Guide to the Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh Oversized Photographs, 1916-2000
- Repository
- Heinz History Center
- Title
- Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh Oversized Photographs
- Creator
- Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh
- Collection Number
- msr389
- Extent
- 6 linear feet (6 boxes)
- Date
- 1916-2000
- Abstract
- The organization known as the Jewish Community Center (JCC) of Greater Pittsburgh, evolved from the Columbian Council School, Irene Kaufmann Settlement (IKS), Irene Kaufmann Centers (IKC), Young Men and Women's Hebrew Association (YMWHA), and Young Men and Women's Hebrew Association - Irene Kaufmann Centers (Y-IKC). In 1974, the name Y-IKC, was changed to the JCC. The JCC is a non-profit organization and is a beneficiary agency of the United Jewish Federation of Pittsburgh and the United Way of Allegheny County. The JCC is nonsectarian, as were the institutions that preceded it, and provides social and cultural services. The photographs include images of the boards and officers, buildings, events, facilities, members, musicians, programs, and staff.
- Language
- The material in this collection is in English.
- Sponsor
- The development of the JCC of Greater Pittsburgh project was made possible in part by a grant from the Fund for Jewish Cultural Preservation of the National Foundation for Jewish Culture.
- Publisher
- Heinz History Center
- Address
- 1212 Smallman St.
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15222
library@heinzhistorycenter.org
URL: https://www.heinzhistorycenter.org
Foreword - Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh
The Jewish Community Center (JCC) of Greater Pittsburgh evolved from several institutions, each with its own history and each contributing to the establishment of the current JCC. Those institutions will be discussed in separate sections of this history, arranged in alphabetical order.
In 1871, Jacob and Isaac Kaufmann, Jewish immigrants from Germany, founded J. Kaufmann & Brother, a merchant-tailoring establishment in the Birmingham section of Pittsburgh. They were soon joined by their younger brothers, Morris and Henry.
The success of the business, which eventually became a Kaufmann's Department Store in downtown Pittsburgh, enabled the Kaufmann families to establish a tradition of civic philanthropy. After World War II, the second generation of the Kaufmann family, Edgar J. and Oliver M. Kaufmann and their brothers-in-laws Irwin D. Wolf and Samuel E. Mundheim continued the family tradition of giving that had been started by the founding brothers. These gifts have contributed to the development of the Jewish community and the city at large.
Historical Sketch of the Emma Kaufmann Camp (1908 - )
The Emma Kaufmann Camp (EKC) was founded in 1908 by two Kaufmann brothers, Isaac and Morris, in Harmarville, Pa. The camp was presented as a gift to the community in honor of Morris and Betty Wolf Kaufmann's 25th wedding anniversary and in memory of Emma Kaufmann, the first wife of Isaac Kaufmann. The Kaufmann families and other donors supported the camp.
Organized on May 19, 1908, the Emma Farm Association (EFA) administered the EKC. The EFA was also supported by the Federation of Jewish Philanthropies, the predecessor of the United Jewish Federation. The EKC has been referred to variously as the "Emma Farm," "Emma Farm Camp," "Farm Camp," "Emma Camp," and "Emma Kaufmann Farm Camp." The camp was located on 65 acres in Harmarville, a mile away from the Allegheny River.
So that all Jews could participate in the camp's offerings, the constitution and by-laws provided that the camp should observe kosher dietary laws. The camp, however, was non-sectarian.
The EFA provided children and adults with an opportunity for open-air recreation and a facility for convalescents to regain their strength after hospitalizations. The EFA operated a Farm School Department to work with problem boys; and a Fresh Air Camp Department provided mothers and their children summer vacations away from the city.
In 1916 the Irene Kaufmann Settlement (IKS), in cooperation with the EFA, assumed the management of the EKC. The following year, IKS resident director Sidney A. Teller, became the camp administrator, and his wife, Julia Pines Teller became the superintendent. In 1917, the camp, which had previously been free to all, began to charge a small fee based on ability to pay. The Farm School Department was dropped in 1918, and only the Fresh Air Camp Department was continued. In 1919 the EFA determined that the Harmarville location no longer was suitable.
The next two years were spent locating a more desirable site for the camp. A site on the Connoquenessing Creek near the towns of Harmony and Zelienople, Pa., was purchased using, in part, the $15,000.00 made available from the sale of the property in Harmarville. Additional funds were still needed and Isaac Kaufmann, before his death in 1921 gave $50,000.00. Eight cottages were built, equipped with electricity and indoor plumbing. A dining hall, administration building, a hospital building were also added.
