Rodef Shalom

From the street view of Fifth Avenue in Shadyside, the massive green dome of Rodef Shalom can be spotted peeking through the treetops. Shadyside is a tranquil, family-oriented neighborhood just a few blocks from the bustling college life of Oakland. Founded in the 1840s, Rodef Shalom is the oldest Jewish congregation in Pittsburgh. 

The congregation has a vibrant and rich history of interacting with the community. The temple boasts the only time a sitting president has given a speech from the pulpit on the day of the Sabbath. President Taft visited the congregation on May 29th, 1909. In addition, the temple helped to found the Irene Kaufmann settlement house, which provided early education, healthcare, and services to the surrounding immigrant community.

The congregation has had three homes in its history, as they had to move as the size of the congregation grew. The current building was finished in 1907. Because of Rodef Shalom’s long history, its buildings have had many different architectural designs. In the early 20th century, as the current building’s designs were underway, electrical infrastructure was installed in the temple, before the rest of Pittsburgh had access to it. The most obvious place to see the electrical infrastructure is on the hanging light fixtures in the sanctuary, which were put in place to be electrified after completion of the building.

Rodef Shalom is also home to one of the three biblical gardens in the U.S. The garden was created by a retired Rabbi of the temple who still maintains it to this day. The garden has all of the plants featured in the Bible. There are plaques next to each plant providing the passage of the bible they are mentioned in. The temple is also the home of the oldest Kimball organ. 

The temple and the congregation have always been involved with the surrounding community. The woman’s club of Rodef Shalom hosts a bridge tournament every week. The building is also home to a private library, an archive collection, and a preschool. When the public school system was first instituted in Pittsburgh, Jewish students were discriminated against. In response, Rodef Shalom started their own school and the Rabbi even helped to write some of the textbooks. The congregation of Rodef Shalom has continued their philosophy of community involvement to this day. 

In the spring of 2014, a local theatre company, Quantum Theatre, took over the entire building for a few weeks to put on an immersive play. They transformed the building into the early 1920s and invited viewers to follow the actors throughout the performance.

The congregation welcomes people to come in and learn more about its history. They suggest calling ahead and scheduling a tour of the building. The architectural beauty of the building and its history has been exquisitely preserved. Rodef Shalom is a pillar of the community and will be that way for many years in the future.