Guide to the Congregation Poale Zedeck Records, 1922-2006
- Repository
- Heinz History Center
- Title
- Congregation Poale Zedeck Records
- Creator
- Congregation Poale Zedeck (Pittsburgh, Pa.)
- Collection Number
- MSS#595
- Extent
- 7 linear feet (7 boxes and one shelf volume)
- Date
- 1922-2006
- Abstract
- The Austro-Hungarian Orthodox Jewish congregation Poale Zedeck was chartered in 1881. The existing synagogue in Squirrel Hill was dedicated in 1929. In 1956, the Rabbi Joseph Shapiro Educational Center adjacent to the synagogue was dedicated as the site of the congregation's Hebrew school. The congregation currently has a membership of about 300 families. The collection consists of materials relating to the administration, the board of directors, the membership and auxiliary organizations. The materials include account ledgers, correspondence, death certificates, event programs, membership lists, minutes, school class lists, sisterhood newsletters, a sisterhood scrapbook, seating assignments and a few photographs from the congregation's 100th anniversary banquet.
- Language
- The material in this collection is in English.
- Publisher
- Heinz History Center
- Address
- 1212 Smallman St.
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15222
library@heinzhistorycenter.org
URL: https://www.heinzhistorycenter.org
History
Poale Zedeck (Workers of Justice) was chartered in 1881 by Jews from the Austro-Hungarian Empire. At that time, the congregation had forty member families who were meeting in the second floor of a building at Second Avenue and Grant Street. In 1885, the congregation established a cemetery in Sheraden.
When the congregation outgrew its space, it purchased a house on Federal Street in the Hill District, the area of the city in which newly arriving Jewish immigrants were settling. The house was renovated and served as the synagogue until 1900 when the congregation purchased an existing synagogue building at Crawford and Rose Streets. That building burned down in 1916 and was rebuilt. In 1926, the congregation purchased a lot at the corner of Shady and Phillips Avenues in Squirrel Hill where the current synagogue was built and dedicated in 1929. The congregation continued to expand after its move to Squirrel Hill. In 1954, it established the Poale Zedeck Memorial Park cemetery in Richland Township. There are about 300 member families today.
In response to the growing number of children attending the congregational Hebrew school, a new building was constructed adjacent to the synagogue and dedicated as the Rabbi Joseph Shapiro Education Center in 1956. Nursery school and Hebrew school classes were held in the Center. In 1961, Poale Zedeck entered into an agreement with United Mental Health Services of Allegheny County, Inc.to provide education to children with psychological problems. The project was to be a 5-year pilot project designed to provide education and therapy to children with psychological problems, to do psychological research, and to train teachers. The school merged with Technoma Workshop in 1964 to extend more services to more children. Today, the institution is called Friendship Academy and is located in the Friendship neighborhood of Pittsburgh. Beginning in 1975, special education classes were held in the Education Center to provide religious education to Jewish children who were deaf, blind, or had other physical disabilities.
Five full-time rabbis have served Poale Zedeck. Rabbi Sol B. Friedman became the rabbi in 1920. He served until 1932 when he moved to a synagogue in Brooklyn. Rabbi Joseph Shapiro was the longest-serving rabbi in Congregation Poale Zedeck's history. He started in 1933, retired in 1974 and served as Rabbi Emeritus until his death in 1995.
The succeeding rabbis have been Eliyahu Safran, who served from 1974 to 1985; Yisroel Miller, who served from 1985 to 2009; and Daniel Yolkut, who began his tenure in 2010.
During the time period represented in the collection, the Chevra Kedisha (Holy Society) was responsible for maintaining the cemeteries and for memorializing the dead. Founded in 1910, the organization hosted an annual Sudah at which the names of the dead were read, the cantor recited memorial prayers, and the rabbi gave an address. A business meeting was also held at which new members were selected and new officers voted on.
The Men's Club was established in 1928. Between 1959 and 1972, the Men's Club hosted fundraisers and activities, such as picnics and an annual Mother's Day banquet. The funds raised allowed the Men's Club to host activities and to assist the synagogue with its needs, such as new office furniture.
The sisterhood began in 1912. During the time period represented by the collection, 1922-2006, the sisterhood raised money and used the funds to donate to charities and to assist the schul with operating expenses. The group maintained the kitchen, tracking who used it and keeping it stocked with supplies.
Scope and Content Notes
The collection is stored in seven archival boxes and divided into seven series, some of which are further divided into groupings. The series and folders are arranged alphabetically by topic. The materials in the folders are arranged chronologically. Series have been designated for administration, board of directors, education, events, membership, organizations and photographs.
Series I: Administration
The materials in the administration series are housed in two boxes. The files are arranged alphabetically by topic. The materials in the files are arranged chronologically with the exception of the acknowledgements which are arranged alphabetically. Groupings within this series are correspondence, financial and memorial plates. The correspondence consists of general congregation business letters, as well as the business letters, and a few personal letters of Rabbi Joseph Shapiro and of three congregation presidents; Leo Berger, (1966-1969), David Klein, (1953-1955 and 1959-1963) and Harry Morris, (1955-1959 and 1963-1966).The financial grouping includes account ledgers, bank statements, bequests, donation acknowledgements, dues reminders and pledges, There is one box of six receipt books that is out of sequence because of their size. Two of the receipt books are clearly for a special fund charity, but it is unclear if the remaining books contain receipts for the same fund or for something different. The memorial plates grouping includes orders for memorial plates and lists of names with corresponding death dates. Newspaper announcements are included in the administration files.
