Towns

These exhibits present the histories of Jewish communities in small towns throughout Western Pennsylvania. Starting in the late 19th century and through much of the 20th century, many of the hundreds of towns in this region had Jewish communities. Some were large enough to support congregations and organizations. Others had only a few Jewish families. By the beginning of the 21st century, most had disappeared. The following exhibits are the beginning of a larger effort to document those communities.

These exhibits were made possible through the generous support of Beth Israel Center in Jefferson Hills, B'nai B'rith Warren Roy Laufe Lodge No. 903, the Fine Foundation, the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh, the Hon. & Mrs. Lawrence W. Kaplan, the PNC Charitable Trust, Temple Hadar Israel in New Castle, and the Youngstown Area Jewish Federation.