American Jews are of mixed heritage, having both non-Jewish African-American and non-Black Jewish ancestors. Many African-American Jews identify as Jews of color, but some do not. Black American Jews from Africa, such as the Beta Israel from Ethiopia, may or may not identify as African-American Jews.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black Hebrew Israelites</span> African Americans who claim descent from the ancient Israelites

Black Hebrew Israelites are a new religious movement claiming that African Americans are descendants of the ancient Israelites. Some sub-groups believe that Native and Latin Americans are descendants of the Israelites as well. Black Hebrew Israelites combine elements to their teaching from a wide range of sources to varying degrees. Black Hebrew Israelites incorporate certain aspects of the religious beliefs and practices of both Christianity and Judaism, though they have created their own interpretation of the Bible, and other influences include Freemasonry and New Thought, for example. Many choose to identify as Hebrew Israelites or Black Hebrews rather than Jews in order to indicate their claimed historic connections.

The history of Jews in Australia traces the history of Australian Jews from the British settlement of Australia commencing in 1788. Though Europeans had visited Australia before 1788, there is no evidence of any Jewish sailors among the crew. The first Jews known to have come to Australia came as convicts transported to Botany Bay in 1788 aboard the First Fleet that established the first European settlement on the continent, on the site of present-day Sydney.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rodef Shalom Congregation</span> Reform synagogue in Easton, Pennsylvania, United States

Rodef Shalom Congregation is an historic Reform Jewish congregation and synagogue located at 4905 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in the United States. The landmark building was designed by architect Henry Hornbostel and completed in the Beaux-Arts style.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Moshe Weinberger</span> American Hasidic rabbi

Rabbi Moshe Weinberger is an American Chasidic rabbi, educator, author, translator, and speaker. He is the founding rabbi of Congregation Aish Kodesh in Woodmere, New York, and former Mashpia/mashgiach ruchani at the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary (RIETS). He has recorded more than 5000 lectures on chasidic thought and philosophy as well as Halakha and a variety of other topics in Judaism.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Königsberg Synagogue</span> Former Orthodox synagogue in Königsberg, Germany, now Kaliningrad, Kaliningrad Oblast, Russia

The Königsberg Synagogue, called at the time, the New Synagogue, was a former Orthodox Jewish congregation and synagogue, located in Königsberg in Prussia, East Prussia, Germany.

Capers C. Funnye Jr. is an African-American Conservative rabbi, who leads the 200-member Beth Shalom B'nai Zaken Ethiopian Hebrew Congregation of Chicago, Illinois, assisted by rabbis Avraham Ben Israel and Joshua V. Salter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Antisemitism in the United States</span>

Antisemitism has long existed in the United States. Most Jewish community relations agencies in the United States draw distinctions between antisemitism, which is measured in terms of attitudes and behaviors, and the security and status of American Jews, which are both measured by the occurrence of specific incidents. FBI data shows that in every year since 1991, Jews were the most frequent victims of religiously motivated hate crimes. The number of hate crimes against Jews may be underreported, as in the case for many other targeted groups.

Beth Shalom B'nai Zaken Ethiopian Hebrew Congregation, more commonly known as Beth Shalom B'Nai Zaken EHC, or simply Beth Shalom, abbreviated as BSBZ EHC, is a Black Hebrew Israelite congregation and synagogue, located at 6601 South Kedzie Avenue, in Chicago, Illinois, in the United States. The congregation is led by rabbi Capers Funnye; and assistant rabbis are Avraham Ben Israel and Joshua V. Salter. Beth Shalom is affiliated with the International Israelite Board of Rabbis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Malmö Synagogue</span> Orthodox synagogue in Malmö, Scania, Skåne County, Sweden

The Malmö Synagogue is an Orthodox Jewish congregation and synagogue, located on Foreningsgatan, Malmö, in Skåne County, Sweden. The synagogue was designed by John Smedberg in the Art Nouveau and Moorish Revival styles and completed in 1903.

