Repository: Heinz History Center
Title: Ziskind Family Papers and Photographs
Creator: Ziskind family
Collection Number: MSS 1033
Extent: 4 linear feet (4 boxes)
Date: 1911-c.1992
Abstract: Brothers Jack, Samuel and Gerald Ziskind were residents of the Friendship neighborhood of Pittsburgh who served simultaneously in the United States Army during World War II. The Ziskind Family Papers and Photographs consists of correspondence, photographs and wartime memorabilia such as hotel brochures, maps and city guides. The correspondence is primarily between the Ziskind brothers and their sister, Zelda, with additional letters to and from other family members, friends, and Army personnel. The bulk of the photographs depict the Ziskind brothers at their stations in Europe; tourist attractions and scenes of leisure while off-duty; and the Ziskind family in Pittsburgh.
Language: The material in this collection is in English.
Author: The guide to this collection was written by Nick Hartley.
Publisher: Heinz History Center
Address: 1212 Smallman St.
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15222
library@heinzhistorycenter.org
URL: https://www.heinzhistorycenter.org

History

Members of the Ziskind family have lived in Pittsburgh since 1904, when David Ziskind (1879-1954), a butcher, immigrated to the city from Degutki, Poland. In 1910, Ziskind married Rachel Chenkin (1889-1975), who had immigrated to Pittsburgh from Starodub, Russia, three years earlier. Together, the Ziskinds raised five children: Jack (1911-2011), Albert (1913-2004), Zelda (1915-2009), Sam (b. 1918) and Gerald (b. 1920). The family resided on South Evaline Street in the Friendship neighborhood of Pittsburgh and belonged to the B'nai Israel Congregation.

Jack, Sam and Gerald served simultaneously in the United States Army during World War II. Albert, who had a medical ailment that prevented him from entering the service, worked for the state of Pennsylvania. Zelda attended medical school in Philadelphia and served as a general practitioner in Pittsburgh for 57 years.

Jack was commissioned as a security officer at Fort Custer, Michigan. During the war, he was stationed in North Africa, Italy, and Southern France. He helped establish the 1404 PW Enclosure Company near Marseille, which became one of the largest PW camps in Europe. After the war, Jack was assigned to Scotland Yard in Britain and Ireland before returning to Pittsburgh, where he became commanding officer of an Army Reserve Intelligence Unit. He retired with the rank of colonel and died in 2011 at the age of 99.

Sam entered military service after completing a master's degree at Yale University. He organized and edited Army newspapers in the United States (Camp Shenango, Reynolds, Pa.), in Britain (Tidworth, Shrivenham, Salisbury, and London), and in France (Stars and Stripes in Nice and Paris). In Nice, Sam also served as Chief of the Enlisted Section of the United States Rest and Recreation Area (USRRA), which provided rest and recreation for more than 900,000 combat troops for three to five days per soldier. He later helped organize and publish Army Digest, of which he eventually became managing editor. In 2002, Sam was inducted into the Army Public Affairs Hall of Fame for his wartime and civilian service.

Gerald interrupted his studies at the University of Pittsburgh Law School for armored force training at Fort Knox and Needles, California. He was a tank commander in the battle of Huertgen Forest, during which he was wounded and transported to Belgium for hospitalization. He later became military governor of Oberlin Kreis and Weilburg, Germany, where he was primarily responsible for capturing war criminals. After the war, Gerald completed his degree at the University of Pittsburgh Law School and practiced as an attorney in Pittsburgh.

For more information about the Ziskind brothers, consult Jack Ziskind's book, Brothers Three: World War II Events We Cannot Forget (2011), which describes some of their experiences during, and immediately following, the war.

Scope and Content Notes

The Ziskind Family Papers and Photographs contain correspondence, photographs and memorabilia obtained by the Ziskind brothers during their United States Army service in World War II. The correspondence is primarily between Jack, Sam, Gerald and their family in Pittsburgh, particularly Zelda. The photographs depict the Ziskind brothers at their stations in Europe, tourist attractions and scenes of leisure while off-duty, and the Ziskind family in Pittsburgh. The wartime memorabilia is primarily from Nice, France, where Sam was stationed with USRRA, and includes maps, brochures and city guides.

