Jewish history in Texas
Encyclopedia
Jewish Texans have been a part of the history of Texas since the first European
explorers arrived in the region in the 16th century. In 1990, there were around 108,000 adherents to Judaism
in Texas
. More recent estimates place the number at around 120,000.
Spanish Texas
did not welcome easily identifiable Jews, but they came in any case. Jao de la Porta
was with Jean Laffite at Galveston, Texas
in 1816, and Maurice Henry was in Velasco in the late 1820s. Jews fought in the armies of the Texas Revolution
of 1836, some with James Fannin
at Goliad, others at the Battle of San Jacinto
. Dr. Albert Levy became a surgeon to revolutionary Texan forces in 1835, participated in the capture of Bexar
, and joined the Texas Navy the next year. The first families were conversos and Sephardic Jews. Later settlers such as the Simon family, led by Alex Simon, came in the 1860s and contributed to the construction of synagogues and monuments such as the Simon Theatre
. B. Levinson, a Jewish Texan civic leader, arrived in 1861. Today the vast majority of Jewish Texans are descendants of Ashkenazi Jews
, those from central and eastern Europe whose families arrived in Texas after the Civil War or later.
Organized Judaism in Texas began in Galveston with the establishment of Texas' first Jewish cemetery
in 1852. By 1856 the first organized Jewish services were being held in the home of Galveston resident Isadore Dyer. These services would eventually lead to the founding of Texas' first and oldest Reform Jewish congregation, Temple B'nai Israel
, in 1868.
The first synagogue in Texas, Congregation Beth Israel of Houston, was founded in Houston in 1859 as an Orthodox congregation. However, by 1874 the congregation voted to change their affiliation to the fledgling Reform movement. The ensuing years were accompanied by the spread of Judaism throughout Texas. Temple Beth-El (San Antonio, Texas)
was founded in San Antonio in 1874, followed by Temple Emanu-El of Dallas
in 1875 and Brenham
's B'nai Abraham in 1885. Temple Beth-El is known as one of the state's more contemporary Reform Jewish congregations due to their very open support of the Jewish LGBT
community while B'nai Abraham, currently led by Rabbi Leon Toubin, is the state's oldest existing Orthodox synagogue.
Between 1907 and 1914 a resettlement program, known as the Galveston Movement
, was in operation to divert Jews fleeing Russia
and eastern Europe
away from the crowded East Coast
cities. Ten thousand Jewish immigrants passed through the port
city of Galveston during this era, approximately one-third the number who migrated to Palestine
during the same period. Henry Cohen
, the rabbi of B'nai Israel at the time, is credited with helping to found the Movement.
The Handbook of Texas
states that, "The formal preservation of the history of Texas Jewry goes back to Rabbi Henry Cohen of Galveston and Rabbi David Lefkowitz of Dallas, who set out to interview as many early settlers and their families as possible. They produced a historical account for the Texas
Centennial in 1936."
Joe Straus
, (born September 1, 1959), is the current Speaker
of the Texas House of Representatives
. Straus was elected Speaker on January 13, 2009 and is the first Jewish Speaker in Texas history.
More recently, prominent Jewish Texans include the late retailer Stanley Marcus
, longtime CEO of Neiman-Marcus based in Dallas, and Michael Dell
, founder and CEO of Dell Computer. Dell is also active in charity and civic affairs, including helping to fund the Dell Children's Hospital in Austin
and the Dell Diamond supporting the Round Rock Express
AAA professional baseball team owned by Nolan Ryan
and run by the Ryan family.
European ethnic groups
The ethnic groups in Europe are the various ethnic groups that reside in the nations of Europe. European ethnology is the field of anthropology focusing on Europe....
explorers arrived in the region in the 16th century. In 1990, there were around 108,000 adherents to Judaism
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
in Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. More recent estimates place the number at around 120,000.
