Beth Zedeck Congregation charter
The Jewish Encyclopedia
of Western Pennsylvania
A project of the Rauh Jewish Archives at the Heinz History Center
Beth Zedeck Congregation was founded around 1899 by Jewish immigrants from parts of present-day Ukraine. It was the fourth congregation in Pittsburgh associated with Jewish immigrants from parts of the Russian Empire, following Beth Abraham, Agudas Achim, and Beth Israel. Beth Zedeck received a charter in 1902 with Benjamin Cohen, Jacob Colker, Morris Glass, Naman Jason, Samuel Kraus, Samuel Landaman, Israel Robins, Allen Shoob, Morris Snyder, and David Solominsky listed as charter members. Of these 10 men, six lived in the Hill District and neighboring Uptown, two lived in the Strip District, one lived in Lawrenceville, and one lived in Allegheny City (now the North Side of Pittsburgh).
In the wave of emigration following the pogroms in Kishinev, Gomel and other towns throughout 1903, many who settled in Western Pennsylvania joined Beth Zedeck. With the help of this increased membership, Beth Zedeck attempted to raise funds for a new synagogue. The congregation purchased a lot on Fulton Street in 1904 for $4,200, using Harry H. Berman of the Merchants Savings and Trust Co. as a broker, but the synagogue was never constructed. The more recent members broke away from Beth Zedeck in 1905 to form Beth David Congregation. Beth Zedeck and Beth David merged in 1906 to create Shaaray Tefillah Congregation, which was known as the “Russian Shul.”