Temple B'nai Israel (White Oak) Confirmation Class (1915)
The Jewish Encyclopedia
of Western Pennsylvania
A project of the Rauh Jewish Archives at the Heinz History Center
Temple B’nai Israel was organized in 1912 as the first liberal Jewish congregation in McKeesport, Pa. The congregation purchased property on Shaw Avenue in 1914 and dedicated a new synagogue at the site in 1923. The congregation acquired six acres at the Elrod Cemetery in 1915. Temple B’nai Israel eventually affiliated with the Reform movement. McKeesport is the second-largest Jewish community in Western Pennsylvania outside Pittsburgh but saw a population drain in the late 20th century. Temple B’nai Israel sold its Shaw Avenue synagogue in 2000 and acquired the Tree of Life-Sfard synagogue building in White Oak, Pa. The Tree of Life-Sfard Synagogue was created in 1973 through the merger of Tree of Life Congregation and Congregation Sfard.
Spiritual leaders of the congregation include Rabbi Joseph Zeisler (1912); Rabbi Louis Brav (1913); Rabbi Mussay A. Alstet (1915-1924); Cantor Egon Pesson (1924-1948); Rabbi Isador Rosenthal; Rabbi Albert T. Bulgray (1945-1948); Rabbi Wolli Kaelter (1949-1953); Rabbi Robert Raab (1954-1962); Rabbi Sidney I. Goldstein (1962-1969); Rabbi Leonard Winograd (1969-1988); Rabbi Philip Blachorsky (1988-1991); Rabbi Leonard A. Helman (1991-1993); Rabbi Daniel Schiff (1993-2009); Rabbi Paul Tuchman (2009-2020); Rabbi Howard Stein (2020-).
Presidents of the congregation include A.M Simon (1912); Frank R. S. Kaplan (1913-1923); Eugene Krow (1923-1934); S. H. Hirshberg Sr. (1934-1949); Charles Apter (1949-1950); David Rubenstein (1950-1952); M. A. Cowan (1952-1962); Harry L. Wechsler (1962-1964); Leonard Berkovitz (1964-166); Robert Coslov (1966-1968); Earl Benovitz (1968-1970); Bernard Goodman (1970-1972); Stanley G. Brown (1972-1974); Irene Wander (1974-1976); Scott Apter (1976-1978); Dr. Dan Spiegel (1978-1987); Reva Rack (1987-1990); Bernard Goodman (1990-1996); Louis Anstandig (1996-2008); Steve Mayer (2009); Dick Leffel (2009-2011); Louis Anstandig (2011-); Janice Greenwald (2011-); Lindi Kendal (2011-); Dick Leffel (2011-); Steve Mayer (2011-).