History of Jewish Texans
Spanish Texas
Spanish Texas was one of the interior provinces of New Spain from 1690 until 1821. Although Spain claimed ownership of the territory, which comprised part of modern-day Texas, including the land north of the Medina and Nueces Rivers, the Spanish did not attempt to colonize the area until after...
did not welcome easily identifiable Jews, but they came in any case. Jao de la Porta
Jao de la Porta
João da Porta , along with his older brother Morin, was a Portuguese Jewish merchant important in the early settlement of the Texan coast....
was with Jean Laffite at Galveston, Texas
Galveston, Texas
Galveston is a coastal city located on Galveston Island in the U.S. state of Texas. , the city had a total population of 47,743 within an area of...
in 1816, and Maurice Henry was in Velasco in the late 1820s. Jews fought in the armies of the Texas Revolution
Texas Revolution
The Texas Revolution or Texas War of Independence was an armed conflict between Mexico and settlers in the Texas portion of the Mexican state Coahuila y Tejas. The war lasted from October 2, 1835 to April 21, 1836...
of 1836, some with James Fannin
James Fannin
James Walker Fannin, Jr. was a 19th-century U.S. military figure on the Texas Army and leader during the Texas Revolution of 1835–36...
at Goliad, others at the Battle of San Jacinto
Battle of San Jacinto
The Battle of San Jacinto, fought on April 21, 1836, in present-day Harris County, Texas, was the decisive battle of the Texas Revolution. Led by General Sam Houston, the Texian Army engaged and defeated General Antonio López de Santa Anna's Mexican forces in a fight that lasted just eighteen...
. Dr. Albert Levy became a surgeon to revolutionary Texan forces in 1835, participated in the capture of Bexar
Bexar
Bexar can refer to:*Bexar County, Texas, a county in the American state of Texas containing the city of San Antonio*Bexar, Alabama, a community in Marion County, Alabama in the United States...
, and joined the Texas Navy the next year. The first families were conversos and Sephardic Jews. Later settlers such as the Simon family, led by Alex Simon, came in the 1860s and contributed to the construction of synagogues and monuments such as the Simon Theatre
Simon Theatre
The Simon Theatre is a theater in Brenham, Texas. It was built by James Simon, designed by Houston architect Alfred C. Finn, and constructed in 1925...
. B. Levinson, a Jewish Texan civic leader, arrived in 1861. Today the vast majority of Jewish Texans are descendants of Ashkenazi Jews
Ashkenazi Jews
Ashkenazi Jews, also known as Ashkenazic Jews or Ashkenazim , are the Jews descended from the medieval Jewish communities along the Rhine in Germany from Alsace in the south to the Rhineland in the north. Ashkenaz is the medieval Hebrew name for this region and thus for Germany...
, those from central and eastern Europe whose families arrived in Texas after the Civil War or later.
Organized Judaism in Texas began in Galveston with the establishment of Texas' first Jewish cemetery
Jewish cemetery
A Jewish cemetery is a cemetery where members of the Jewish faith are buried in keeping with Jewish tradition....
in 1852. By 1856 the first organized Jewish services were being held in the home of Galveston resident Isadore Dyer. These services would eventually lead to the founding of Texas' first and oldest Reform Jewish congregation, Temple B'nai Israel
Temple B'Nai Israel
Temple B'Nai Israel is a historic synagogue at 401 W. Grand Street in Jackson, Tennessee.It was built in 1941 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2008.-References:...
, in 1868.
The first synagogue in Texas, Congregation Beth Israel of Houston, was founded in Houston in 1859 as an Orthodox congregation. However, by 1874 the congregation voted to change their affiliation to the fledgling Reform movement. The ensuing years were accompanied by the spread of Judaism throughout Texas. Temple Beth-El (San Antonio, Texas)
Temple Beth-El (San Antonio, Texas)
Temple Beth-El is a synagogue located in San Antonio, Texas. Originally founded in 1874, it is the oldest synagogue in South Texas. The current temple at the corner of Belknap and W. Ashby, just north of San Antonio Community College. Temple Beth-El is a Reform Jewish congregation, and a...
was founded in San Antonio in 1874, followed by Temple Emanu-El of Dallas
Temple Emanu-El of Dallas
Temple Emanu-El of Dallas, Texas was the first Reform Jewish congregation in North Texas, and is the largest synagogue in the South.- History :...
in 1875 and Brenham
Brenham, Texas
Brenham is a city in east-central Texas in Washington County, Texas, United States, with a population of 16,147 according to the 2009 census. It is the county seat of Washington County...
