In 1987, the Historical Society of Western Pennsylvania received a grant from the Allen H. and Selma W. Berkman Endowment Fund to conduct a one year survey to identify archival materials relating to the Jewish community of Pittsburgh and surrounding areas. An Advisory Committee was appointed to help direct the project and Michael Pipoly was hired to coordinate the research. Pipoly focused his efforts on identifying historical papers and records of archival repositories, synagogues, organizations, and individuals. Reviews of these materials were conducted and an inventory was taken at each site that included factors such as size, location, physical condition and information content. Many of the sources surveyed contributed publications or copies of archival material to be housed permanently with this collection. The project was completed in 1988 and served as the initial phase in establishing the Western Pennsylvania Jewish Archives at the Historical Society of Western Pennsylvania.
These records primarily include published material, inventories, original materials, and newsclippings regarding Jewish organizations, synagogues, and families that provide researchers with general information regarding the Jewish community in the Pittsburgh region. While the materials provided in this collection are not comprehensive, they do serve as a general reference and provide some documentation of religious, social, and political institutions within the greater Pittsburgh Jewish community. Of primary note is the summary report of the survey entitled A Guide to Jewish Archival Resources in Pittsburgh (1988), by Michael Pipoly and a revised version (1989). The report provides a brief description of all materials collected and a review of the project.
Material in this collection is arranged in four groups: archival repositories, organizations, personal papers, and synagogues.
The Jewish Archival Survey Collection is housed in three archival boxes and arranged alphabetically by folder title with the final report arranged to the front.
This collection is open for research.
These materials came in one primary accession, 1992, with some additional materials added at later dates.
Acc# 1992.0266 -- Collected by Michael Pipoly, (Collection. Michael Pipoly was an employee of the Historical Society of Western Pa. and was the coordinator of this survey. This accession number refers to items collected during the survey).
Collection of the Jewish Archival Survey, 1912-1991, MSS #196, Western Pennsylvania Jewish Archives, Historical Society of Western Pennsylvania.
This collection was arranged and described by Rachel Balliet Colker on September 11, 1995.
Revision and rearrangement for the encoded version of the finding aid provided by Jennifer Marshall on August 10, 1999.
Property rights reside with the Historical Society of Western Pennsylvania. Literary rights are retained by the creators of the records and their heirs. For permissions to reproduce or publish, please contact the curator of the Archives.
The materials collected from archival repositories with manuscript material pertaining to local Jewish life include an inventory of Jewish manuscript material from the Archives of Industrial Society at Hillman Library (University of Pittsburgh) and the American Jewish Archives in Cincinnati, Ohio. There are several Jewish collections housed at the Archives of Industrial Society and a brief inventory of those collections are included in this survey with a more detailed inventory for the records of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows Montefiore Lodge #794 (1920-1962) and Congregation Kether Torah (1914-1958). The materials collected from the American Jewish Archives are limited and primarily include their cataloging entries for all material relating to Pittsburgh. There are some materials collected from the American Jewish Historical Society in Waltham, Massachusetts; however, these materials do not include any information on archival material specific to the Jewish community in Pittsburgh, but rather general published materials on the archives itself.
The materials collected from organizations in the Pittsburgh area include both independent organizations and local chapters or affiliates of national organizations. Represented organizations span the entire community and include educational, medical, social, women's, and Zionist organizations. These materials primarily include brochures and other published materials with some statements of purpose, brief histories, and original records. The earliest material in this collection documents the Children's Aid Society of Jewish Women, Montefiore Hospital Association, and the United Jewish Federation, including photocopies of original charters and the United Jewish Federation's first annual report (1912). The materials collected for each organization vary in volume and scope. Organizations with more comprehensive documentation include the Anti-Defamation League of B'nai B'rith (1983-1987), the Jewish Labor Committee (c. 1945-1988) and the Pittsburgh Conference on Soviet Jewry (1986-1987).
The materials designated as personal papers include those of Dena Epstein, Nate Kaufman, Corinne Krause, and Ida Mintz. The Dena Epstein materials include a portion of the manuscript Neighbor's Tales, by Anna B. Heldman, that was edited by Dena Epstein's mother, Hilda Satt Polacheck. Anna B. Heldman, a social worker for the Irene Kaufmann Settlement House (IKS) in Pittsburgh's Hill District for almost forty years, dictated these stories to Polacheck. Neighbor's Tales is a collection of true stories gathered by Anna B. Heldman during that time. Since the completion of this survey, the Nate Kaufman and Corinne Krause papers have been donated to the Western Pennsylvania Jewish Archives at the Historical Society of Western Pennsylvania; however, some original archival material remains in this collection. Materials relating to the papers of Nate Kaufman (1938-1989) include a program and various newspaper clippings relating to the Allegheny County Sesquicentennial (1938) and his involvement with organizing an aqua ballet pageant for that event. The materials relating to the papers of Corinne Krause primarily consist of an inventory of her collection of photographs and a listing of local resources for Jewish archival material. Information regarding the papers of Ida Mintz consists of a brief inventory of her papers, which are still in the possession of her family.
The materials collected from synagogues also vary in volume and scope. Materials primarily consist of programs from various anniversary and dedication events that usually include an historical sketch of the congregation. The synagogues are arranged by geographic location. Since many synagogues have moved their location, researchers should note that the recorded location is from 1988. Several of the synagogues surveyed were originally located in Pittsburgh's Hill District neighborhood, but in later years moved to other city neighborhoods including East Liberty, Squirrel Hill and Highland Park. It should also be noted that several synagogues whose membership declined in recent years have joined their congregation with other small synagogues. In these cases, both synagogues names are represented. The earliest materials collected include those of the Beth Hamedrash Hagodol Congregation (now a combined congregation with Beth Jacob Congregation in the Hill District), Ahvath Achim Congregation in Carnegie (Allegheny County), Pennsylvania, and the Tree of Life Congregation of Ellwood City (Lawrence County), Pennsylvania. General inventories and location of records for B'nai Emunoh (Squirrel Hill), Temple Sinai (Squirrel Hill), and Tree of Life (Squirrel Hill) were collected without any other general or archival material. The more comprehensive collection of materials from synagogues includes those from Beth Shalom (Squirrel Hill), Ahvath Achim (Carnegie (Allegheny County), Pennsylvania), and Beth Israel (South Hills (Allegheny County) suburbs of Pittsburgh). The materials collected for this survey from synagogues in and around Pittsburgh provide some of the only documentation of these congregations. Of particular interest are the materials collected from the more recently established synagogues such as Young People's Synagogue/Bohnai Yisroel (Squirrel Hill) and Dor Hadash (Squirrel Hill) and the materials collected from the congregations in the small towns outside of Pittsburgh. The most comprehensive of these are the materials from the synagogues of McKeesport (Allegheny County), Pennsylvania, particularly that from the Tree of Life Congregation of White Oak which includes a lengthy and detailed history by Iggy Lefkowitz entitled A History of Jews in McKeesport.