Antisemitism is a growing problem in 21st-century Germany.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Broken Hill Synagogue</span>

The Broken Hill Synagogue is a heritage-listed former synagogue and now museum at 165 Wolfram Street, Broken Hill, in the Far West of New South Wales, Australia. The property is owned by the Broken Hill Historical Society. It now houses the Synagogue of the Outback Museum. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2 April 1999.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pittsburgh synagogue shooting</span> 2018 massacre in Pennsylvania

The Pittsburgh synagogue shooting was an antisemitic terrorist attack that took place at the Tree of Life – Or L'Simcha Congregation synagogue in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. The congregation, along with New Light Congregation and Congregation Dor Hadash, which also worshipped in the building, was attacked during Shabbat morning services on October 27, 2018. The perpetrator killed eleven people and wounded six, including several Holocaust survivors. It has so far been the deadliest attack on a local Jewish community in American history, seconded by the 2019 Jersey City shooting committed by a Black Hebrew Israelite (BHI).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tree of Life – Or L'Simcha Congregation</span> Jewish synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Tree of Life – Or L'Simcha Congregation is a Conservative Jewish synagogue in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in the United States. The congregation moved into its present synagogue building in 1953. It merged with Congregation Or L'Simcha in 2010, bringing its membership to 530 families.

Neal Rosenblum was shot and killed on Thursday, April 17, 1986, by Steven M. Tielsch in Pittsburgh. The attack was motivated by antisemitic hate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Poway synagogue shooting</span> Mass shooting in Poway, California

The Poway synagogue shooting occurred on April 27, 2019, at Chabad of Poway synagogue in Poway, California, United States, a city which borders the north inland side of San Diego, on the last day of the Jewish Passover holiday, which fell on a Shabbat. Armed with an AR-15–style rifle, the gunman, John Earnest, fatally shot one woman and injured three other people, including the synagogue's rabbi. After fleeing the scene, Earnest phoned 9-1-1 and reported the shooting. He was apprehended in his car approximately two miles (3.2 km) from the synagogue by a San Diego police officer. A month before the shooting, Earnest had attempted to burn down a mosque in Escondido.

Black Jews in New York City comprise one of the largest communities of Black Jews in the United States. Black Jews have lived in New York City since colonial times, with organized Black-Jewish and Black Hebrew Israelite communities emerging during the early 20th century. Black Jewish and Black Hebrew Israelite communities have historically been centered in Harlem, Brooklyn, The Bronx, and Queens. The Commandment Keepers movement originated in Harlem, while the Black Orthodox Jewish community is centered in Brooklyn. New York City is home to four historically Black synagogues with roots in the Black Hebrew Israelite community. A small Beta Israel (Ethiopian-Jewish) community also exists in New York City, many of whom emigrated from Israel. Black Hebrew Israelites are not considered Jewish by the New York Board of Rabbis, an organization representing mainstream Rabbinic Judaism. However, some Black Hebrew Israelite individuals in New York City are recognized as Jewish due to converting through the Orthodox, Conservative, or other Jewish movements.