's B'nai Abraham in 1885. Temple Beth-El is known as one of the state's more contemporary Reform Jewish congregations due to their very open support of the Jewish LGBT
LGBT
LGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" people. In use since the 1990s, the term "LGBT" is an adaptation of the initialism "LGB", which itself started replacing the phrase "gay community" beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, which many within the...
community while B'nai Abraham, currently led by Rabbi Leon Toubin, is the state's oldest existing Orthodox synagogue.
Between 1907 and 1914 a resettlement program, known as the Galveston Movement
Galveston Movement
The Galveston Movement, also known as the Galveston Plan, was one immigration assistance program operated by several Jewish organizations between 1907 and 1914. The program worked to divert Jewish immigrants, fleeing Russia and eastern Europe, away from East Coast cities, particularly New York,...
, was in operation to divert Jews fleeing Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
and eastern Europe
Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe is the eastern part of Europe. The term has widely disparate geopolitical, geographical, cultural and socioeconomic readings, which makes it highly context-dependent and even volatile, and there are "almost as many definitions of Eastern Europe as there are scholars of the region"...
away from the crowded East Coast
East Coast of the United States
The East Coast of the United States, also known as the Eastern Seaboard, refers to the easternmost coastal states in the United States, which touch the Atlantic Ocean and stretch up to Canada. The term includes the U.S...
cities. Ten thousand Jewish immigrants passed through the port
Port
A port is a location on a coast or shore containing one or more harbors where ships can dock and transfer people or cargo to or from land....
city of Galveston during this era, approximately one-third the number who migrated to Palestine
Palestine
Palestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....
during the same period. Henry Cohen
Henry Cohen (rabbi)
Henry Cohen was a Jewish Texan rabbi who served Congregation B'nai Israel in Galveston, Texas from 1888 to 1952.-History in Galveston:...
, the rabbi of B'nai Israel at the time, is credited with helping to found the Movement.
The Handbook of Texas
Handbook of Texas
The Handbook of Texas is a comprehensive encyclopedia of Texas geography, history, and historical persons published by the Texas State Historical Association .-History:...
states that, "The formal preservation of the history of Texas Jewry goes back to Rabbi Henry Cohen of Galveston and Rabbi David Lefkowitz of Dallas, who set out to interview as many early settlers and their families as possible. They produced a historical account for the Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
Centennial in 1936."
Joe Straus
Joe Straus
Joseph R. Straus, III, known as Joe Straus , is the current Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives. He represents District 121, which comprises northeastern Bexar County, including part of San Antonio, Texas, and several surrounding communities...
, (born September 1, 1959), is the current Speaker
Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives
The Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives is the presiding officer of the Texas House of Representatives. The Speaker's main duties are to conduct meetings of the House, appoint committees, and enforce the Rules of the House...
of the Texas House of Representatives
Texas House of Representatives
The Texas House of Representatives is the lower house of the Texas Legislature. The House is composed of 150 members elected from single-member districts across the state. The average district has about 150,000 people. Representatives are elected to two-year terms with no term limits...
. Straus was elected Speaker on January 13, 2009 and is the first Jewish Speaker in Texas history.
More recently, prominent Jewish Texans include the late retailer Stanley Marcus
Stanley Marcus
Harold Stanley Marcus was an early president and later chairman of the board of the luxury retailer Neiman Marcus in Dallas, Texas, which his father and aunt had founded in 1907...
, longtime CEO of Neiman-Marcus based in Dallas, and Michael Dell
Michael Dell
Michael Saul Dell is an American business magnate and the founder, chairman and chief executive officer of Dell Inc. He is the 44th richest person in the world, with a net worth of US$14.6 billion in 2011, based primarily on the 243.35 million shares of Dell stock worth $3.5 billion that he owns,...
, founder and CEO of Dell Computer. Dell is also active in charity and civic affairs, including helping to fund the Dell Children's Hospital in Austin
Austin
Austin is the capital of the U.S. state of Texas.Austin may also refer to:-In the United States:*Austin, Arkansas*Austin, Colorado*Austin, Chicago, Illinois*Austin, Indiana*Austin, Minnesota*Austin, Nevada*Austin, Oregon...
and the Dell Diamond supporting the Round Rock Express
Round Rock Express
The Round Rock Express is a class Triple-A Pacific Coast League minor league baseball team in Round Rock, Texas, owned by RSR Sports and founded by Reid Ryan, son of Baseball Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan. The team is affiliated with the Texas Rangers, for whom Nolan Ryan serves as the president and...
