Solomon Schechter School (1)
The Jewish Encyclopedia
of Western Pennsylvania
A project of the Rauh Jewish Archives at the Heinz History Center
Solomon Schechter Day School was a Jewish day school in Pittsburgh associated with the national network of day schools affiliated with the Conservative movement.
Efforts to start a Solomon Schechter school in Western Pennsylvania began as early as 1971. At a conference of the Western Pennsylvania Region of the United Synagogue of America, National Director of Education Pesach Schindler delivered a talk titled, “The development of a Solomon Schechter Day School in Pittsburgh.” With the establishment of Community Day School the following year, the plan was delayed several years.
The Western Pennsylvania Region of the United Synagogue of America formed an ad hoc board in late 1980 to establish a Solomon Schechter Day School in the city. The board included representation from Beth El Congregation of the South Hills, Congregation Beth Shalom, B’nai Israel Congregation, Tree of Life Congregation, Beth Jacob Congregation in New Kensington and Parkway Jewish Center in Eastmont.
The local Solomon Schechter Day School began holding classes for kindergarten and first grade in September 1981 at Congregation Beth Shalom’s Halpern Center for Education with Lisa Steindel as school coordinator and Ruth Kraft Gumerman as educational director. The school soon relocated to Beth El Congregation of the South Hills.
Solomon Schechter Day School merged with Community Day School in 1988, and the combined school used the Community Day School facilities at the Hebrew Institute.
