body
WHEREAS, Congregation Beth Shalom is an egalitarian, conservative Jewish synagogue community located in the heart of Squirrel Hill. Started in September of 1917 when 35 families gathered for prayer, the group planned for future Jewish movement to the area by forming a congregation that would uphold Jewish tradition and offer the Jewish community quality religious, educational and communal opportunities; and,
WHEREAS, the Sisterhood Auxiliary was formed in 1917, a Hebrew School and the naming of the Congregation took shape in 1919 and ground was broken for a new building on the corner of Beacon and Shady Avenue in Squirrel Hill in 1922. The Men's Club was organized and cemetery grounds were purchased in 1925. On the occasion of its 50th year, Congregation Beth Shalom once again identified expansion as a priority to deliver services to its congregants and a major expansion that included a new sanctuary, a small chapel, a children and adult libraries, a school, a youth lounge, a gift shop, a ballroom and a kosher kitchen were completed in 1970; and,
WHEREAS, after a devastating fire in 1996, the congregation expanded again, rededicating the sanctuary and adding a Pre-School Wing in addition to other worship, educational and common spaces; and,
WHEREAS, to celebrate their Centennial year in 2017, Congregation Beth Shalom will be hosting a yearlong salute themed, "Celebrating the Warmth of the Past and the Light of the Future" which will include a Centennial Luncheon in April and Centennial Gala in November. Both events will showcase the traditional and egalitarian practices of Congregation Beth Shalom that engages with social trends to maintain both a relationship with the Jewish past while creating an inclusive Jewish future; and,
title
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Council of the City of Pittsburgh does hereby commend and congratulate Congregation Beth Shalom on its 100th year of service to the Conservative Jewish community in Pittsburgh; an...
Click here for full text