AAA professional baseball team owned by Nolan Ryan
Nolan Ryan
Lynn Nolan Ryan, Jr. , nicknamed "The Ryan Express", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He is currently principal owner, president and CEO of the Texas Rangers....
and run by the Ryan family.
List of Jewish Texans
- Henri CastroHenri CastroHenri Castro , a Jewish Texan, was one of the most important empresarios of the Republic of Texas.-Early life:...
- David Lefkowitz (rabbi)David Lefkowitz (rabbi)Rabbi David Lefkowitz , an historic Texan rabbi, became Temple Emanu-El 's rabbi in 1920. He was rabbi until 1949, when he was replaced by Rabbi Levi Olan. He took a firm stance against the Ku Klux Klan. . The Perkins School of Theology houses the "Sadie and David Lefkowitz Collection of Judaica"...
- Henry Cohen (rabbi)Henry Cohen (rabbi)Henry Cohen was a Jewish Texan rabbi who served Congregation B'nai Israel in Galveston, Texas from 1888 to 1952.-History in Galveston:...
- Jacob De CordovaJacob De CordovaJacob De Cordova, , was the founder of the Jamaica Gleaner. He settled in Texas in 1839 and lived in Galveston. After living in Galveston, De Cordova moved to Houston, Texas where he was elected a Texas House of Representatives to the second Texas Legislature in the year 1847. DE CORDOVA, JACOB...
- Michael DellMichael DellMichael Saul Dell is an American business magnate and the founder, chairman and chief executive officer of Dell Inc. He is the 44th richest person in the world, with a net worth of US$14.6 billion in 2011, based primarily on the 243.35 million shares of Dell stock worth $3.5 billion that he owns,...
- Richard Kinky FriedmanKinky FriedmanRichard S. "Kinky" Friedman is an American Texas Country singer, songwriter, novelist, humorist, politician and former columnist for Texas Monthly who styles himself in the mold of popular American satirists Will Rogers and Mark Twain. He was one of two independent candidates in the 2006 election...
- Martin FrostMartin FrostJonas Martin Frost III is an American politician, who was the Democratic representative to the U.S. House of Representatives for Texas's 24th congressional district from 1979 to 2005.-Personal life:...
- Isaac Herbert KempnerIsaac Herbert KempnerIsaac H. Kempner, 1873 - August 1, 1967, was the founder of the Imperial Sugar Corporation and mayor of Galveston, Texas.-Early years:Kempner was born in 1873 in Cincinnati, Ohio. His father was a Polish Jewish immigrant and his mother was of the German Jewish Seinsheimer family from Cincinnati. ...
- Dr. Albert Levy
- David Spangler Kaufman
- Jimmy KesslerJimmy KesslerJames Lee "Jimmy" Kessler , the founder of the Texas Jewish Historical Society, is the first native Texan to serve as rabbi of Congregation B'nai Israel in Galveston, Texas.-History:Kessler was born in Houston, Texas...
- Olga Bernstein KohlbergOlga Bernstein KohlbergOlga Bernstein Kohlberg was a Jewish Texan philanthropist and founder of the first public kindergarten in Texas.- External links :*...
- Haymon KruppHaymon KruppHaymon Krupp, a Jewish Texan merchant and member of the Texas wildcatters, was born in Lithuania on March 14, 1874. In 1890 he immigrated to El Paso, Texas, where he worked in a dry-goods store and soon opened his own men's clothing store. He pioneered what is now El Paso's outdoor clothing...
- Abraham Cohen LabattAbraham Cohen LabattAbraham Cohen Labatt was a prominent pioneer of Reform Judaism in the United States in the 19th century, founding several early congregations. A Sephardic Jew, he was one of the organizers of the Reform congregation in Charleston in 1825. A few years later he moved to Charlotte, North Carolina...
- Rabbi Shimon LazaroffShimon LazaroffRabbi Shimon Lazaroff is the Texas Regional Director for Texas Friends of Chabad Lubavitch, Inc. and member of the board and executive committee of Agudas Chasidei Chabad...
