The Jewish Encyclopedia
of Western Pennsylvania
A project of the Rauh Jewish Archives at the Heinz History Center
Jeanette Ruth Jena (1896-1971) was an art critic for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. She was born Jeanette Einstein in Kittanning, Pa., one of four children of Jacob R. Einstein and Augusta (Cohen) Einstein. She was active at Rodef Shalom Congregation as a child. She graduated from Vassar College in 1917 as a member of Phi Beta Kappa. She returned to the Pittsburgh area after graduation and married Dr. Milton Jena of Pittsburgh in 1921 or 1922.
Jena worked in advertising at Hornes Department Store before starting a career in journalism. She published book reviews in the Pittsburgh Press as early as 1927 and joined the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette as an art critic around 1935. For the next 35 years, she was an institution in the local art world—admired by readers and by artists. A group of more than 100 regional artists jointly presented her with a “distinguished service award” at a meeting of the Associated Artists of Pittsburgh in 1966. The citation read, in part, “For her untiring efforts in increasing public connoisseurship; in helping focus civic awareness of the arts; and in discovering, encouraging and guiding so many artists of this region.” She retired from the Post-Gazette in 1969 and was succeeded by Donald Miller.