Congregation Kether Torah

Kether Torah Congregation is an Orthodox congregation in Pittsburgh. It was founded in 1907 as “Anshe Volinia” and initially consisted of recent Jewish immigrants from Volhynia Gubernia of present-day Ukraine. It obtained a charter in 1914 as Congregation Kaiser Torah and expanded its membership beyond natives of Volhynia. The congregation legally changed its name in 1923 to Congregation Kether Torah and is known today as Kesser Torah.^[1] Although not well documented, the congregation was colloquially known as “the rag-picker’s shul” because many of its early members worked in the scrap industry, including the Rice Brothers, the Linder Brothers, and Jacob Fibus.^[1]Polk’s Pittsburgh City Directories (online—Historic Pittsburgh).

Congregation Kether Torah met at the home of Solomon Linder at 2163 Webster Ave. in the Hill District until 1910 when it relocated to a rented storefront down the street at 2080 Webster Ave. The congregation later indexed many of its important anniversaries to the date of this move.^[2]“Congregation Keser Torah, Pittsburgh, Pa. : Silver anniversary 1910-1935” [BM225 .P692 K43] (online—Historic Pittsburgh). Following a highly publicized building campaign—partially arranged by Merchants Savings and Trust Co. and endorsed by much of the local rabbinate—the congregation dedicated a new synagogue building at 2043 Webster Ave. in 1922.^[3]Kether Torah Circular, Rice Family Papers [MFF 2072], Rauh Jewish Archives at the Heinz History Center (online).

With the migration of the local Jewish population away from the Hill District in the 1930s and 1940s, Kether Torah’s activities declined. The congregation closed its synagogue and sold the building in the early 1950s but maintained some continuing presence through High Holiday services held at Chofetz Chaim Congregation in Squirrel Hill. In the mid-1950s, several former Kether Torah members decided to reorganize. The congregation then purchased and renovated house at 5706 Bartlett St. in Squirrel Hill.^[4]“The Story of Kether Torah Congregation,” Jewish Criterion, Nov. 14, 1958 (online).

The neighboring Hillel Academy purchased the Bartlett Street building in 1994.^[5]“Kether Torah donates its land, building,” Jewish Chronicle, Oct. 13, 1994 (online). Kether Torah continued using the property as a synagogue until 2011, when it relocated to the student sanctuary inside Hillel Academy.^[6]Tabachnick, Toby. “Small but mighty Kether Torah looking to future,” Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle, October 5, 2016 (online—Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle). The Bartlett Street building was eventually converted into the Hillel Academy Herman Lipsitz Building, now its boys’ high school.^[7]Tabachnick, Toby. “Hillel Academy boys celebrate new, permanent home,” Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle, September 6, 2018 (online—Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle). During a different construction project at Hillel Academy in early 2022, Kether Torah temporarily held services at the campus of the Jewish Community Center in Squirrel Hill.

Congregation Kether Torah purchased cemetery grounds on Hoffman Road in Millvale in 1916. It later expanded the cemetery and dedicated a new chapel on the property in 1949.^[8]“New Cemetery Chapel,” Jewish Criterion, Nov. 18, 1949 (online).

Congregation Kether Torah had numerous auxiliaries including a Free Loan Association (1913), a chevra tehillim (1921), a chevra mishnayos (1924), and a Young Men’s Hebrew Club (1934). The Kether Torah Ladies Auxiliary was formed in 1921 and later created the Ladies Cheder Aid Society, which oversaw a congregational religious school.^[9]“Congregation Keser Torah, Pittsburgh, Pa. : Silver anniversary 1910-1935” [BM225 .P692 K43] (online—Historic Pittsburgh).

Rabbi Aaron Mordechai Ashinsky was given a lifetime appointment as part-time spiritual leader of Congregation Kether Torah in 1922. Following his death, the congregation was lay-led for some time. Later spiritual leaders included Rabbi Ephraim Rosenblum and Rabbi Yossi Rosenblum. Congregation Kether Torah uses the Nusach Sfard prayerbook.

Bibliography

Rauh Jewish Archives

• Congregation Kether Torah records [MSS 698] (catalog record).
• Rice Family papers [MFF 2072] (catalog record).
• Kether Torah Congregation Records, Corinne Azen Krause papers [MSS 113, Box 9, Folder 10] (catalog record).
• Kether Torah Congregation Synagogue and Cemetery Photographs, Gerald Sapir papers and photographs [MSS 775, Box 1, Folder 32] (catalog record).
• Kether Torah Congregation Records, Jewish Archival Survey Records [MSS 196, Box 3, Folder 20] (catalog record).
• “Congregation Keser Torah, Pittsburgh, Pa. : Silver anniversary 1910-1935” [BM225 .P692 K43] (online—Historic Pittsburgh).
• Feldman, Jacob. “The Jewish Experience in Western Pennsylvania,” Pittsburgh: Historical Society of Western Pennsylvania, 1986 (catalog record).
• “2043 Webster Avenue,” The Cornerstone, S1E4 (online—Heinz History Center).

University of Pittsburgh Archives & Special Collections

• Congregation Kether Torah, Pittsburgh, Pa. Historical Miscellanea [AIS.1988.04] (catalog record).
• Sam Boodman oral history, National Council of Jewish Women Records [ais196440.054] (online—Historic Pittsburgh).

Carnegie Museum of Art

• Kether Torah synagogue photograph, Teenie Harris Photograph Collection, 1920-1970 [1996.69.232] (online—Historic Pittsburgh).

Newspapers.com

• Congregation Kaiser Torah legal notice (1914), Pittsburgh Press, August 11, 1914 (online—Newspapers.com).
• Congregation Kether Torah legal notice (1923), Pittsburgh Gazette Times, May 11, 1923 (online—Newspapers.com).

Jewish Chronicle

• Reinherz, Adam. “Hillel Academy’s proposed renovations raise neighborhood concerns,” Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle, April 22, 2015 (online—Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle).
• Tabachnick, Toby. “Small but mighty Kether Torah looking to future,” Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle, October 5, 2016 (online—Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle).
• Tabachnick, Toby. “Hillel Academy boys celebrate new, permanent home,” Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle, September 6, 2018 (online—Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle).

Lara Diamond

• Keser Torah / Kaiser Torah Congregation Pittsburgh Minutes (online—Lara’s Jewnealogy)

Exhibit history

• Author: Eric Lidji
• Original: August 15, 2022
• Current: October 7, 2024