- Herbert MarcusHerbert MarcusHerbert Marcus was one of the co-founders of Neiman Marcus, and later became its chief executive officer.Marcus was born in Kentucky but moved to Hillsboro, Texas after dropping out of high school to work and live near his brother Theodore, his three sisters and his parents...
- Lawrence Marcus
- Minnie Lichtenstein MarcusMinnie Lichtenstein MarcusMinnie Lichtenstein was born in Dallas in 1882. Her father Meyer Lichtenstein had immigrated from Königsberg, Germany and her mother Hattie Mittenthal had come from Russia via Peoria, Illinois. She married Herbert Marcus in 1902 and gave birth to the first of their four sons Stanley Marcus in 1905...
- Stanley MarcusStanley MarcusHarold Stanley Marcus was an early president and later chairman of the board of the luxury retailer Neiman Marcus in Dallas, Texas, which his father and aunt had founded in 1907...
- Abraham Lincoln NeimanAbraham Lincoln NeimanAbraham Lincoln "Al" Neiman was born on July 4, 1875 in Chicago, Illinois and raised in a Jewish orphanage in Cleveland, Ohio. He met his first wife Carrie Marcus Neiman in Dallas, Texas while they were working at A. Harris & Company...
- Carrie Marcus NeimanCarrie Marcus NeimanCarrie Marcus was born in Louisville, Kentucky to Jewish German immigrants Delia and Jacob Marcus. Jacob was a cotton broker and in 1895 the family followed a daughter to Hillsboro, Texas when she married a grocer there. Carrie moved with her family to Dallas, Texas in 1899 and married Abraham...
- Levi OlanLevi OlanRabbi Levi Arthur Olan was born in Cherkasy, Ukraine. From 1949 to 1970 he was Rabbi of Temple Emanu-El of Dallas, Texas. Prior to that, from 1929 to 1948, he was Rabbi of Temple Emanuel in Worcester, Massachusetts ....
- Rosanna Osterman
- Jao de la PortaJao de la PortaJoão da Porta , along with his older brother Morin, was a Portuguese Jewish merchant important in the early settlement of the Texan coast....
- Lois RoismanLois RoismanLois Roisman was an American philanthropist, playwright and poet.- Background :Lois Levin was a native of Fayetteville, Texas, and a graduate of the University of Oklahoma...
- Hyman Judah SchachtelHyman Judah SchachtelHyman Judah Schachtel was Senior Rabbi of Congregation Beth Israel of Houston from 1943 to 1975. From 1975-1990 He served as Rabbi Emeritus of Congregation Beth Israel of Houston He also served the Houston Jewish community as "rabbi-at-large" for the remainder of his life. On January 20, 1965,...
- ((Florence Shapiro))
- Simon family
- Samuel M. StahlSamuel M. StahlRabbi Samuel M. Stahl is rabbi emeritus of Temple Beth-El since 2002. Rabbi Stahl served the San Antonio, Texas Temple Beth-El for 26 years as its "Senior Rabbi." Previously, Rabbi Stahl served as a chaplain in the United States Army and as rabbi of Congregation B'nai Israel of Galveston, Texas...
- David E. SternDavid E. SternRabbi David Eli Stern is the senior rabbi at Temple Emanu-El of Dallas, the largest synagogue in the South/Southwest United States and the third-largest in the Union for Reform Judaism....
- Adolphus SterneAdolphus SterneNicholas Adolphus Sterne served three terms in the Texas House of Representatives and one term in the Texas State Senate. He immigrated to the United States from Germany in 1817, living in Louisiana for ten years...
- Matt StoneMatt StoneMatthew Richard "Matt" Stone is an American screenwriter, producer, voice artist, musician and actor, best known for being the co-creator of South Park along with creative partner and best friend, Trey Parker....
(born in HoustonHouston, TexasHouston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
but raised in Denver, Colorado) - Babe Schwartz
- Peter TarlowPeter TarlowRabbi Peter E. Tarlow has since 1983 been the executive director of Texas A&M Hillel. He is a scholar in the area of tourism safety, a consultant for the tourism industry, and the founder of "Tourism & More Inc." He works for the city of Arlington, Texas as a security consultant in preparation...
