Beth El Congregation of the South Hills

Beth El Congregation of the South Hills is a Conservative congregation in Scott Township, Pa. It was founded in 1917 in the Beechview neighborhood of Pittsburgh after a wave of outward migration from the Hill District to neighboring communities.

Upon her move to the Beechview area, Rebecca Ruderman founded the Jewish Mothers’ Club of Beechview with the primary goal of organizing a formal religious school for the Jewish children of the neighborhood. The school first met in vacant stores before settling in a rented hall in the Boylan Building. The school was solely funded by the Mothers’ Club with the intention of purchasing a house to convert into a Jewish Community Center.

At the same time, the men of the community were gathering for prayer and High Holiday services in the same spaces as the school. Also aware of the need for a permanent school, the men gathered at the home of Abraham Zober to organize an Orthodox congregation. The Beechview Hebrew Congregation Beth El obtained its charter in 1919.

After years of fundraising, Beth El purchased adjoining lots at 1910 Broadway Avenue in 1920 to build their first synagogue. The congregation broke ground in 1926 and was dedicated a year later with Rabbi Joshua Weis serving as its first spiritual leader.

In 1950, Beth El joined the Conservative movement. As the congregation continued to grow in the ‘50s, dues were increased, a portable gift shop was opened, and a junior congregation was started. In the 1953, the Mothers’ Club was renamed the Beth El Sisterhood. By the late ‘50s, Beth El Congregation was at capacity and needed to expand. The congregation purchased land located on Cochran Road in Scott Township in 1961 and held its groundbreaking ceremony a year later.

The Beth El nursery school opened in 1973 with Avis Kotovsky serving as the school’s director.

Beth El’s membership grew from 130 families in 1962 to 300 by 1977 with 200 children having been educated in the religious school. Due to the growth in membership, Beth El again needed to expand and broke ground in 1977 with plans that included a separate sanctuary with over 300 seats, six classrooms, an enlarged kitchen, a youth lounge a permanent gift shop, a library, bridal suite/Sisterhood room, and offices. The expansion was completed in 1979.

In 1992, the congregation expanded its main sanctuary to be able to seat 1000 people. Also added was a handicap access, an amplification system and a large print siddurim.

Beth El Congregation was the victim of an antisemitic attack in 2000.

Spiritual leaders of the congregation include Joshua Weiss (1919-1922), Nathan Hurvitz (1925), Morris Haft (1944), Pinchus Miller (1945-1959), A. Irving Schnipper (1960), Kenneth Bromberg (1962-1969), Aaron Michelson (1970-1972), Stephen Steindel (1973-1983), Michael Gold (1984-1989), Kenneth Stern (1990-1995), Neal Scheindlin (1996-2001), Alex Greenbaum (2002-present), and Amy Greenbaum (2016-present).

Presidents of the congregation include Jacob Rosenson (1919), Isidore Marmorstein (1919), Abe Zober (1920), Jacob Siegel (1921-1922), S.C. Greenberg (1923-1924), Abe Sniderman (1944), Martin Sufrin (1947), Willie Siegel (1952-1953), Abe Cohen (1954-1955), Samuel Rudt (1956-1957), Howard Lazear (1958-1959), Abe Kimel (1960-1961), Mel Landow (1962-1963), Maurice Deul (1964-1965), Nathan Tabor (1966-1967), David Katz (1968-1969), Sidney Hoffman (1970-1971), Alvin Weinstein (1972-1973) Howard Minsky (1974-1975), Casey Neuman (1976-1977), Sam Balk (1978-1979), Alex Silverman (1980-1981), Ralph Schmeltz (1982-1983), Alvin Catz (1984-1985), Stuart Perilman (1986-1987), Judy Sufrin (1988-1989), Bette Balk (1990-1991), Salem Leaman (1992-1993), Carole Rubenstein (1994-1995), Sheila Catz (1996-1997), Sheila Schmeltz (1998-1999), Michael Syme (2000-2003), Sharon Moskowitz (2004-2007), Deborah Scheimer (2008-2009), Miles Kirshner (2010-2013), Andrew Schaer (2014-2015), and Cliff Spungen (2016-2017).

Bibliography

Rauh Jewish Archives

• Beth El Congregation of the South Hills Records [MSS 1380].
• Beth El Congregation Records [MFF 4996] (catalog record).
• Congregation Beth El (Beechview) photograph [PFF 0081] (catalog record).
• Beth El Congregation materials, from Corinne Azen Krause papers [MSS 113] (catalog record).
• Beth El Congregation materials, from Jewish Archival Survey [MSS 196] (catalog record).
• Beth El Congregation materials, from Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh Records [MSS 287] (catalog record).
• Beth El Congregation materials, from Gerald Sapir Papers and Photographs [MSS 775] (catalog record).
• Beth El Congregation materials, from Jewish Chronicle Records [MSS 906] (catalog record).
• Beth El Congregation materials, from Herbert Mandel Papers and Photographs [MSS 1353] (catalog record).
• Beth El Congregation materials, from Barbara Trellis Papers and Photographs [MSS 1345] (catalog record).
• National Council of Jewish Women, South Hills Branch oral history project [1999.0036] (catalog record).
• “The People of Beth El” [BM225 .P69 B43 P46] (catalog record).
• The Kol/Beth El Congregation [SERIAL] (catalog record).
• Calendar/Beth El Congregation of the South Hills [BM225. P69 B43] (catalog record).
• “Fishes, Knishes, and Other Tasty Dishes: Celebrating Generations of Beth El Recipes” [TX724. F52 2015] (catalog record).
• “Loving Spoonfuls” [TX724 .L68 2005] (catalog record).
• Bromberg, Kenneth obituary file (catalog record).

Exhibit History

• Author: Catelyn Cocuzzi
• Created: November 17, 2025
• Current: January 26, 2026