The Jewish Herald-Voice (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 33, No. 2, Ed. 1 Thursday, April 14, 1938 Page: 4 of 24
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4
THE JEWISH HERALD-VOICE
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Randolph Dixon & Co.
GENERAL INSURANCE
Complete ud
US1 NwhMk Street
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GALVESTON. TEXAS
A Hundred Years of Jewish Life In Galveston
The following article was written by Dr. Henry Cohen (or Isaac Landman’s Cyclopedia
Judica which has not yet been published. It deals with the rise of the Jewish Community
of Galveston and the contributions made by Its Jewish members in nearly a hundred years
of endeavor. Jewry may well be proud of the prominent part played by its members in
this most interesting Island port.—the Editor.
THIS QUESTION
OF PARTITION
Best Wi s h e s !
BANK GRILL
CoM Boor and L
Sc hilts on Draught
116-ttad SL.
Calves
•1S4
BEST WISHES
To Our
Friends and Patrons!
S. H KRESS & CO.
$•19 and $9 cent Stores
GALVESTON, TEXAS
Rest Wishes!
TO All My Jewish Friends
W. E. LEWIS
Tax Assessor and Collector
GALVESTON COUNTY
Greetings!
To our friends at this
E. tioudge & Son
Stevedores
Oil Medical Arte Bldg. Ph.934
GALVESTON. TEXAS
itiTi---------rr-r - ■ ■ .
S. Sgitcovich & Co„ Inc.
STEAMSHIP AGENTS
—Join In extending best wishes
to all our Jewish friends at
Cotton Exchange Bldg.
GALVESTON. TEXAS
9 300303000030333038000
Best Wishes
At PaMaoeA.
▼
jSTflfi OfllRy
GALVESTON. TEXAS
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Galveston. Named after Ber-
nado de Galvez, Governor in
1782. population (1930) circa
fifty-five thousand (55,000), about
one thousand one hudred (1,100)
Jews. The leading port of Texas
and headquarters of a customs
district. Founded in 1836 and set-
tled by Jews about 1840. On the
Gulf of Mexico, Galveston suf-
fered immeasurably from the ter-
rible disaster of a West Indian
hurricane on Sept 8, 1900, millions
of material damage, and the loss
of some eight thousand (8,000)
lives, forty-one (41) Jews among
the number.
In 1852 the Jewish Cemetery
Association was organized on a
plot of ground for burial purposes
which was donated by the late
Isadore Dyer—at whose bouse the
first Jewish Services were held
(1856). During the next decade,
an appreciatable number of Jews
settled in Galveston and the He-
brew Benevolent Society was or-
ganized and chartered. To sup-
plement the Dyer donation, a
burial ground was purchased
(1866) and a third cemetery ad-
ded in 1897. The charter members
of the Hebrew Benevolent Society
were J. W. Frank, J. Rosenfield,
L C. Levy, I. Fedder, Isadore
Dyer, Leon Blum, J. Lieberman
and L. Block—all having passed
away (1930).
In 1868 Congregation B’nai
Israel (Reform) was organized,
and chartered in 1870—since
which it has been twice enlarged
—now having 764 Pews. The
charter members were J. W.
Frank, D. Wenar, Isadore Dyer,
M. Kopperl, I. C. Levy, D. C.
Labatt S. E. Loeb, H. J. Labatt,
Leon Blum, A. Kory, C. Kahn,
L Fedder. S. Heidenheimer and
J. Blum; one living in 1930.
Four rabbis have ministered to
the spiritual needs of the Con-
gregation since its organization—
Alexander Rosensplitz (1868-1871)
Abreaham Blum (1871 -1885)
Joseph Silverman (1885-1888)
Henry Cohen (1888___).
While Orthodox Services were
held in Galveston about 1887, the
Young Men's Hebrew Association
organized in 1894 and erected
a Synagogue (Orthodox) bearing
that name (Y. M. H. A.) in 1895.
In 1905 the Bikur Cholim Soc-
iety built a Synagogue (Ortho-
dox)—its membership largely of
Austrian origin. All three places
of worship have Women's Auxil-
iaries and cultural organizations.
GREETINGS!
TO
ALL OUR JEWISH FRIENDS
AND
PATRONS AT THIS SEASON
feuduteUesi
“King of Bottled Beer”
DISTRIBUTED BY
21°! n
nti PflPfl £ m™**
STRAND U.
ull mm oi ouiio 46
WHOLESALE GROCERS
GALVESTON, TEXAS
We Extend
Hearty Good Wishes
at This Season!
To all our Jewish friends and patrons
McBRIDE’S
DEPARTMENT STORE
Ave. E. — GALVESTON, TEXAS — PHONE 896
The Ladies Hebrew Benevolent
Society was organized in 1870.
Mrs. Caroline Block (died 1905)
served as president for thirty
years.
The Ladies Aid Society (Ortho-
dox) was established in 1904. Mrs.
Joseph Bonart, founder and presi-
dent since its organization.
The Temple Society was organ-
ized in 1887 by the late Leo N.