- Jacob Joseph TaubenhausJacob Joseph TaubenhausDr. Jacob Joseph Taubenhaus, born in Safed, Palestine on October 20, 1884, was Chief of the Division of Plant Pathology and Physiology of the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station at the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas from 1916 until his death on December 13, 1937...
- Leon ToubinLeon ToubinLeon Toubin, a Jewish Texan civic leader, philanthropist, and historian is the caretaker of B'Nai Abraham Synagogue, Brenham, which he began attending in the late 1930s as part of the daily minyan.-Family:...
- Anthony Wolf
- Marvin ZindlerMarvin ZindlerMarvin Harold Zindler was a news reporter for television station KTRK-TV in Houston, Texas, United States. His investigative journalism, through which he mostly represented the city's elderly and working class, made him one of the city's most influential and well-known media personalities.-Early...
Jewish Communities in Texas
- Temple Beth-El (San Antonio, Texas)Temple Beth-El (San Antonio, Texas)Temple Beth-El is a synagogue located in San Antonio, Texas. Originally founded in 1874, it is the oldest synagogue in South Texas. The current temple at the corner of Belknap and W. Ashby, just north of San Antonio Community College. Temple Beth-El is a Reform Jewish congregation, and a...
- Congregation Beth Jacob (Galveston)
- B'Nai Abraham Synagogue, BrenhamB'nai Abraham Synagogue, Brenham-History:Early Jewish settlers in the Washington County, Texas arrived during the 1860s. B. Levinson, an original founder, arrived in 1861. Alex Simon arrived in 1866. These individuals became active in the business community of Brenham, and as other Jewish settlers arrived, the need for a...
- Temple B'nai IsraelTemple B'Nai IsraelTemple B'Nai Israel is a historic synagogue at 401 W. Grand Street in Jackson, Tennessee.It was built in 1941 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2008.-References:...
(Galveston) - Temple Emanu-El of DallasTemple Emanu-El of DallasTemple Emanu-El of Dallas, Texas was the first Reform Jewish congregation in North Texas, and is the largest synagogue in the South.- History :...
- Temple FredaTemple FredaTemple Freda, built in 1912 , is a synagogue located on 205 Parker Street Bryan, Texas.-History:Temple Freda, a part of Brazos County, Texas history, is one of the three oldest religious buildings still in use in Bryan, along with St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church and St. Anthony’s Catholic Church....
(Bryan-College Station) - Congregation Shearith Israel (Texas)
- Congregation Beth Israel of Houston
- Temple Beth-El, Corsicana
- ((several Jewish religious communities in Austin and Fort Worth as well as other communities in Texas))
See also
- American Jewish Congress v. BostAmerican Jewish Congress v. BostAmerican Jewish Congress v. Bost is an establishment clause lawsuit concerning the separation of church and state in Brenham, Texas. The case is the first constitutional challenge to a charitable choice contract...
- History of the Jews in Brenham, TexasHistory of the Jews in Brenham, TexasThe history of the Jews in Brenham, Texas, covers a period of over 140 years. As one of the first areas in Texas, outside of major population centers, to develop a sizable Jewish population, the community boasts many things of historical note. The Brenham community was formally organized in...
- History of the Jews in Dallas, Texas
- History of the Jews in Galveston, TexasHistory of the Jews in Galveston, TexasJews have inhabited the city of Galveston, Texas, for almost two centuries. The first known Jewish immigrant to the Galveston area was Jao de la Porta, who, along with his brother Morin, financed the first settlement by Europeans on Galveston Island in 1816. de la Porta was born in Portugal of...
- History of the Jews in Brazos County, TexasHistory of the Jews in Brazos County, TexasThe history of the Jews in Brazos County, Texas covers a period of over 140 years of Jewish history in Brazos County, Texas. Many notable individuals and communities have contributed to this history beginning with early Jewish settlement in 1865...
- Texas Jewish Historical SocietyTexas Jewish Historical SocietyThe Texas Jewish Historical Society, , which began in 1980, is a society dedicated to the preservation of Jewish history in Texas.-History:...
- Texas Jewish PostTexas Jewish PostThe Texas Jewish Post started publication in 1947. Rene and Jimmy Wisch were the starters of the TJP. Their family now works there. -History:...