Facilities were available for hiking, ball games, track, tennis and swimming, and included sand piles and a playground. Mrs. Belle C. Meyers, Isaac Kaufmann's second wife, donated a recreation center that could hold an audience of 600, with a stage, equipment for showing movies, a victrola, and a piano. The Old Barn, another building, served as a library.
The camp served all ages as a venue for camping, conferences, and picnics. A 1940 business letterhead stated "I found the treasures of Health and Happiness at our Emma Kaufmann Camp, Harmony, Pa."
In 1971, the 200-acre Camp Lynnwood near Morgantown, W.Va., was purchased for $538, 500.00 and opened for the 1972 season. The camp, on Lake Lynn (currently Cheat Lake), is located in the mountainous Cheat River area and close to Cooper Rock State Park. The camp's lake front is a memorial to Martha and Irwin Wolf, the daughter and son-in-law of Morris and Theresa Kaufmann.
Between 1972 and 1973, the Young Men and Women's Hebrew Association - Irene Kaufmann Centers (Y-IKC) decided to sell three of its properties to help pay for the new Emma Kaufmann Camp. The North Negley building was sold to Craig House Technoma. The second property consisted of 550 acres of undeveloped land in Normalville, Pa., which had been intended as a new site for the Emma Kaufmann Camp. The third property, located in Harmony, Pa., which had served as the EKC was sold for development as a private camp.
Historical Sketch of the Henry Kaufmann Family Recreation Park and James & Rachel Levinson Day Camp (1969 - )
The Henry Kaufmann Family Recreation Park in Monroeville was opened in 1969 as a living memorial to the Henry Kaufmann family and is commonly referred to as "Family Park" Located at 261 Rosecrest Drive, the 101-acre wooded park is situated on property donated by the Levinson family. This fully equipped day park hosts the James & Rachel Levinson Day Camp.
Historical Sketch of the Irene Kaufmann Settlement (IKS) (1909 - 1956/1957) to the Irene Kaufmann Centers (IKC) (1956/1957 - 1961)
The IKS began as the Columbian Council School (1893-1909) of the Council of Jewish Women through which volunteers offered settlement services to newly arrived immigrants to Pittsburgh. The Columbian Council School was funded by private philanthropy. Until 1890, there were about 4000 Jews in Pittsburgh. Then the Great Migration began. Between 1890 and 1910, over 25,000 Jews arrived in Pittsburgh from Eastern Europe and settled in Pittsburgh's Hill District, overwhelming the efforts of the volunteer-based Columbian Council School and Settlement.
In 1909 the Columbian School and Settlement accepted a gift from Henry and Theresa Kaufmann who had recognized the increasing need for larger facilities and a professional staff. They endowed the Irene Kaufmann Settlement in memory of their daughter. The settlement was built close to downtown in the center of Pittsburgh's Hill District, an area in which immigrants lived on arrival in the city. In addition to their gift of $150,000 that paid for the construction of a new building on Centre Avenue, the Kaufmanns created an endowment of $40,000, to which they added later. In 1911, the IKS was dedicated.
The IKS served the immigrant community in the Hill District with no restrictions related to race or religion. The IKS offered nursing services, Better Baby Clinics, prenatal care, free milk for school-age children, and free kindergartens. The IKS was responsible for starting the Pittsburgh Visiting Nurse Service. The work done by the IKS during the flu pandemic and through medical inspection of city schools was recognized to benefit the entire community. Classes were offered to aid in Americanization and to teach music, art, and drama. In 1926, there were over 100 clubs for various interest groups sponsored by the IKS, with an aggregate attendance of 24,000. As earlier immigrants became acculturated, they moved eastward out of the Hill District.
The administrative staff members were of long standing. Sidney Teller was the Settlement's first executive director from 1916 to 1942. His assistant was his wife, Julia Pines Teller. Anna B. Heldman managed the personal service and nursing department from 1902 (at the Columbian School) until her death in March 1940.
Henry Kaufmann, or "Uncle Henry" as he was known at the IKS, remained a major donor to the institution. His gift of $650,000 in 1929 made possible the enlargement of the 1909 building. In 1939, 1940, and through his will at his death in 1955, he made additional gifts.
The population and demographics in the Hill District was changing during the 1940s. The Jews were moving into eastern parts of the city. The African-American community became the largest group in the Hill. In 1942, the board of the IKS did a self-study entitled Social facts comparing four areas served by the Irene Kaufmann Settlement with Pittsburgh: A compilation of basic statistical data for the use of the Neighborhood Sub-committee of the General Self-study Committee of the Irene Kaufmann Settlement to develop a plan to an inter-racial policy at the Centre Avenue IKS and to initiate extension programs in the Squirrel Hill and East End neighborhoods in which Jewish communities were growing.
