A HISTORY OF BETH EL CONGREGATION OF THE SOUTH HILLS

Pittsburgh, in 1905, was rapidly becoming the leading steel producing city in the United States. The city was well on its way to being known not only by the name “The Steel City” but also by its less complimentary sobriquet, “The Smoky City.” It was in this environment that residents began to migrate across the Monongahela to the newly built communities in the South Hills. This migration, naturally, included many Jewish families from Squirrel Hill to Beechview, a relatively new suburb. This new location combined easy access to the city of Pittsburgh (a short trolley ride) with the lure of country living and new business opportunities. However, by 1917, it became apparent to the Jewish residents of Beechview that something vital was lacking. The close proximity of synagogues and religious schools in the Squirrel Hill community did not exist in the South Hills. This situation was soon to change.

Historically, whenever Jews settled in a new area, the first task was to establish a Hebrew School. Synagogues followed quickly on the heels of the schools. And thus, Beth El Congregation of the South Hills began with the vision of an extraordinary woman nearly 100 years ago. Rebecca Ruderman, a true Woman of Valor, was one of the newer inhabitants of Beechview, along with her husband, eight children, her mother, and her mother-in-law. She realized the need for a local religious school for the Jewish children, since a commute to Squirrel Hill for their Hebrew education was not only long, but also extremely inconvenient.

Rebecca rightly deserves to be called the founder of Beth El Congregation because of her conviction and dedication to finding a solution to the problem. Mrs. Ruderman braved the hilly, unpaved streets and sidewalks of Beechview, literally knocking on doors in search of Jewish families. She successfully convinced the Jewish mothers to join her quest to create a local religious school for their children. The women formed The Jewish Mothers’ Club of Beechview, which had as its primary purpose the organization of a formal Hebrew curriculum, in addition to satisfying social needs. Rebecca succeeded in enlisting twenty families who were committed to this goal.

Rebecca Ruderman

Identifying the future students was the first part of the task. Finding professional direction would be somewhat harder. The Jewish Mothers’ Club contacted the South Western Religious School Committee of Rodef Shalom Congregation who suggested Miss Miriam Schoenfeld for the position of the school’s first supervisor. Finding a permanent location for the school proved to be a more daunting problem. Initially, classes moved from one vacant store to another. Eventually, the Main Hall in the Boylan Building was rented. However, this location was still not ideal for a permanent solution. Throughout these early years, the Jewish Mothers’ Club undertook the sole funding for the school. They initiated a Sinking Fund with the intention of purchasing a house to convert into a Jewish Community Center.

The men of the Jewish community were not idle during this time, however. They began to gather for prayer, and High Holiday services were conducted in the same rooms used for the schooling. These men also realized (perhaps listening to their wives) that there was an urgent need for a safe and permanent Hebrew school and decided to officially organize. They met at the home of Abraham Zober to discuss their plans to form an Orthodox congregation. Among the attendees, Benjamin (Ben) Cohen, a clothier used his carpentry skills and built a wooden ark to hold the first Sefer Torah. On April 29, 1919 the Jewish men of Beechview met at the home of Ben Cohen at 1505 Rockland Avenue for the purpose of organizing their Congregation, which was duly chartered as Beechview Hebrew Congregation Beth El, with Jacob Rosenson as Chairman.

Under this proud name, the children continued to receive their religious training and the men assembled to pray. However, the need for a more suitable location continued to be pressing. Sensing the urgency of the situation, the Jewish Mothers’ Club abandoned its plan for a community center and instead elected to contribute their entire Sinking Fund, in the amount of $2,500, to the congregation for the construction of a permanent house of worship and school.

On May 4, 1919 the men met and elected the first officers: President, Jacob Rosenson; Vice President, Harry Ruderman; Secretary, Isidore Marmorstein; Treasurer, Abraham Zober. Under the watchful eye of the Mother’s Club, a building committee was formed and the dream of a synagogue began to materialize. Individual members donated one dollar, five dollars, and in rare cases, one hundred dollars to assist the process. In addition, Beth El’s men sold bricks at two dollars apiece to every possible neighbor and business contact to assure adequate funding. On March 28, 1920 Beechview Hebrew Congregation purchased a lot at 1910 Broadway. The adjoining lot was purchased on April 11, 1920.

The organizational and spiritual goals of the congregation flourished simultaneously as the building plans progressed. A Constitution and By-Laws were unanimously approved on June 1, 1920. Two years later (June 3, 1922) the Jewish Mothers’ Club contributed $500 toward the final payment for the lots. In addition, the Mothers’ Club presented the first Sefer Torah to the congregation on September 10, 1922. This industrious, productive, and generous group of women held regular meetings on the first and third Tuesday evenings of each month.

On the congregational level, early presidents following Jacob Rosenson included Isidore Marmorstein (1919), Abe Zober (1920), Jacob Siegel (1921, 1922), S. C. Greenberg (1923, 1924), and Mr. Marmorstein, again in 1925.