Herman and Rebecca Fineberg in Israel
The Jewish Encyclopedia
of Western Pennsylvania
A project of the Rauh Jewish Archives at the Heinz History Center
The Jewish National Fund-Pittsburgh Council was established in 1925 as a central entity for Zionist fundraising in the tri-state region around Pittsburgh. The council emerged from more than two decades of efforts to unite the many Zionist organizations in the region into common cause. The Zionist Council of Pittsburgh served a central role from 1906 to 1916, followed by the Jewish National Fund Committee of the Brandeis Camp from 1916 to 1918, and the Central National Fund Committee from 1918 through 1925.[1]“The Jewish National Fund in Pittsburgh,” Pittsburgh Tri-State Pinkas, Jewish National Fund of America, Pittsburgh Council and Tri-State Region, 1949 (online—Historic Pittsburgh).
The first major initiative of the JNF-Pittsburgh Council came in 1926, when it was given the proceeds of the sale of the Zionist Institute building to establish the “Pittsburgh Nachla” in the Valley of Jezreel. The following year, the JNF-Pittsburgh Council organized a celebration of the 25th Jubilee of the Jewish National Fund, held at the Carnegie Music Hall in Oakland in June 1927. The event raised more than $4,000 through subscriptions to the JNF-Pittsburgh Council Golden Book.[2]“The Jewish National Fund in Pittsburgh,” Pittsburgh Tri-State Pinkas, Jewish National Fund of America, Pittsburgh Council and Tri-State Region, 1949 (online—Historic Pittsburgh). Over its existence, the JNF-Pittsburgh Council became best known for running the Jewish National Fund’s “blue box” charity campaign in Western Pennsylvania, for overseeing regional implementation of its Trees of Israel program, and for hosting the Tree of Life dinner.
At its peak, the Jewish National Fund had community representatives in many small towns throughout the region. In the 2020s, the local office was located in Congregation Beth Shalom. Following restructuring in 2016, Jewish National Fund operations in Western Pennsylvania were administered through its Midwest office in Minneapolis.[3]Tabachnick, Toby. “JNF restructuring brings ‘excitement, enthusiasm’,” Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle, March 2, 2016 (online-Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle).
Presidents and directors of the JNF-Pittsburgh Council include Max Engelberg (1925-1931) and Israel Safyan (1931-?), Dr. M. B. Lichtenstein, Oscar Robins (1939-1942), Nathan Savage, Judge Henry Ellenbogen, Adrienne Indianer, and Amy Cohen.
References
| ↑1, ↑2 | “The Jewish National Fund in Pittsburgh,” Pittsburgh Tri-State Pinkas, Jewish National Fund of America, Pittsburgh Council and Tri-State Region, 1949 (online—Historic Pittsburgh). |
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| ↑3 | Tabachnick, Toby. “JNF restructuring brings ‘excitement, enthusiasm’,” Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle, March 2, 2016 (online-Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle). |