During 1942-1943 a branch program of what was called the Irene Kaufmann Center (IKC) was located at 5832 Forward Avenue in Squirrel Hill, and in 1944 a facility on Murray Avenue was established.
Between 1944 and 1951, the IKC moved several times as the membership and activities increased. The Henry Kaufmann Foundation funded the remodeling of rented quarters on Forward Avenue in 1949. In the same year, a new clubhouse at 5738 Forbes Street was purchased and renovated. By the middle of 1950, the Settlement Board of Trustees had purchased property at 5734 Forbes Street adjacent to the clubhouse. The house on that property was razed in 1951. A study was done to analyze program needs, and plans were made for a new IKC building in Squirrel Hill.
In September 1948, the IKS started a pilot branch in the East End area of Pittsburgh, calling it the East End IKC. Meeting rooms at B'nai Israel Synagogue and Adath Jesurun Synagogue, both on North Negley Avenue, were used. By 1951, the East End IKC headquarters were moved to 751 North Negley Avenue. In 1954, supporting facilities at 753 North Negley Avenue at the intersection of Stanton Avenue were added. By 1973, the Jewish population in the East End had diminished, and the property was sold to Craig House Techoma in 1973.
Another extension program initiated by the Committee on Extension Services was conducted jointly with Temple Emanuel of the South Hills and started in 1956/1957, in the facilities of Temple Emanuel, 1250 Bower Hill Road in Mt. Lebanon. During the summer months a day camp known as Countryland was offered to the South Hills children in South Park.
By December 1956, a new independent Anna B. Heldman Community Center Board was incorporated and given permission to operate its program in the Centre Avenue IKS building with a five-year lease at a cost of $1.00 per year. In 1957, the new community center opened, as had been recommended in the 1950 Health and Welfare Federation Study of the IKS. The building was razed in 1964, and, in 1969, the title to the Centre Avenue property of the IKS was deeded to the City of Pittsburgh for use by the Hill House Association.
The opening of the newly built IKC building in 1959 in Squirrel Hill and the subsequent closing of the Center Avenue IKS building and its demolition in 1964 signaled the end of one era and the beginning of a new stage of service to the community. Funding to build the 1959 Squirrel Hill IKC came from the Henry Kaufmann Foundation and the Edgar J. Kaufmann Charitable Trust. Contributions to the campaign were also made by the Kaufmann and Wolf families as well as by other members of the Jewish community.
In summary, after 1900 the Hill District was the largest Jewish residential area in Pittsburgh with approximately 70 percent of the entire Jewish population of Pittsburgh residing there in 1924. By 1942, the Jewish population had fallen below 10 percent of the total Hill District population. As the Jewish population moved eastward, branch centers in Squirrel Hill and in the East End were established respectively in 1959 and 1968. The population shifts in the post-World War II era eventually led to the merger of the Young Men and Women's Hebrew Association and Irene Kaufmann Centers in 1961. In 1974, the name was changed to the Jewish Community Center (JCC).
Historical Sketch of the JCC of Greater Pittsburgh [Irene Kaufmann Building] (1974 - )
The organization known as the JCC of Greater Pittsburgh, evolved from the Columbian Council School, Irene Kaufmann Settlement (IKS), Irene Kaufmann Centers (IKC), Young Men and Women's Hebrew Association (YMWHA), and Y-IKC. In 1974, the name Y-IKC, was changed to the JCC. The JCC is a non-profit organization and is a beneficiary agency of the United Jewish Federation of Pittsburgh and the United Way of Allegheny County. The JCC is nonsectarian, as were the institutions that preceded it, and provides social and cultural services.
The Irene Kaufmann Building (IKB) of the JCC at 5738 Forbes Avenue in Squirrel Hill was constructed in 1959 for a membership of 4500. In 1977/1978, the JCC added 10,000 square feet of space to the IKB. Included were a multi-purpose room (which could be converted into a gymnasium), a kosher kitchen, lounge and office space, and additional space for pre-school activities. During the addition, the building was closed for one year. The newly enlarged building was dedicated in January 1980. This marked the completion of a building and expansion phase that included improvements to the Henry Kaufmann Family Recreation Park in Monroeville and the construction of the new Oliver M. Kaufmann Teen Village at the Emma Kaufmann Camp as well as other renovations to the camp.
