History of the Jews in Galveston, Texas
Encyclopedia
Jews 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, finance
d the first settlement by European
s on Galveston Island
in 1816. de la Porta was born in Portugal
of Jewish parentage and later became a Jewish Texan trader
. In 1818, Jean Laffite appointed de la Porta supercargo
for the Karankawa
Indian trade. When Laffite left Galveston Island
in 1820, de la Porta became a full-time trader.
In 1852, residents of Galveston established the first Jewish cemetery
in Texas, with the first organized Jewish services being held in 1856. During the American Civil War
, although most residents had fled the city of Galveston, Rosanna Osterman remained. In 1862 she opened her home as a hospital, treating first Union soldiers
and then extending her care to Confederate soldiers
.
Congregation B'nai Israel
opened in 1868. The congregation was the first Jewish Reform
congregation chartered in Texas, and only the second Jewish congregation founded in the state. On June 20, 1875, the congregation voted to become one of the charter members of the Union of American Hebrew Congregations.
One of the pioneers of Reform Judaism in the United States, Abraham Cohen Labatt
, moved to Galveston in 1878 and joined the congregation. He was an active member until his death in 1899.
On February 15, 1931, two orthodox
synagogues, The Hebrew Orthodox Benevolent Association and The Young Men’s Hebrew Association, merged to become Congregation Beth Jacob. Under the leadership of Rabbi Louis Feigonz'l, the members raised funds to build a new synagogue on the site of the old Hebrew Orthodox Benevolent Association. In the 1970s the congregation joined the Conservative Movement
in an attempt to attract more members. Today the congregation is small, but still active in the Galveston Community.
One of B'nai Israel's rabbi
s, Henry Cohen
, helped found the Galveston Movement
in the early part of the twentieth century. Between 1907 and 1914, the Movement endeavored to divert Jews fleeing Russia
and eastern Europe
away from crowded East Coast
cities. Ten thousand Jewish immigrants passed through Galveston, Texas
during this era, approximately one-third the number who migrated to Palestine
during the same period. Galveston was chosen as an initial American port of call partly because it was already a destination for German
shipping company Norddeutscher Lloyd
, which operated out of Bremen, and because it provided and access to the growing economic opportunities of the American West. Two percent of the total Jewish immigration to the United States occurred via Galveston in 1911, representing 14,000 people. Within several years, however, local merchants began fearing the increased competition, and others were frustrated that Polish Jews would not work on Saturday. Several communities declined to accept more Jewish immigrants.
Cohen exerted influence on other areas of the community as well. He was instrumental in banishing Shakespeare’s Shylock
from the Galveston public schools. The community recognized his actions on their behalf, when in 1928 Congregation B'nai Israel commissioned a new facility, which they named the Henry Cohen Community House.
The Jewish community in Galveston welcomed their first native Texas rabbi when Jimmy Kessler
assumed leadership of Congregation B'nai Israel. Kessler later founded the Texas Jewish Historical Society
.
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...
, for almost two centuries. The first known Jewish immigrant to the Galveston area was 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....
, who, along with his brother Morin, finance
Finance
"Finance" is often defined simply as the management of money or “funds” management Modern finance, however, is a family of business activity that includes the origination, marketing, and management of cash and money surrogates through a variety of capital accounts, instruments, and markets created...
d the first settlement by European
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....
s on Galveston Island
Galveston Island
Galveston Island is a barrier island on the Texas Gulf coast in the United States, about 50 miles southeast of Houston. The entire island, with the exception of Jamaica Beach, is within the city limits of the City of Galveston....
in 1816. de la Porta was born in Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
of Jewish parentage and later became a Jewish Texan trader
Merchant
A merchant is a businessperson who trades in commodities that were produced by others, in order to earn a profit.Merchants can be one of two types:# A wholesale merchant operates in the chain between producer and retail merchant...
. In 1818, Jean Laffite appointed de la Porta supercargo
Supercargo
Supercargo is a term in maritime law that refers to a person employed on board a vessel by the owner of cargo carried on the ship...
for the Karankawa
Karankawa
Karankawa were a group of Native American peoples, now extinct as a tribal group, who played a pivotal part in early Texas history....
Indian trade. When Laffite left Galveston Island
Galveston Island
Galveston Island is a barrier island on the Texas Gulf coast in the United States, about 50 miles southeast of Houston. The entire island, with the exception of Jamaica Beach, is within the city limits of the City of Galveston....
in 1820, de la Porta became a full-time trader.
