The Jewish Encyclopedia
of Western Pennsylvania
A project of the Rauh Jewish Archives at the Heinz History Center
The Council Lounge for Older People was a recreation center for the elderly.
The National Council of Jewish Women-Pittsburgh Section developed the idea of a recreational center for older people in the mid-1940s, under the direction of Dorothy Hast Blumenthal. To generate funds for the project, NCJW raffled off a car in 1946. Having recently visited a similar facility in the Bronx, Bessie Anathan was interested in the concept and purchased 500 tickets at the raffle to support the undertaking. The Council Lounge for Older People opened on the second floor of 5824 Forbes Ave. in June 1949.
The Council Lounge for Older People had professional staff as well as volunteer assistance. It was initially open weekdays from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. for anyone over 60 to congregate for games, music, television, refreshments, and conversation. In the early 1960s, it became part of the NCJW’s new Anathan House at 1620 Murray Ave.