In 1986, the Forbes Avenue building was razed to make way for a larger facility. The YMWHA building on Bellefield Street in Oakland had provided additional facilities for the JCC until it was sold in 1984 to the University of Pittsburgh, although the JCC continued to lease the building for several years. Because the Forbes Avenue JCC building had been razed to make way for the new construction, programs were moved to the YMWHA building, synagogues, and to other facilities. The approximately 100,000 square foot multi-purpose facility was nearly double the size of the previous JCC IKB and cost approximately $7.5 million to construct. The new building replaced both the old Forbes Avenue IKB and the Oakland Y. In addition to the IKB, the Alex & Leona Robinson Building, which houses the Katz Performing Arts Center and the Holocaust Center of the UJF of Greater Pittsburgh, was built across the street at 5738 Darlington Road.
In 1999, the JCC of Pittsburgh was renamed JCC of Greater Pittsburgh. The mission of the JCC of Greater Pittsburgh is stated as, "The Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh cultivates Jewish identity, heritage, culture and community by promoting the physical, intellectual and spiritual well-being of individuals, families and the community at large." [jccpgh.org, 2005]
Historical Sketch of the South Hills Jewish Community Center [Henry Kaufmann Building] (1950s - )
The South Hills JCC (SHJCC) began in 1956/1957 in cooperation with Temple Emanuel, located at 1250 Bower Hill Road in Mt. Lebanon. During the summer months a day camp known as Countryland was offered to the South Hills children in South Park.
A small, full-time staff was hired in the 1980s as demand for programming increased. Additional programs and services were added, such as after-school classes, child-care services, weekend activities, summer day camps, pre-school, and educational programs for all ages.
In 1991, the Ward School building in Mt. Lebanon was leased. However, it was apparent that the demands on this facility were greater than the services it could reasonably render. The building, for example, lacked a swimming pool, which was an essential component in JCC programming. A plan for a new building was initiated in the early 1990s, with a search for a site on which to build a new SHJCC. Then, the developer who had purchased the Kane Hospital site suggested that the new SHJCC be built on a portion of that property. The JCC Board of Directors agreed on the site at 345 Kane Boulevard and planned to build and equip the new facility for about $5.2 million. The Henry Kaufmann Building was dedicated in January 1999.
Historical Sketch of the Young Men and Women's Hebrew Association of Pittsburgh (YMWHA) (1910-1961)
Between 1880 and 1903, there were several attempts from 1880 through 1903 to organize a YMHA. In 1910, Harry J. Applestein along with a group of sixteen young men found the organization that existed until its merger with the Irene Kaufmann Centers in 1961. The meeting place moved from one facility to another during 1912 and 1914, including Tree of Life Synagogue, Schenley Hotel in Oakland, and the Irene Kaufmann Settlement on Centre Avenue. A new charter was granted by Judge Josiah Cohen, changing the name of the organization to the "Y.M.H.A. of Pittsburgh" in 1914. According to the 1914 charter, "the purpose for which the corporation is formed is in general for the mental, physical and moral improvement of its members, and more particularly for the promotion of Hebraic Culture and Jewish Ideals."
In 1919, the YMHA joined with the Young Women's Hebrew Association, which had been organized in 1911 by eight young women, to form the YMWHA. Following this merger, a building campaign was initiated. An Oakland site was selected in December 1921, and the name of the organization was changed to the "Young Men and Women's Hebrew Association of Pittsburgh." The Building Committee was chaired by Samuel Mundheim. Benno Janssen was the architect.
The 1924 charter described the "...purposes for which the said corporation is formed are as follows, for the improvement of the spiritual, mental, social and physical condition of young men and women, by the support and maintenance of lecture rooms, libraries, reading rooms, religious and social meetings and by such other means and services as may be necessary to the accomplishment of said purposes." On May 23, 1926, the YMWHA building at 315 S. Bellefield Avenue in Oakland was dedicated. Facilities included a gymnasium, cafeteria, ladies' lounge, lodge room, health center, and a swimming pool.
The YMWHA encouraged youth character building, adult education, religious training, cultural advancement, physical education, and Americanization. Programming included lecture series, concerts, theater, dances, and physical education.
The Y, as it was commonly referred to, was the recipient of many donations. The Morris Kaufmann Memorial Auditorium, with a seating capacity of 1200, was the gift of Edgar J. Kaufmann and his mother, Betty Wolf Kaufmann in memory of his father. Mrs. Isaac Seder, with her friends and family, established the Isaac Seder Educational Center. A contribution from Mrs. Morris Baer and her family made possible the Morris Baer Memorial Library.
