Ahave Sholem charter
The Jewish Encyclopedia
of Western Pennsylvania
A project of the Rauh Jewish Archives at the Heinz History Center
Ahave Sholem Congregation (Brethren of Peace) was an Orthodox congregation chartered in 1889 by Jewish immigrants from Romania and Galicia. The charter members were Mike Sigal, Michel Scheffler, David Moskovitz, Morris Mentsez, Julius Feurmon, Mayer Abraham, Jakub Sharer, Luis Mascovier (Louis Moskovitz), A. Goldenberg, Tzick Schefflery, Herman Scheffler, Jakub Heris, Samuel Goldenberg, Hary Goldenberg, Phillip Rosenthal, Marten Reichman, Joseph Reichman, Jas. Rosenberg, D. Avner, and M. Elishav.
Ahave Sholem Congregation purchased cemetery property in Baldwin township from Shaare Torah Congregation in 1892. The two congregations went to court in 1901 and again in 1902 over disputes about the property line between their parcels as well as over the joint use of coffins, burial equipment, and an “ohel” house used for ritual burial preparations. In late August 1918, Ahave Sholem conveyed its entire one-acre cemetery plot to Shaare Zedeck Congregation for $1. The agreement allowed certain members of Ahave Sholem to retain more than a dozen burial plots at the cemetery for personal use in the future and to use an “ohel” building on the property as needed for burials rituals. One of those former Ahave Sholem members was Louis Moskovitz, whose family later changed its surname to “Marks. ” This family is the namesake for the “Marks Cemetery,” which the Jewish Cemetery & Burial Association now considers a separate cemetery.
Following the dissolution of Ahave Sholem Congregation sometime in the late 1890s, the Galician members joined Machsikei Hadas Congregation and the Romanian members joined Ohel Jacob Congregation (which later became New Light Congregation).