Series II: Board of Directors
The board of directors' files are housed in eight folders. They are arranged alphabetically by topic. There are board and committee member lists, board meeting minutes, committee reports, the 1987 version of the congregation's constitution, executive committee meeting minutes, installation programs, notifications of appointments to the nominating committee and notifications of board and committee nominations.
Series III: Education
The materials in the education series are housed in thirteen folders arranged alphabetically by topic. There are two groupings: library and Rabbi Joseph Shapiro Education Center. Included in the library groupings are book orders and book loans from the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh. The Rabbi Shapiro Educational Center grouping includes school class lists, notices to parents, school budgets, acknowledgments of donations to the education center, graduation programs, registration forms and source books. The materials for the Poale Zedeck School, an entity which differed from the Education Center, include the minutes of a members' meeting and of a committee meeting during which the school was discussed, a school pamphlet and an informational pamphlet that tells the story of the school.
Series IV: Events
The events series is housed in eleven folders and arranged alphabetically by topic. There are programs, event announcements and correspondence for events such as the congregation's 70th, 75th and 85th anniversaries and for the Harry Morris and the Rabbi Shapiro testimonials.
Series V: Membership
The membership series is housed in eighteen folders and is arranged alphabetically by topic. The materials consist of correspondence and form letters related to welcoming new members, member resignations, membership lists, seating lists and congregational meeting minutes. There is a separate grouping for life cycle materials that includes bar mitzvah correspondence, and lists, congratulations on births and marriages, death certificates and yahrzeit notices.
Series VI: Organizations
The organization series is housed in 45 folders and one shelf volume and is arranged alphabetically by topic. There are separate groupings for the Chevra Kadisha, the Men's Club and the Sisterhood. The Chevra Kedisha grouping includes minutes, meeting and event announcements and lists of congregants who died during the year. The Men's Club grouping is the most extensively represented of the organizations. It includes minutes, materials related to the various events hosted by the Men's Club, membership lists and newspaper announcements. The Sisterhood grouping includes a scrapbook of newspaper clippings, notes and invitations dated from 1958-1966. The scrapbook pages have been copied for use, while the book itself has been wrapped for preservation purposes. Materials include some correspondence, newsletters and meeting minutes.
Series VII: Photographs
This series is housed in two archival folders and is arranged alphabetically by topic. It includes photographs of the congregation's 100th anniversary celebration. The photographs were removed from the original album for preservation purposes with the original order maintained. Most of the people in the photographs have been identified. The remaining folder contains a photograph labeled Men's Club Affair, 1962, with no identification of the people in the photograph.
Conditions Governing Access
No restrictions
Immediate Source of Acquisition
The records were received in three accessions on behalf of Congregation Poale Zedeck.
Accession #2011.0165 was a gift from Anita Kornblit on June 13, 2011.
Accession #2009.0148 was a gift from Glenn Foxson on June 2, 2009.
Accession #2007.0244 was a gift from Ruth Markowitz on February 28, 2007.
Preferred Citation
Congregation Poale Zedeck, 1922-2006, MSS#595, Rauh Jewish Archives, Library and Archives Division, Senator John Heinz History Center
Processing Information
This collection was processed by Kelly J. Smith in August 2011.
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
The following published booklets were transferred to the library:
Shaare Torah Congregation, 1955
Temple Sinai 1955/5716 Building Fund Canvas,1955
Temple Sinai Fifth Anniversary Dinner, December 23, 1951
Tree of Life Congregation,1952
An undated map of the East End and Oakland was transferred to the map collection in the library.
One copy of the following record album, entitled The Synagogue: Rabbi, Cantor and Choir, written and narrated by Rabbi Joseph S. Shapiro, music composed, directed and solos sung by Cantor Uri Frankel, was transferred to the library. A second copy was transferred to the Judaica Sound Archives at Florida Atlantic University.
The following materials were transferred to the serials collection in the library:
Congregation Poale Zedeck Bulletin, Congregation Poale Zedeck, 1982, 1988-2002
Horizon, Congregation Poale Zedeck, 1962, 1963, 1965
The program Temple Sinai Sisterhood and Men's Club presents "The Last Resort": a Musical Extravaganza, March 31, 1954 was transferred to the vertical file.
Subjects
- Congregation Poale Zedeck (Pittsburgh, Pa.)
- Rabbi Joseph Shapiro Educational Center (Pittsburgh, Pa.)
- Berger, Leo
- Frankel, Uri Cantor
- Klein, David
- Morris, Harry
- Shapiro, Joseph S. Rabbi, 1903-1995
- Jews -- Pennsylvania -- Pittsburgh
- Orthodox Judaism -- Pennsylvania -- Pittsburgh
- Religious education of adults
- Synagogues -- Pennsylvania -- Pittsburgh