A History of Pittsburgh and Its Jewish Community 1840- 1915. Pittsburgh has been called Hell with the Lid On and Hell with the Lid Off. It was a city rich in contrasts and rich in its history. And amid the swirling currents that made up the vibrant flow of the city's life, navigated the Jews, an immigrant group that began settling in the region in the 1840s. They might not have rivaled the likes of Carnegie and Frick, but they had their own movers and shakers. Come meet A. Leo Weil who battled municipal corruption and graft, the Kaufmann brothers of department store fame, Barney Dreyfuss who lauanched the Pittsburgh Pirates, Bertha Rauh, community service volunteer extraordinaire, and a whole host of others who made their contribution to the development of the town. And get some insight into the development of the Jewish community, the in-fighting between the various elements in the community, the passion of the early Zionists, the trials of being a Jewish minority in a conservative Christian community, the struggle to be accepted, the commitment to the larager community. The book is a book that highlights the major role Pittsburgh played in the larger American constellation and the contribution that its Jewish community made to that development. Over ten years in the making the book draws on oral history interviews and a whole assortment of archival collections and books. The book weaves an intertaining and informative tale that all Pittsburghers and those who care about Pittsburgh can relish and enjoy.