Temple B'nai Israel Congregation (White Oak, Pa.)

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.

Temple B’nai Israel sold its Shaw Avenue synagogue in 2000 and acquired the Tree of Life-Sfard synagogue building in White Oak, Pa. Temple B’nai Israel sold the building in 2025 and formally closed.

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 (visiting); 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 (2020-2025).

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. Daniel 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 (2012-).

Bibliography

Rauh Jewish Archives

Temple B’nai Israel (White Oak, Pa.) Records and Photographs [MSS 1212].
Temple Talk: the bulletin of Temple B’nai Israel (catalog record).
Temple B’nai Israel welcomes you to a once in a lifetime 100th anniversary dinner celebration (catalog record).
Temple B’nai Israel diamond jubilee year, 75th anniversary, 1912-1987 (catalog record).
Temple B’nai Israel cookbook in memory of Evelyn S. Kaplan (catalog record).
Gemilas Chesed Congregation (White Oak, Pa.) Records [MSS 1314].
McKeesport Jewish Community Records, 1881-1987 [MFF 285] (catalog record).

University of Pittsburgh

Samuel Goldstein oral history (catalog record).
Fanny Gart Schwartz oral history (catalog record).
Laibe Kessler oral history (catalog record).