Rodef Shalom Congregation facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Rodef Shalom Congregation |
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Hebrew: רודף שלום
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Rodef Shalom's celebrated façade
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| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Reform Judaism |
| Ecclesiastical or organizational status | Synagogue |
| Leadership |
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| Status | Active |
| Location | |
| Location | 4905 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania |
| Country | United States |
 Location in Pittsburgh
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| Architecture | |
| Architect(s) |
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| Architectural type | Synagogue |
| Architectural style | Beaux-Arts |
| Date established | 1856 (as a congregation) |
| Completed | 1906 |
| Construction cost | $250,000 |
| Specifications | |
| Capacity | 1,200 worshippers |
| Dome(s) | One |
| Dome dia. (outer) | 90 feet (27 m) |
Rodef Shalom Congregation (Hebrew: רודף שלום, lit. 'Pursuer of Peace') is a historic Reform Jewish congregation and synagogue. It is located at 4905 Fifth Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in the United States. The famous building was designed by architect Henry Hornbostel. It was completed in the Beaux-Arts style.
The synagogue is on Fifth Avenue, between the Oakland and Shadyside neighborhoods. It is home to Congregation Rodef Shalom, which started in 1856. This makes it the oldest Jewish congregation in Western Pennsylvania. It is also the largest Reform congregation in the area. On the synagogue grounds, you can find the Rodef Shalom Biblical Botanical Garden.
The synagogue building was added to the National Register of Historic Places on November 5, 1979. It was also named a Pittsburgh Historic Landmark in 2022.
Contents
A Look Back: Rodef Shalom's History
In 1847, a group of Jewish people in Pittsburgh started a burial society. They called it Bes Almon, which means "Mourners’ House." They bought land on Troy Hill for a cemetery.
Early Years of the Congregation
By 1848, the group rented a room downtown. They formed a congregation called Shaare Shemayim, meaning "Gate of Heaven." At first, they followed Orthodox Judaism.
The group's official document, from November 9, 1856, stated their main goals. These included "furthering religion" and "starting a good school." The school would teach Hebrew religion and general knowledge.
Over the next eight years, some members left to form new groups. But they always came back. One group, Congregation Beth Israel, formed in 1852 but rejoined within a year. Another group left in 1855 but came back in 1860. This was after Shaare Shemayim rented a hall in Allegheny City. When they rejoined, the congregations took the name Rodef Shalom. They had 35 families and 50 children in their school.
The group soon needed more space than a rented hall. So, they began building their own synagogue in 1861. Architect Charles Bartberger designed the first temple. It was built on Hancock Street (now Eighth Street) in downtown Pittsburgh. The dedication ceremony was on March 20, 1862. Rev. William Armhold spoke in German. Josiah Cohen, a teacher, gave a speech in English. A famous singer, Sigmund Apfelbaum, also performed.
Becoming a Reform Synagogue
In 1862, Pittsburgh held its first Jewish confirmation ceremony. Six girls and one boy participated.
In 1863, Isaac Mayer Wise visited Pittsburgh. He was a founder of Reform Judaism in America. His visit had a big impact. Soon after, the congregation voted to adopt some Reform practices. This included using the Reform prayer book. Not everyone liked the change. Some members left Rodef Shalom. They formed the Orthodox, and later Conservative, Tree of Life Synagogue.
Rodef Shalom slowly became fully Reform. Over time, services became shorter. Women and men began sitting together. An organ was installed. Music was very important to Rodef Shalom. Their choir, led by Bertha Benswanger, was known as "one of the best in the country."
Changing to English also took time. When Louis Naumburg became minister in 1865, he spoke German. Lippman Mayer, who followed him in 1870, spoke English but preferred German. Mayer strongly supported Reform Judaism. He later started the Jewish Chautauqua Society. Other changes happened too. By 1874, men no longer had to wear a hat or yarmulke. The congregation also joined the Union of American Hebrew Congregations.
Big changes came to Rodef Shalom in 1885. The congregation hosted a national meeting of rabbis. Reform leaders organized this event. The meeting created the "Pittsburgh Platform." This platform stated that Judaism was a religion, not a nation. It also said the Bible was an ethical guide, not always God's exact words. It declared that American Jews did not have to keep kosher. This Pittsburgh Platform guided North American Reform Judaism until 1937. It also caused a major split between liberal and traditional Jewish groups in America.
Rodef Shalom in the 20th Century
J. Leonard Levy became Rodef Shalom's Rabbi in 1901. He was a strong leader with a global view. He had served congregations in England and California. Rabbi Levy was known for helping different faiths talk to each other. In Pittsburgh, he started an international peace group. He also helped edit the weekly Jewish Criterion newspaper. He preached at both Sabbath and Sunday services.
