Rauh Jewish Archives at the Heinz History Center
Herman “Mike” Goldman (d.1959) immigrated to Western Pennsylvania from Russia and became a supervisor at Western Union Telegraph. Belle Shapiro (1902-1979) immigrated to the region from Lithuania. Herman and Belle Goldman had a son, Kenneth Goldman (1922-2023). Kenneth was raised in the Hill District of Pittsburgh. He graduated from McKelvey School, Herron Hill Junior High School, and Fifth Avenue High School (1940). He graduated from Carnegie Tech with a degree in Metallurgical Engineering. After serving in the U.S. military during World War II, he earned a PhD from Carnegie Tech. He worked for the Bettis Atomic Power Plant until his retirement in 1989.
Kenneth Goldman married Betty Fay Pickholtz in 1951. Betty Pickholtz (1926-2019) was the daughter of Margaret (Rosenzweig) Pickholtz and Morris Pickholtz. She had two brothers, Lawrence and Robert. The family lived in the Highland Park neighborhood of Pittsburgh before moving to Squirrel Hill. Betty Pickholtz graduated from Colfax Elementary School and Allderdice High School and received Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in Education from the University of Pittsburgh. She taught at Beltzhoover School in the Beltzhoover neighborhood of Pittsburgh for four years before becoming a homemaker. Betty (Pickholtz) Goldman was also a local piano teacher and accompanist.
Kenneth Goldman and Betty (Pickholtz) Goldman had three children, Howard (1952), Ed (1955), and Morty (1959). The family were active members of Congregation Poale Zedeck.
Bibliography
- Kenneth and Betty Goldman Papers [MSS 1269] (catalog record).
- Congregation Poale Zedeck bibliography (online).
Exhibit history
- Author: Eric Lidji
- Original: February 2, 2026
- Current: February 2, 2026