Guide to the Beth Hamedrash Hagodol-Beth Jacob Congregation Records, 1880-2005
Repository
Heinz History Center
Title
Beth Hamedrash Hagodol-Beth Jacob Congregation Records,
Creator
Beth Hamedrash Hagodol-Beth Jacob Congregation.
Collection Number
mss#438
Extent
9.5 linear feet(5 boxes, 73 volumes)
Date
1880-2005
Abstract
Beth Hamedrash Hagodol (BHH) was founded in 1869 by Lithuanian Jews, who had fled to the United States after the unsuccessful 1863 Polish revolt against the Russia Empire. The collection includes a wide range of materials related to the function of the congregation.
Language
The material in this collection is in English.
Author
The guide to this collection was written by Susan M. Melnick.
Beth Hamedrash Hagodol (BHH) was founded in 1869 by Lithuanian Jews, who had fled to the United States after the unsuccessful 1863 Polish revolt against the Russia Empire. The congregation was chartered as B'nai Israel in 1873. The congregation grew as more Orthodox Jewish Yiddish-speaking immigrants arrived. In 1880, the congregation moved into a building at the corner of Grant Street and Third Avenue.
In 1883, members of the congregation from the Lithuanian region around the town of Suwalk split off and formed a congregation which they chartered in 1883 as Beth Jacob (BJ). In 1901, they moved from a building on Wylie Avenue to Epiphany and Townsend.
The B'nai Israel congregation continued to expand as more Yiddish-speaking immigrants arrived. When the congregation outgrew the building on Grant Street, the congregants built a new synagogue in 1892 on Washington Street with seating for 1600 people. The congregation renamed itself Beth Hamedrash Hagodol or the Great House of Learning and was known colloquially as the Washington Street Schul.
During the first part of the twentieth century, as immigrant Jews acculturated, they began to move from the Hill. As the population of Jews living on the Hill declined, synagogues closed or moved to the areas east of the Hill where Jews were establishing communities. BHH and BJ, however, stayed on the Hill. In 1960, the Washington Street Schul was destroyed by fire and the congregation moved into temporary quarters. This happened just as planned urban development was about to clear the lower Hill. In 1964, the two congregations merged forming Beth Hamedrash Hagodol-Beth Jacob. A new building was built on Colwell Street and was dedicated in 1965. Built into the new building was the ark that had been saved from the fire that destroyed the old building. Without a resident Jewish community in the vicinity, the synagogue now serves those Jews who work in downtown Pittsburgh. The BHH-BJ is the oldest existing Orthodox congregation in Pittsburgh.
Scope and Content Notes
The Beth Hamedrash Hagodol-Beth Jacob Records are housed in 5 boxes and 73 volumes and arranged chronologically. The bulk of the collection precedes the merger and is from BHH. Those materials which are clearly from Beth Jacob are identified. However, since no name is evident on many of the ledgers, the ledgers are arranged together. Much of the early material is in Yiddish. Many of the ledgers contain several types of information.
The collection includes a wide range of materials related to the function of the congregation. Most of the financial records are contained in the ledgers. These detail receipts and expenses, dues, seat sales, and membership dues. Of interest are membership lists, meeting minutes, and documents related to the merger of the two congregations and the building of the Colwell Street synagogue. The functioning of the congregation can be seen in the correspondence related to the hiring of cantors, correspondence with members, receipts for goods and services, and pay records for rabbis. Of note is information concerning the hiring of Rabbi A.M. Ashinsky. The cemeteries are documented with correspondence concerning plot purchase and upkeep. The building related records include architectural specifications for the building of the Colwell Synagogue, and maintenance records of the Washington Street Schul. Receipts are available for the goods and services required for the function of the congregation, including quantities of fabric for the making of shrouds. Of interest as well are the appeals for funds from Jewish organizations to which donations were made. The nature of the appeals reflects the historical context in which they were made from pre-World War I through the establishment of the state of Israel.
Conditions Governing Access
No Restrictions.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
These materials came in 4 accessions and were combined into one collection in October 2006.
Acc# 1993.0122- Gift of Beth Hamedrash Hagodol-Beth Jacob Congregation.
Acc# 1994.0177 Gift of Beth Hamedrash Hagodol-Beth Jacob Congregation.
Acc# 1997.0058 Gift of Beth Hamedrash Hagodol-Beth Jacob Congregation
Acc# 1999.0007 Gift of Morris Naimark
Preferred Citation
Beth Hamedrash Hagodol-Beth Jacob Congregation Records, 1880-2005, MSS#438, Rauh Jewish Archives, Senator John Heinz History Center
Processing Information
October 2006; This collection was processed by Susan M. Melnick.
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
To the photographic collection: three folders of photographs arranged as MSQ# 438. To the oversized collection: one folder of materials arranged as MSO# 438.