Rabbi Levy invited President William Howard Taft to visit Rodef Shalom. President Taft came on Saturday, May 29, 1909. This was the first time a sitting United States president spoke in a synagogue.
During Rabbi Levy's time, Rodef Shalom grew a lot. It went from 132 families to 363 by 1908. Pittsburgh was changing. More Jewish immigrants came to the city. Many members moved from Allegheny City to new eastern neighborhoods. These included Oakland, Shadyside, and East Liberty. Even so, more than half of Rodef Shalom's members still lived near the old temple. So, when the synagogue became too crowded, they decided to expand where they were. The first Temple building was torn down in 1900. A new, larger building, designed by Charles Bickel, replaced it. The new building was dedicated on September 6 and 7, 1901. Soon after, an annex was added for religious school classes. But by 1904, the congregation had already outgrown this new space.
Leaders realized that Oakland, Shadyside, and Squirrel Hill were becoming the new centers of Pittsburgh. Rodef Shalom sold its new-but-too-small building to the Second Presbyterian Church for $150,000. They then began moving east. They bought land near Morewood and Fifth avenues for $60,000.
Samuel H. Goldenson became Rabbi in 1918. This was a year after Rabbi Levy's death. Goldenson brought more Reform changes. He convinced members to give up their private pews. Instead, seats were unassigned, which was more fair. This decision brought many more members to the synagogue.
Solomon B. Freehof took over when Goldenson moved to New York in 1934. Freehof preached regularly. He also wrote many books about Jewish law and rituals. He led the group that updated the Union Prayer Book. For over 35 years, he wrote book reviews for more than 1,500 Christians and Jews. He was president of the Central Conference of American Rabbis and the World Union for Progressive Judaism. His wife, Lillian, wrote plays and novels. She also organized Braille services.
The Religious School added the Levy Hall auditorium and the Cohen Chapel in 1938. A large social hall, named for Dr. Freehof, was built in 1956. An addition to the back of the building created an entrance from the parking lot. This was paid for by Allen H. and Selma W. Berkman. Rodef Shalom had so many members that it encouraged new Reform congregations to form. It helped start Temple Sinai in Squirrel Hill, Temple Emanuel in the South Hills, and Temple David in Monroeville.
Freehof retired in 1966. His assistant, Dr. Walter Jacob, took his place. Jacob had been hired in 1955. Membership reached its highest point in the early 1960s, with about 2,300 families. Jacob founded the Freehof Institute of Progressive Halakhah. He was also president of the Central Conference of American Rabbis. He and his wife Irene started the Biblical Botanical Garden at Rodef Shalom in 1986. Dr. Jacob is now Rabbi Emeritus of Rodef Shalom. He is still active in Pittsburgh and around the world. He helped create Abraham Geiger College. This was the first rabbinic training college in Germany since the Holocaust.
Dr. Mark Staitman was an associate rabbi starting in 1975. He served as the main Rabbi from 1997 to 2003. Dr. Staitman is known for his work with Soviet Jewry. He was Chairman of the National Coalition Supporting Soviet Jewry.
From 1989 to 1990, a big project restored the main worship area. From 2000 to 2003, other parts of the building were updated. This made them more modern and easier for people with disabilities to access. A new porte-cochere entrance from the parking lot was also added.
On October 30, 2018, Rodef Shalom held a memorial service. It was for Cecil and David Rosenthal. They were victims of the Tree of Life Synagogue shooting that happened three days earlier. Members of the Pittsburgh Steelers football team were among those who attended.
In December 2023, Rodef Shalom and Temple Sinai announced plans to work more closely together. These two synagogues had separated eighty years earlier.
The Architecture of Rodef Shalom
A design contest was held for the new synagogue building. Henry Hornbostel won the competition. He was the architect Andrew Carnegie chose to design Carnegie Institute of Technology. Hornbostel's Beaux-Arts style mixed old traditions with modern ideas. The building has a double dome, 90 feet (27 m) across. It was built without steel. Instead, it used a Catalan vault style. This Spanish building method was brought to the U.S. by Rafael Guastavino.
For the outside, Hornbostel chose local yellow brick. He added colorful terra cotta decorations. The design included four special stained glass windows. These were made by William Willet and saved from the 1901 building. There is also a large stained glass skylight in the dome. A curved window is above the Fifth Avenue entrance. A 1907 Kimball organ was installed. It is the largest of its kind still in use. The synagogue can seat over 900 people on the first floor. Another 300 can sit in the balcony. The building was finished in time for High Holy Day services in 1907. It cost $250,000 to build.
Famous Members of Rodef Shalom
- Edgar J. Kaufmann: A businessman and generous giver. He owned Kaufmann's Department Store. He also asked for the famous homes Fallingwater and Kaufmann Desert House to be built.
- Jonas Salk: A virologist and medical researcher. He created one of the first successful polio vaccines.
