Built in the 1980s by Rabbi Walter Jacob and his wife, Irene, the garden brings biblical history to life through a colorful arrangement of flora, pools of running water, and plaques inscribed with bible verses. With unique attractions and educational programming every summer, the garden is not only a vital part of Jewish life in the city, but a center for interfaith collaboration and unity in Pittsburgh.
Tag: Synagogue
Kehilat Sfarad Congregation
Kehilat Sfarad Congregation is the only Sephardic Jewish congregation in Pittsburgh. It began as a group of 10 men of Egyptian, Moroccan, Israeli, Greek, and Iranian heritage. Some of the congregants are also Mizrahi Jews, or Jews of Middle Eastern descent. As opposed to Ashkenazi Jews whose ancestors hail from Europe, Sephardic Jews’ ancestors were expelled from Spain and moved to places such as what once was the Ottoman Empire and countries in North Africa.
#HeartsTogether Tree of Life Exhibit
The #HeartsTogether display is a digital catalog of all the art submissions sent to Tree of Life Or L’Simcha Congregation in Pittsburgh, PA in the wake of the October, 2018 mass shooting that took place there. This exhibit is part of the outpouring of support sent to Pittsburgh and the Jewish community affected by the attack.
The Poale Zedeck/ Beth Jacob Torah
Though the Jewish community in Duquesne did not survive the breakdown of the steel industry, the Torah continues to serve as a reminder of the history of the Jews of Duquesne.
Adat Shalom/B’Nai Israel Torah Scrolls
The story of the B’nai Israel Torah scrolls which have been adopted by Adat Shalom is representative of a larger narrative about Pittsburgh Jews. In the years after World War II, the suburbs offered middle-class Americans the opportunity to start a new life outside of the nation’s urban centers. Upwardly-mobile American Jews flocked to the suburbs in the middle of the twentieth century and faced the challenge of rebuilding their faith community outside of the urban core. The preservation of the B’nai Israel scrolls (as well as other Judaica) indicates the determination of the community to rebuild, and the dedication to their faith, tradition, and roots.