Visionary devoted her life to the Jewish education of children
Roslyn “Roz” Rosenblatt filled many roles in her life — mother, grandmother, mentor, social worker and teacher. But, above all, she was a visionary.
“My mom was living the life of a ‘modern woman’ before the term existed,” said Ms. Rosenblatt’s son, David Rosenblatt, 53, of Tenafly, N.J. “She made a very independent decision to move away from everything she knew to build a life that she had a specific vision for. At that time, a mother who had her own career was not the norm.”
The 84-year-old mother of four from Squirrel Hill died Monday after a long battle with lung cancer but not before touching the lives of many who knew her and even some who didn’t.
Ms. Rosenblatt grew up in Montreal, Quebec, the daughter of the late Aaron and Chane Kornbluth. She attended McGill University in Montreal, earning bachelor’s degrees in education and sociology and a master’s degree in social work.
It was during her time as a social worker for the Jewish Family and Children’s Services of Montreal that her life took an unexpected turn. She was set up on a blind date with Harvey Ben Rosenblatt, who proposed to her less than a week later.
“My father was quite persistent and romanced her,” David Rosenblatt said. “He knew a good thing when he saw it.”
An engineer with U.S. Steel in Pittsburgh, Harvey Rosenblatt persuaded his future wife to leave her family and her country for love.
“It was a dramatic change,” David Rosenblatt said. “Back then, Pittsburgh was known as a polluted steel town. The decision to marry him and move away was impulsive.”
The couple married in July 1957 and made their home in Squirrel Hill. Ms. Rosenblatt began a job as a social worker with the Pittsburgh office of the Jewish Family and Children’s Services, but it didn’t last long — starting a family forced her to give it up.
“They said she could come back after her kids were 2 years old,” Mr. Rosenblatt said of requirements at the time that prohibited new mothers from working at some jobs. “She was hearing none of that, so she took that opportunity to focus on Jewish education.”
Ms. Rosenblatt embarked on a career as a religious educator, first as assistant principal at B’nai Israel school, then to Beth Shalom, where she served as principal for the synagogue’s early learning center.
“Her life was about preparing the next generation” in the Jewish faith, her son said. “She had a really big impact on so many young people.”
“She was as good a face of what Jewish education could and should be in the 20th century as any synagogue would be proud to have,” said Stephen Steindel, rabbi emeritus of Congregation Beth Shalom, who knew Ms. Rosenblatt for almost 40 years. “She was a creative, engaging educator.”
And, she was a good friend, remembered Dodie Roskies of Oakland.
“She was like an older sister to me,” said Ms. Roskies, who also moved to the area from Montreal. “I think one of the most striking things about her was her genuine intelligence and her practicality.”
By 1984, Ms. Rosenblatt parlayed her people skills into a job as executive director of the PPG Industries Foundation, the nonprofit arm of PPG Industries.
“She was always forwardthinking,” recalled Sue Sloan, who took over as executive director after Ms. Rosenblatt’s retirement in 1999.
Ms. Rosenblatt brought fresh ideas, initiatives and a culture of progressiveness to the foundation, said Ms. Sloan, who cited a program with Langley High School students.
“Back then, lots of corporate foundations started partnering with schools for tutoring and mentoring programs,” Ms. Sloan recalled. “But Roz took it a step further and started a scholarship program for the students. We formed real relationships with the students versus just popping into their lives.”
Similarly, she developed a program for underprivileged minority students with an interest in chemistry to connect with PPG employees as proteges and interns.
“PPG hired a number of those students as a result,” Ms. Sloan said. “Finding good talent in STEM students was a challenge, and still is.”
Ms. Rosenblatt helped her colleague in more personal ways, too.
“She was my mentor and I can’t tell you how much I learned from her,” said Ms. Sloan, who credits Ms. Rosenblatt with persuading her to return to college to earn a degree. “My daughter likes to say that Roz didn’t just change my life, she changed my whole family’s life.”
Ms. Rosenblatt was preceded in death by her husband, in 1995.
In addition to her son David, Ms. Rosenblatt is survived by another son, Alan Israel Rosenblatt of Chicago; daughters Donna Beth Horowitz of Chicago and Susan Gail Rosenblatt of Squirrel Hill; brothers Martin Kornbluth of Toronto and Seymour Kornbluth of Montreal; and 11 grandchildren.
Visitation is from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. Wednesday at Ralph Schugar Chapel Inc., 5509 Centre Ave. in Shadyside followed by the funeral then interment at Beth Shalom Cemetery. Contributions may be made to the Roslyn and Harvey Rosenblatt Family Fund at http://pittsburghfoundation.