Cambridge Springs

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The borough of Cambridge Springs, Pa. became a popular vacation destination in the 1890s, after a local mineral spring was developed in 1884 and the Hotel Rider was built in 1895. More than forty hotels were eventually built in that section of Crawford County.

Although the borough never had an independent Jewish community, it became home to several Jewish-owned establishments, including the Highland, the Shady Rest, the Hotel Bone, the National Hotel, the Vienna Hotel, the Pennsylvania Hotel, Cohen’s Hotel and Friedman Hotel. Some of these hotels were strictly kosher, and most regularly advertised in Jewish newspapers in Pittsburgh. Cambridge Springs was a popular vacation destination for Jewish travelers from Pittsburgh starting in the early 20th century and lasting into the 1950s, and even for a time rivaled Atlantic City.

Cambridge Springs was also home to Alliance College, which was founded in 1912 as an institute of higher education for Polish-speaking immigrants. The college closed in 1988 and was revived in spirit as the New Alliance College in Ambridge in the early 1990s.

For More Information

Charlotte Shapiro oral history (NCJW)

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Do you or family-member or friend have roots in the -area Jewish community? The Rauh Jewish History Program & Archives wants to tell your story! We are seeking material related to Jewish life, including:

• Personal papers & artifacts (letters, photographs and mementos, ritual objects and household items, signs, placards and uniforms)
• Institutional records & artifacts (e.g.: papers and objects from congregations, social services, fraternal organizations, youth groups and other communal organizations)
• To learn more and/or donate materials, please contact Eric Lidji, director of the Rauh Jewish History Program & Archives, by email at [email protected], or by phone at 412-454-6406

For general guidelines on how to contribute to our holdings, visit our collection donation page.