Jewish cemetery
A Jewish cemetery is a cemetery where members of the Jewish faith are buried in keeping with Jewish tradition....
in Texas, with the first organized Jewish services being held in 1856. During the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, although most residents had fled the city of Galveston, Rosanna Osterman remained. In 1862 she opened her home as a hospital, treating first Union soldiers
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
and then extending her care to Confederate soldiers
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
.
Congregation B'nai Israel
Congregation B'nai Israel
Congregation B'nai Israel is a Jewish synagogue located in Galveston, Texas, USA. It is the oldest Jewish Reform Congregation in the U.S. state of Texas.- History :...
opened in 1868. The congregation was the first Jewish Reform
Reform Judaism
Reform Judaism refers to various beliefs, practices and organizations associated with the Reform Jewish movement in North America, the United Kingdom and elsewhere. In general, it maintains that Judaism and Jewish traditions should be modernized and should be compatible with participation in the...
congregation chartered in Texas, and only the second Jewish congregation founded in the state. On June 20, 1875, the congregation voted to become one of the charter members of the Union of American Hebrew Congregations.
One of the pioneers of Reform Judaism in the United States, Abraham Cohen Labatt
Abraham Cohen Labatt
Abraham 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...
, moved to Galveston in 1878 and joined the congregation. He was an active member until his death in 1899.
On February 15, 1931, two orthodox
Orthodox Judaism
Orthodox Judaism , is the approach to Judaism which adheres to the traditional interpretation and application of the laws and ethics of the Torah as legislated in the Talmudic texts by the Sanhedrin and subsequently developed and applied by the later authorities known as the Gaonim, Rishonim, and...
synagogues, The Hebrew Orthodox Benevolent Association and The Young Men’s Hebrew Association, merged to become Congregation Beth Jacob. Under the leadership of Rabbi Louis Feigonz'l, the members raised funds to build a new synagogue on the site of the old Hebrew Orthodox Benevolent Association. In the 1970s the congregation joined the Conservative Movement
Conservative Judaism
Conservative Judaism is a modern stream of Judaism that arose out of intellectual currents in Germany in the mid-19th century and took institutional form in the United States in the early 1900s.Conservative Judaism has its roots in the school of thought known as Positive-Historical Judaism,...
in an attempt to attract more members. Today the congregation is small, but still active in the Galveston Community.
One of B'nai Israel's rabbi
Rabbi
In Judaism, a rabbi is a teacher of Torah. This title derives from the Hebrew word רבי , meaning "My Master" , which is the way a student would address a master of Torah...
s, 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:...
, helped found 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,...
in the early part of the twentieth century. Between 1907 and 1914, the Movement endeavored 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 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 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...
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. Galveston was chosen as an initial American port of call partly because it was already a destination for German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
shipping company Norddeutscher Lloyd
Norddeutscher Lloyd
Norddeutsche Lloyd was a German shipping company. It was founded by Hermann Henrich Meier and Eduard Crüsemann in Bremen on February 20, 1857. It developed into one of the most important German shipping companies of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and was instrumental in the economic...
, which operated out of Bremen, and because it provided and access to the growing economic opportunities of the American West. Two percent of the total Jewish immigration to the United States occurred via Galveston in 1911, representing 14,000 people. Within several years, however, local merchants began fearing the increased competition, and others were frustrated that Polish Jews would not work on Saturday. Several communities declined to accept more Jewish immigrants.
Cohen exerted influence on other areas of the community as well. He was instrumental in banishing Shakespeare’s Shylock
Shylock
Shylock is a fictional character in Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice.-In the play:In The Merchant of Venice, Shylock is a Jewish moneylender who lends money to his Christian rival, Antonio, setting the security at a pound of Antonio's flesh...
from the Galveston public schools. The community recognized his actions on their behalf, when in 1928 Congregation B'nai Israel commissioned a new facility, which they named the Henry Cohen Community House.
The Jewish community in Galveston welcomed their first native Texas rabbi when Jimmy Kessler
Jimmy Kessler
James 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...
assumed leadership of Congregation B'nai Israel. Kessler later founded the Texas Jewish Historical Society
Texas Jewish Historical Society
The Texas Jewish Historical Society, , which began in 1980, is a society dedicated to the preservation of Jewish history in Texas.-History:...
.