May 1951

Congregation established by a group of Jewish families seeking to bring the beauty and spirit of Reform Judaism to Pittsburgh’s South Hills.

1951-1953

Congregants met in homes, schools, and churches

1954

Purchased land along Bower Hill Road in Mt. Lebanon

1954

• Groundbreaking and original first floor constructed as part of first phase
• Designed by renowned synagogue architect Percival Goodman

1960

Additional land purchased for the synagogue

1960

Groundbreaking and second floor constructed, including Sanctuary and Social Hall

1960-1990

Grew to about 600 member families. As our membership has grown, so too has our building.

1990

Due to renovations, the building became fully accessible to persons with physical challenges.

2001

• 50 year anniversary of Temple Emanuel
• Article published in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette about the groundbreaking ceremony for the next big renovation

2002

$3.6 million expansion of religious, educational, and social spaces

• Designed by architect, Temple member, and past president Dan Rothschild
• Organized around two projecting wings: one wing contains classrooms and learning spaces; the other a chapel, library and community room. A courtyard is formed between the two wings.
• Completed a new library, Community Room, Youth Lounge, Women of Reform Judaism room, and eight additional classrooms for the religious school.
• Renovated and updated preschool classrooms.

2003

Dedication of the focal point of the project, a second inspirational prayer space, the Beit HaT’filah, which is filled with Judaic symbols.

2013

Temple Emanuel is one of the 36 congregations chosen for Pittsburgh Prays, which highlights the most notable houses of prayer in our region

• Temple Emanuel is the only one with a contemporary design; all the others are historic buildings
• An excerpt adapted from the book talks about the “revolutionary round prayer space”

2015

Updated virtual door to synagogue with new website

2020

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Temple thought creatively about how to reach our community through live-streamed services, lifecycle events shared on Zoom, hybrid class offerings and more which we continue to this day.