The Y ran the Laurel Y camp from 1938 to 1961 on a 92 acre site in Laural Hill State Park in Somerset County, Pa. For financial reasons, the Laurel Y Camp closed when the YMWHA and IKC merged to form the Y-IKC in 1961.
In 1961, the Young Men and Women's Hebrew Association and the Irene Kaufmann merged to form the Young Men and Women's Hebrew Association - Irene Kaufmann Centers, to be known as the Y-IKC. In 1974 the Y-IKC was renamed the Jewish Community Center (JCC).
The YMWHA building was used by the Y-IKC and the JCC until the building was sold in 1984 to the University of Pittsburgh because of rising costs and maintenance and the need for repairs. The sale arrangement involved a lease that guaranteed use of the building by the JCC for at least the next nine years. The JCC used the money from the sale to build its new IKB facility in Squirrel Hill.
At the time of the sale, the YMWHA building housed the School of Advanced Jewish Studies, Hillel, the Jewish Chronicle, the Oakland School, the Association for the Advancement of Creative Judaism, and offices of the United Jewish Federation offices, including the Holocaust Center and the Community Shaliah.
Historical Sketch of the Young Men and Women's Hebrew Association - Irene Kaufmann Centers (Y-IKC) (1961-1974)
In 1961, the Young Men and Women's Hebrew Association and the Irene Kaufmann Centers merged to form the Young Men and Women's Hebrew Association - Irene Kaufmann Centers, known as the Y-IKC. The merger was designed to eliminate duplication of services, to coordinate staff, and to create a more efficient organization. In 1974 the Y-IKC would be renamed the JCC. The Y-IKC continued providing social and cultural services as did the predecessors.
In 1969 Mr. and Mrs. Kaufmann established the Oliver M. and Freda T. Kaufmann Playschool as a memorial to their late son, Oliver M. Kaufmann, Jr.
Historical Sketch of the Y Music Society (1926-2004)
In 1926, when the YMWHA building in Oakland was completed, the Y Music Society (YMS) was founded by Herman Passamaneck, director of the YMWHA from 1925 until his retirement in 1954.
Renowned violinist Efrem Zimbalist was among the artists featured during the inaugural series held in the Morris Kaufmann Auditorium. The series presented internationally acclaimed musicians, as well as young artists such as Vladimir Horowitz in 1928 and Marian Anderson in 1936. The African-American contralto was housed by a committee member when the Schenley Hotel refused her a room.
When Herman Passamaneck's wife, Dolores, died in 1951 the Passamaneck Award was established in her memory to promote regional young musicians in the region. The Herman and Dolores Passamaneck Endowment Fund was established in 1984 to assure the continuity of the series.
The YMS enriched the entire Pittsburgh community. It was designated a regional asset by the Allegheny County Regional Asset Board because of its status as one of the oldest recital series in the nation and the longest continuously running recital series in Pittsburgh. In 1989, the YMS moved from the YMWHA building to the Carnegie Music Hall. In 2004, the YMS ended as a program of the JCC. The administration of the series was taken over by the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra.
Scope and Content Notes
The JCC of Greater Pittsburgh oversized photographs are housed in six archival boxes and are arranged alphabetically in five series. Series are designated for the Emma Kaufmann Camp, Irene Kaufmann Settlement to the Irene Kaufmann Centers, JCC of Greater Pittsburgh, YMWHA of Pittsburgh, and Y Music Society. Individual folder titles have been arranged alphabetically and/or chronologically.
The images have similar subject headings to those images found in the MSP. The photographs include images of the boards and officers, buildings, events, facilities, members, musicians, programs, and staff.
Conditions Governing Access
No Restrictions.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
These items came in five accessions:
Acc.# 2001.0186 Gift of the JCC of Greater Pittsburgh
2002.0186 Gift of the JCC of Greater Pittsburgh
2003.0075 Gift of the JCC of Greater Pittsburgh
2003.0221 Gift of Holy Family Institute
2003.0238 Gift of the JCC of Greater Pittsburgh
Preferred Citation
Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh Oversized Photographs, 1916-2000, MSR#389, Rauh Jewish Archives, Senator John Heinz History Center
Processing Information
This collection was processed by Robert Stakeley in February 19, 2005.
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 Library and Archives of the Senator John Heinz History Center.
Separated Materials
For the complete list of separations please refer to the finding aid for the MSS.