Documents

There are mainly speeches, programs, deeds, and newspaper articles here. You can read through these items in chronological order, or you can look at the collections I’ve assembled for the earliest community history; the building of the first synagogue and the fire that destroyed it; the second synagogue that stands to this day; the thirtieth, fortieth, and fiftieth anniversaries of the congregation; and the closing of the synagogue and its aftermath.

89 sets of documents so far... and much more to come!

Confirmation Exercises, 1960

Program for the 1960 confirmation exercises at the synagogue.

Confirmation Exercises, 1966

Program for the confirmation exercises for the synagogue’s class of 1966.

Sisterhood’s 61st Anniversary Dinner

The program from the 61st anniversary dinner of the Sisterhood.

Confirmation Exercises, 1967

Program from the confirmation exercises for the synagogue’s class of 1967.

Invitation Letter to 75th Anniversary Dinner

President of the shul Jerome Schwartz and President of the Sisterhood Mrs. Bernard Stein invited everyone to the 75th anniversary dinner.

Program from the 75th Anniversary Dinner

“It is our hope that, although in numbers we may have suffered, the flame and spirit of the Congregation and the Sisterhood will continue to live and prosper.”

The Jewish Chronicle’s Two-Part Series on HHCRS After It Closed

These articles celebrate the history and the legacy of Homestead’s synagogue and spell out the community’s preservation plans.

Oral History Articles 1993-4

As the Homestead oral history project proceeded, the Jewish archives sent out a few press releases publicizing their progress.

Beth Shalom Fire

The congregation took such care in donating its Judaica and Torahs to a synagogue where they’d be used and loved, but when Man plans, G-d laughs…

Burying the Torahs

A couple months after the fire, the Homestead Hebrew Torahs were buried. The installation of the grave marker took another 12 years.

New Americans in 21st century Homestead

Homestead became a home for Jews who left the Soviet Union in the early 1990s, but they didn’t receive a warm welcome.

List of Rabbis

The definitive list of rabbis who served Homestead Hebrew Congregation from 1894-1977.

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