References

  1. "Jewish Household and Population Estimates". Archived from the original on September 17, 2006. Retrieved April 6, 2014.
  2. "2017 Greater Pittsburgh Jewish Community Study". Brandeis University. February 2018. Retrieved September 20, 2022.
  3. "Centennial celebration for the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh". The Jewish Chronicle. February 10, 2011. Retrieved April 6, 2014.[ permanent dead link ]
  4. "The Jewish Community of Pittsburgh". The Museum of the Jewish People at Beit Hatfutsot. Archived from the original on June 18, 2018. Retrieved June 18, 2018.
  5. "Rauh Jewish Archives". www.jewishhistoryhhc.org. Retrieved April 17, 2021.
  6. "Rauh Jewish Archives". www.jewishhistoryhhc.org. Retrieved April 17, 2021.
  7. "History and Fast Facts". Ladies Hospital Aid Society. May 7, 2013. Retrieved April 17, 2021.
  8. "Our History". Pittsburgh. Retrieved April 17, 2021.
  9. "Der Folḳsfreynd = the Volksfreund (Pittsburg, Pa.) 1889-1922". Library of Congress. Retrieved April 17, 2021.
  10. "Der Idisher Folḳsfreynd = the Jewish Volksfreund (Pittsburgh, Pa.) 1922-1924". Library of Congress. Retrieved April 17, 2021.
  11. https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/mac-miller Mac Miller, Jewish Virtual Library
  12. ‘’https://www.atlantajewishtimes.com/whats-jewish-about-mark-cuban/amp/ What’s Jewish About… Mark Cuban, Atlanta Jewish Times
  13. ‘’https://jewishchronicle.timesofisrael.com/jeff-goldblum-day-celebrates-pittsburgh-actor/ Jeff Goldblum Day celebrates Pittsburgh actor, Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle
  14. "This is Squirrel Hill: How One Neighborhood Became Pittsburgh's Center of Jewish Life". The Incline. October 29, 2018.
  15. "The 2002 Pittsburgh Jewish Community Study Final Report". December 2002.
  16. "Synagogue Life". Tree of Life * Or l'Simcha Congregation. Archived from the original on October 31, 2018. Retrieved October 27, 2018.
  17. "'He Has to Pay for What He Did': Holocaust Survivor Judah Samet Seeks to Testify Against Pittsburgh Synagogue Shooter". Combat Antisemitism Movement. March 14, 2022. Retrieved October 12, 2024.
  18. "Holocaust survivor who escaped Tree of Life synagogue massacre dies at 84". The Times of Israel . September 29, 2022. Retrieved October 12, 2024.
  19. Selk, Avi; Craig, Tim; Boburg, Shawn; Ba Tran, Andrew (October 28, 2018). "'They showed his photo, and my stomach just dropped': Neighbors recall synagogue massacre suspect as a loner". The Washington Post . Archived from the original on October 29, 2018. Retrieved October 30, 2018.
  20. Gardner, Timothy; Mason, Jeff; Brunnstrom, David (October 27, 2018). "Trump says Pittsburgh shooting has little to do with gun laws". Reuters. Archived from the original on October 27, 2018. Retrieved October 28, 2018.
  21. Ailworth, Erin; Hagerty, James R. (October 28, 2018). "Pittsburgh Shooting Suspect Described as Man Who Kept to Himself – Robert G. Bowers was active on social media, but few recall him in person; 'very unremarkable, normal—which is scary' says one neighbor". The Wall Street Journal . Archived from the original on October 29, 2018. Retrieved October 29, 2018.
  22. 1 2 3 Ove, Torsten (February 11, 2019). "Robert Bowers, accused in Tree of Life synagogue shootings, arraigned". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Archived from the original on February 22, 2019. Retrieved August 9, 2023.
  23. Andone, Dakin; Hanna, Jason; Sterling, Joe; Murphy, Paul P. (October 28, 2018). "Hate crime charges filed in Pittsburgh synagogue shooting that left 11 dead". CNN. Archived from the original on October 28, 2018. Retrieved October 28, 2018.
  24. Shannon, Sant (October 27, 2018). "What's Known About Robert Bowers, The Suspect In The Pittsburgh Synagogue Shooting". NPR . Archived from the original on October 27, 2018. Retrieved October 27, 2018.
  25. Vesoulis, Abby (October 27, 2018). "How Gab Became the Social Media Site Where the Pittsburgh Suspect's Anti-Semitism Thrived". Time . Archived from the original on October 28, 2018. Retrieved October 27, 2018.
  26. Ward, Paula Reed; Lord, Rich; Navatril, Liz (October 27, 2018). "Suspect identified as Robert Bowers, 46, in Squirrel Hill synagogue shooting". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette . Archived from the original on October 27, 2018. Retrieved October 27, 2018.
  27. Levenson, Eric; Sanchez, Ray (October 27, 2018). "Mass shooting at Pittsburgh synagogue". CNN. Archived from the original on October 27, 2018. Retrieved October 27, 2018.
  28. Cortellessa, Eric (October 28, 2018). "Why the Pittsburgh shooter is not being prosecuted for terrorism". Times of Israel. Archived from the original on February 25, 2019. Retrieved August 9, 2023.
  29. Robertson, Campbell; Mele, Christopher; Tsvrernise, Sabrina (October 27, 2018). "11 Killed in Synagogue Massacre; Suspect Charged With 29 Counts". The New York Times . Archived from the original on October 27, 2018. Retrieved October 27, 2018.

PD-icon.svg This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain :  Singer, Isidore; et al., eds. (1901–1906). "Pittsburg". The Jewish Encyclopedia . New York: Funk & Wagnalls.