The Concordia Club was an elite Jewish social club. It was founded in 1874 by a group of Jewish men, of predominately German origin, who were mostly living in Allegheny City. The club initially rented a house at 45 Stockton Street before purchasing the property and erecting larger facilities on the site. The clubhouse hosted elaborate social events, smaller private functions and events of communal importance. At a meeting held at the Concordia Club in 1885, the Central Conference of American Rabbis adopted the Pittsburgh Platform, which remained a guiding document for Reform Judaism for nearly 50 years. As the membership of the Concordia Club moved to the eastern neighborhoods of the city in the early 20th century, the clubhouse also relocated, dedicating new facilities on O’Hara Street, in the Schenley Farms district of Oakland, in late 1913. The Concordia Club disbanded in 2009 and sold its clubhouse to the University of Pittsburgh. (Source: Senator John Heinz History Center)
The Soldiers and Sailors auditorium seats over 2300 people. The 78-ft. wide stage features sculpted eagles atop ornate rows of columns beneath the largest known hand-painted canvas version of Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address. The intricately designed original Henry Hornbostel ceiling boasts dazzling lights.
