Rauh Jewish Archives at the Heinz History Center
The Anathan House was a recreational center for elderly people. It was likely the first senior center in the Pittsburgh area and one of the first such facilities nationally.
The National Council of Jewish Women-Pittsburgh Section started the Council Lounge for Older People in 1949 in a rented room on the second floor of 5824 Forbes Avenue in Squirrel Hill. The initial funds came from Bessie Anathan, who purchased $5,000 in raffle tickets during an early fundraiser for the project. The lounge was non-sectarian and open to anyone over the age of 60. Early activities included games, productions, movies, and lectures with many of the programs arranged by those who frequented the facility.
By the early 1960s, the Council Lounge for Older People had outgrown its accommodations on Forbes Avenue. Bessie Anathan purchased the former Maimonides Institute building at 1620 Murray Ave. and donated the building to the NCJW-Pittsburgh Section to create the Anathan House, which was dedicated in September 1963. The new Anathan House also became the administrative home of the NCJW-Pittsburgh Section.
In an effort to reduce duplication of services for the elderly, the United Jewish Federation sponsored a self-study in the early 1970s of the Anathan House and similar services offered by the Y-IKC. The self-study led to a merger of the two programs in early 1974.
Bibliography
Rauh Jewish Archives
- Anathan House materials, from Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh Photographs [MSS 389] (catalog record).
- Anathan House materials, Frieda and Saul Shapira Papers [MSS 508] (catalog record).
- Anathan House materials, Corinne Azen Krause Papers [MSS 113 (catalog record).
- Anathan, Frank and Lehman Family Papers and Photographs [MSS 1018 (catalog record).
University of Pittsburgh Archives & Special Collections
- National Council of Jewish Women-Pittsburgh Section Records [AIS.1964.40] (catalog record).
- Bessie Frank Anathan oral history, March 4, 1975, from NCJW-Pittsburgh Section Records [AIS.1964.40] (online—Historic Pittsburgh).
- Dorothy Blumenthal oral history, 1973, 1974, from NCJW-Pittsburgh Section Records [AIS.1964.40] (online—Historic Pittsburgh).
- Minnie Sussman oral history, 1975, from NCJW-Pittsburgh Section Records [AIS.1964.40] (online—Historic Pittsburgh).
- Pauline Oseroff oral history, October 28, 1975, from NCJW-Pittsburgh Section Records [AIS.1964.40] (online—Historic Pittsburgh).
- Harriet Dorfan Levinson oral history, January 21, 1998, from NCJW-Pittsburgh Section Records [AIS.1964.40] (online—Historic Pittsburgh).
Squirrel Hill News
- “Council Opens Lounge For Older People Here,” Squirrel Hill News, June 9, 1949 (online—Historic Pittsburgh).
- “Council Lounge Open Two Evenings Weekly,” Squirrel Hill News, July 28, 1949 (online—Historic Pittsburgh).
- “NCJW to Open Anathan House,” Squirrel Hill News, August 29, 1963 (online—Historic Pittsburgh).
Exhibit History
- Author: Eric Lidji
- Created: April 9, 2023
- Current: April 9, 2023