Box 1 contains the papers of David, Rachel and Jack Ziskind. David and Rachel's papers include marriage, naturalization, and death certificates, as well as correspondence with friends, particularly Samuel and Anne Jenkins (1937-1953). Jack's papers consist of his birth certificate, letters, and dairies he kept near the end, and immediately following, the war. The letters are primarily written by Jack to Sam (1936-1941), Grace Hatch (1942-1944) and Zelda (1943-1944), with miscellaneous correspondence from friends (1946-1956). Jack's diary entries detail his day-to-day activities while touring North Africa and Italy (1945-1946).

Box 2 contains the papers of Albert, Zelda and Sam. Letters written to Albert are primarily from state offices and the U.S. Civil Service Commission (1937-1944), while letters written by Albert are primarily addressed to Sam (1937-1940). Zelda's records include correspondence to and from her parents, brothers, and friends (1932-1955), letters received by Zelda pertaining to her medical education and training, and a copy of Warner's Calendar of Medical History, 1945, in which she occasionally transcribed letters she received from Gerald and Sam. Sam's papers (which extend into Box 3) include his birth certificate; notebooks, papers, and literary magazines from Allegheny College (1936-1938); and correspondence with David, Jack, Zelda and Albert (1937-1940).

Box 3 contains letters to Sam from friends in the Army (1942-1946) and letters from Sam to Zelda (1943-1944). Also included are Gerald's papers, which are comprised of grade reports from Peabody High School (1936-1937) and the University of Pittsburgh (1938-1939); application materials for the Air Force (1942); and Gerald's correspondence with family members, predominantly Zelda (1935-1939 and 1943-1946).

Box 4 contains photographs, four scrapbooks, and wartime memorabilia. The photographs depict the Ziskind siblings, especially Jack, Sam, and Gerald in Europe. Several folders contain photographs taken by the public relations departments of the Army and the USRRA depicting leisure activities of soldiers. Two oversized, rolled photographs depict Jack's training unit at Fort Custer, Michigan, and Sam with the graduating class of 1937 at Allegheny College. Also included are three scrapbooks kept by Jack and his partner, Jane Hughes, featuring newspaper clippings, letters from extended family, and wedding photographs (1967-c.1992). The remaining scrapbook contains clippings from the Pitt News (1940), for which Gerald served as a columnist as an undergraduate. The war memorabilia is primarily from the USRRA facilities in Nice and Cannes, France, and includes tour guides, flyers, and maps of the French Riviera. Additional items include a Dutch dollar bill and a tour guide of Belgium and Luxembourg (published by the U.S. War Department).

Arrangement

The Ziskind Family Papers and Photographs are housed in four boxes and are arranged by family member (eldest to youngest) and material type.

Conditions Governing Access

None.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Gift of Gerald Ziskind in 2012.

Preferred Citation

Ziskind Family Papers and Photographs, 1911 – c.1992, MSS 1033, Rauh Jewish Archives Archives, Senator John Heinz History Center

Processing Information

This collection was processed by Nick Hartley in May 2014.

Conditions Governing Use

Property rights reside with the Senator John Heinz History Center. Literary rights are retained by the creators of the records and their heirs. For permission to reproduce or publish, please contact the Thomas and Katherine Detre Library and Archives of the Senator John Heinz History Center.

Related Materials

Ziskind, Jack. Brothers Three: World War II Events We Cannot Forget. Xlibris Corporation, 2011.

Subjects

Corporate Names

B'nai Israel Congregation (Pittsburgh, Pa.)
Peabody High School (Pittsburgh, Pa.)
University of Pittsburgh -- School of Law.
Allegheny College (Pittsburgh, Pa.)
United States Army -- United States Rest and Recreation Area.

Personal Names

Ziskind, David (1879-1954)
Ziskind, Rachel (1889-1975)
Ziskind, Jack (1911-2011)
Ziskind, Albert (1913-2004)
Ziskind, Zelda (1915-2009)
Ziskind, Samuel
Ziskind, Gerald
Hatch, Grace.

Guide to the Ziskind Family Papers and Photographs 1911-c.1992 (bulk 1937-1946)