Rodef Shalom
Friday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Recent endeavor found a humble narrator on a tour of Pittsburgh’s Rodef Shalom Synagogue. The photo above was gathered back during the winter, as for one reason or another (mainly, it was raining), a similar shot of the entire building wasn’t gathered during on the day of the tour, which was offered by the Doors Open Pittsburgh outfit.
For the history, and origin story, of this amazing religious building located in Pittsburgh’s Oakland section (nearby UPITT and Carnegie Mellon) click here for the story as directly offered by the congregation.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
To start, my fascination with this building was whetted first by its capacity – it’s designed to seat 1,300 people! Secondly, it’s more or less where the ‘Reform’ tradition of Judaism was codified. Thirdly, it’s one of Henry Hornbostel’s many landmarks, along with the Manhattan Bridge back home on the East River.
Our guide described several contributors to the building with familiar names which rang bells in this ex New Yorker’s ears. Guastivino Tile, terra cotta works in New Jersey’s Red Bank… it felt like I was hearing a lecture about Queensboro Bridge, or the original City Hall Subway Station, as all those names were spoken.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
As is my habit, the first thing I did after arriving was to have a chat with the security guard and let him know I was a part of the next ticketed group. Next, I walked the perimeter of the property and got a few outside shots. Pictured above is a biblical garden, wherein all of the plantings are vegetable speciations specifically mentioned in the what the Goyem would call the ‘Old Testament,’ but which we members of the English speaking member of the tribe simply call ‘The Bible.’
As to why I checked in with the guard… The Tree of Life mass shooting has forced synagogues (and mosques) in Pittsburgh to take security very seriously. Many cameras, emergency police call buttons, and armed guards are now a part of visiting a Shul here. That sucks. Thereby, if what you’re doing could be considered suspicious, it’s best to let the powers that be know that you’re not getting up to any malarkey.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
The Doors Open tour got started and the Synagogue’s archivist, dubbed Martha, spoke about the history of the congregation(s) who occupy the building. As mentioned, the place is cavernous. There’s a pipe organ, which is something I personally have never seen in a Shul.
Exceptional craftsmanship is apparent in the Rodef Shalom congregation room. The woodworking and fineness of the pew’s carpentry, in particular, grabbed my notice. The founders of this organization were from the south of what is now Germany, and their number included several people who worked as Cowboys at mid 19th century Pittsburgh’s local stock yards.
My familial forebears were part of the second and third waves of Jewish immigrants to this country, who hailed from the Slavic part of Europe and stayed in New York after finding work in the Garment Industry. The Pittsburgh founders of this institution spoke German and were likely citizens of the Austro Hungarian or Turkish Empires, whereas my ancestors spoke Yiddish, Polish, and Russian.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
The last time that I saw anything this grandiose in the ‘Jewish Catalog’ of Religious Buildings was at NYC’s Eldridge Street Synagogue. For a more local comparison to another Pittsburgh Synagogue check out this post about Poale Zedeck, which was visited on another Doors Open Pittsburgh tour back during the spring of this year.
This shot is from what used to be the ‘Ladies Section,’ which is set up on a balcony. Martha the archivist mentioned that there are three congregations identified with the modern institution. The actual Rodef Sholom one, an LGBTQ one, and one of the displaced congregant communities who used to be based at Tree of Life.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
There’s also a surfeit of stained glass. That one pictured above is set into the ‘oculus’ ring where the arches that form the dome meet. Floor to ceiling windows with elaborately rendered biblical allegory woven into colored glass is also present. I’d love to get back in here sometime with a tripod, and the whole kit, to do a series of studied photos.
Guess it’s the right place to pray for that to come true, huh?
Back next week.
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Heavy and Light
Thursday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Back to a photo of CSX #916 in the shot above, which was mentioned in a post a couple of days ago. It ended up being the only train I’d get photos of this particular evening, while carousing at a bar nearby its right of way.
After several hours of quaffing beer, it was time to get back home. One settled his tab, and scuttled off to the T light rail to catch a ride back out to Dormont, where HQ is found, nestled amongst the South Hills region of Pittsburgh.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
While waiting for my chariot to arrive, this quartet of motorcycle enthusiasts caught my attention. Pennsylvania doesn’t have a helmet law for bikers, which is bizarre to an ex-New Yorker such as myself, who used to hang around a Manhattan Meat Market bar frequented by Hells Angel and Pagan alike (no ‘colors’ at the bar was the owner’s rule.)
It’s fairly routine to be driving along a PA. highway at 60-70 mph (speed limits are different here) and have some dude on a Harley road bike scream past you, with nothing protecting their head beyond sunglasses and a bandanna. Bold, I tell you. Bold.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Finally didst the T arrive, whereupon one surmounted the light rail for the ride back home. Luckily, the air conditioning onboard the T was going full blast, an atmospheric modularity sorely needed after having just spent several hours outside in August heat and humidity.
Back tomorrow with something utterly different – at this – your Newtown Pentacle.
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Used to be, once, long time ago
Wednesday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
As mentioned yesterday, a humble narrator was desirous of spending a night out on the town, and used mass transit to get to a bar which occupies a visually interesting location. The area which this particular establishment is found in is feature rich, so one planned in a two hour long scuttle, to exercise both the camera and myself, prior to settling down in front of a pint glass.