Levi—an honored son of Gal-
veston and the President of Con-
gregation B’nai Israel from 1887
till 1899 (died 1904)—and is still
flourishing. The Harmony Club
—now defunct—was organized in
187; and the Zacharias Frankl
Lodge No. 242 I. O. B. B. in 1874.
The Council of Jewish Women
was organized in 1913 and the
Sisterhood of Congregation B’nai
Israel in 1921. Galveston has a
flourishing Zionist Organization
(founded in 1898) and a Senior
and Junior Hadassah.
In 1907 the late Jacob H. Schiff
bore the sole expense of the Jew-
ish Immigrationts' Information
Bureau with headquarters in
Galveston for the distribution of
immigrants in sparsely settled
districts of the west and south
west. The bureau seased function-
ing at the outbreak of the World
War in 1914. During the period
of its existence the J. I. I. B.
found locations for some ten thou-
sand individuals. From the World
War on, immigration to the Uni-
ted States has been restricted.
In 1853 Michael Seeligson was
Mayor of the city, and in 1914
I. H. Kempner was Commissioner
of Finance in the Galveston Com-
mission form of Government,
Mayor of Galveston (1917-1919)
and the present president of the
Galveston Cotton Exchange and
Board of Trade, for a number of
years, his son Harris, is the pres-
ent president (1938). In the older
form of city government a num-
ber of Jews were alderman Adri-
an F. Levy, Mayor (1935____).
Morris Lasker (died 1916) after
whom the Lasker Home for
Homeless Children and the Las-
ker Playground were named, was
a member of the State Senate—
and an outstanding philanthropist
The Home for Homeless Children
is the beneficiary of Morris Las-
ker to a very large extent and the
Lasker Loan Fund for Jewish
students of the State of Texas
commemorates the life-work and
the altruism of a Galveston pio-
neer. The Kempner Park was do-
nated to the city by the Kempner
family. Isidore Lovenberg (died
1917) was a member of the School
Board from 1887, and was Presi-
dent from 1904. Lovenberg was
President of the Galveston Or-
phan Home, a non-sectarian in-
stitution, for many years, and
honorary secretary of the Galves-
ton Public Library for more than
a decade. His son Isaac, was as-
sistant Attorney General of the
State of Texas. The President of
the Galveston School Board was
John Nee the who was also Vice-
President of Congregation B’nai
Israel since 1905 (died in 1934)
and was a foremost citizen. Ros-
anna Osterman (died 1866) known
for her philanthropic tendencies
left the bulk of her fortune to
charity. Kopperl Park was named
in honor of Isabelle Kopperl, an
ardent communal worker. Moritz
Kopperl reorganized the Gulf,
Colorado and Santa Fe Railroad
in the early eighties. Harry I.
Cohen was the editor and publi-
sher of the Galveston Tribune
from 1921-1926.
In January 1928 the cornerstone
of the Henry Cohen Community
House was laid and the building
was dedicated Nov. 18 of that
year. The edifice cost upwards of
$94,000 and the inscription on the
cornerstone reads:
“Erected in honor of Dr. Henry
Cohen's forty years service as
rabbi in this community.”
By Rabbi David Lefkewtte
Temple Emanu-El, Dallas, Texas
The Partition of Palestine, as
proposed roughly in the Royal
Commission’s report, cannot by
any means be acceptable to the
Jewish people. A strip of coast
line, in many cases no more than
10 miles wide, spreading out in
the north toward the Jordan
river, presents artificial boundries
that would forever endanger the
Jewish State.
Furthermore, the proposed
arrangement would include in the
Jewish State about 25,000 Ardbs
as against 30,000 to 400,000 Jews,
and this too, would constitute a
real danger in view of the pres-
ent attitude of the Arab popu-
lation in Palestine.
I am entirely opposed not only
to the proposed partition, but to
any partition of Palestine, and I
am earnestly for a united Jewish,
Arab and Christian population in
Palestine, developed normally in-
to a Palestinian State.
I think with patience, compro-
mise and conference, a peaceful
Palestinian government can even-
tuate.
We Extend Holiday Greetings
To Our Friends and Patrons
San Jacinto Inn
“Where Southern Hospitality
Prevails”
AT SAN JACINTO
BATTLEGROUNDS
Open every day but Monday
We Extend GREETINGS!
To Our Jewish Friends and Patrons at Passover
Dalehite Boat Line
LAUNCHES, SPEED BOATS A EXCURSION BOAT GALVEZ
22nd and Wharf — Telephone 7137 GALVESTON
Vk, ,
C&ntUtP
GREETINGS ON THIS PASSOVER HOLIDAY
THE
GULFTEX DRUG CO.
Schenley—The Mark of Distinction
American Distilling Company
Italian Sweetheart Wine
Century Distilling Company
Taylor Wines
Park and Tilford
Fleischman Gin
Charles Heidsick Champagne
King’s Ransom Scotch
FOR SALE AT ALL PACKAGES STORES
417 NORTH MAIN HOUSTON, TEXAS
J
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White, D. H. The Jewish Herald-Voice (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 33, No. 2, Ed. 1 Thursday, April 14, 1938, newspaper, April 14, 1938; Houston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1102254/m1/4/: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; .