There’s lots of natural compositions to be had in this part of Pittsburgh, alongside the Monongahela River. Vehicle and rail bridges, lots of industrial activity… that sort of stuff.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
As you’re reading this, Our Lady and myself are barricaded in the house back in Dormont. Today is the anniversary of the ‘Pittsburgh Incident’ of 1968. A documentary film about the regional tragedy was made available to the public in October of that year, one which is now in the public domain, and you can watch it at this YouTube link.
This is a solemn night in Pittsburgh, and the tradition here is to board up your windows in remembrance and to stay up all night with a loaded gun on your lap until dawn. The Pittsburgh Incident of 1979, aka the Monroeville Incident, is seldom discussed hereabouts as it started at dawn and led into a fairly lousy day.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Brrr. One found a comfortable spot at the brewery’s outside seating and settled in for a few drinks. Conversation with a fellow patron ended up consuming several hours of merrymaking, and many pints of the brewery’s offerings were consumed.
That’s the T light rail passing over the Panhandle Bridge, incidentally. Back tomorrow.
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Light and heavy
Tuesday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
A recreational night out was recently on my agenda, so a quick trip on Pittsburgh’s Light Rail service – dubbed ‘The T’ – carried me to the south side of the Monongahela River and the figurative center zone of the City. I was heading back to a certain brewery located alongside CSX’s (street grade heavy rail) Pittsburgh Subdivision tracks, where I had photographed an absolute parade of trains during a prior visit. The beer is pretty good there, too.
Despite my better judgement, I’ve started reading up on the history of Pittsburgh’s public transit services. Saying that, I absolutely refuse to become historically literate about the thing. No. J’ refuse.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
The neighborhood surrounding my destination is the sort of place I feel most comfortable in; industrial, desolate, broken pavement, heavy truck traffic, homeless encampments, etc. This spot has garnered a lot of my interest in recent weeks, as it is fascinating visually.
It’s also a spot where you definitively want to be wearing a hat in the late afternoon, as the burning thermonuclear eye of god itself radiates directly upon you with virtually zero vegetation blocking its influence.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
A few people have asked why I don’t find a schedule for trying to catch shots of passing trains like the one above, here in Pittsburgh. First off, there isn’t one – or at least there isn’t one which is publicly available. Secondly, my observation of the situation reveals that what controls the frequency of rail traffic here are the shift changes and industrial needs of the nearby steel mills, which is where the rail traffic is concentrated, and that’s a subject which I have near total ignorance of.
That’s CSX #916. I’m told it’s a ‘ES44AH’ model, built by General Electric, and the engine produces 4,400 HP worth of motive juice. If you wish to be bored to tears reading about all the nuances which this model offers – click here.
Back tomorrow.
“follow” me on Twitter- @newtownpentacle
Buy a book!
“In the Shadows at Newtown Creek,” an 88 page softcover 8.5×11 magazine format photo book by Mitch Waxman, is now on sale at blurb.com for $30.
Artsy Fartsy at Carrie Furnace
Monday
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Finally, after getting soaked for a couple of hours at Pittsburgh’s Carrie Furnace, it stopped raining just after dusk. The other good news was that somebody is staging a play there, with lights and sound and the whole professional theatrical deal. The production had their stage lights on for the rehearsal, so I took advantage of some of the cast light they weren’t using for the shot above.
We were told, explicitly, by the Carrie Furnace people that we couldn’t shoot the stage or actors, nor record any of the score they were playing. Didn’t say anything about their light.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
As mentioned in prior posts, I was participating in a ‘Photo Safari’ at Carrie Furnace in Pittsburgh’s Swissvale section. The ruination of a 20th century steel plant, it was quite dark there. I was using a powerful LED flashlight I carry, to burst light out in the manner of a flash, which allowed me the illumination without the harsh shadows.
The camera was sitting atop a tripod, and longish exposures were indicated by the conditions.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
The atmosphere actually got worse after it rained, as a ground fog began lifting out of the soil. It wasn’t terribly ‘visible,’ but you definitely know that you were walking around in a cloud of 95% humidity. While driving home, the fog got pea soup thick. Driving home was… challenging.
The shots in today’s post are from the final hour I was at Carrie, and as previously stated: my intention was on using every single second second that I was on the property in a productive manner.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
Carefully picking my way along in the darkness, on rain slicked metal staircases and a muddy field, I worked a generally clockwise path back towards the entranceway as time grew short.
Most of the other photographers, and there were originally about 25 of us, had packed up their gear and left already. Maybe 5-7 of us stayed for the whole interval. To be fair, rain.
– photo by Mitch Waxman
A couple of last shots from my way out, which saw me change out the lens I’d been using for most of the day and replace it with one of my ‘night lens’ primes. I found a spot where I could put my bag down for a minute, and securely packed up all the gear.
I was pretty moist by this point, from the driving rain and the subsequent high humidity which triggered a full body shvitz. Wet socks, wet back, and I was still wearing the hard hat which you’re required to install upon yourself when on site. Feh!
– photo by Mitch Waxman
The last thing I saw there was the full moon rising in the distance. I will strive to find my way back to Carrie Furnace in the future. Super interesting spot, and a LOT of fun to photograph.
Pittsburgh is just so damn cool, yo.
“follow” me on Twitter- @newtownpentacle
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The Newtown Pentacle 