2007 April

Texas Jewish Historical Society - Vol. 7, No. 2, April, 2007 Page 1

Historical Society

Preserving Jewish Heritage in TexasEst. 1980

Volume 7, Number 2, April, 2007

Texas Jewish

You Can Join TJHS Members on aSouthern Caribbean JewishSouthern Caribbean JewishSouthern Caribbean JewishSouthern Caribbean JewishSouthern Caribbean Jewish

Heritage CruiseHeritage CruiseHeritage CruiseHeritage CruiseHeritage CruiseFebruary 3-10, 2008

For Information:For information, please contact Brentwood Travel at

1-800-527-1059, ext. 121 or 114, [email protected],[email protected]

Keith RosenHouston Historical Tours

[email protected]

www.houstonhistoricaltours.com

Send in your application on page 26 today!

Houston Historical Tours presents this incredible opportunity toset sail with your fellow Society members aboard Royal Caribbean Cruise Line’s Adventure of the Seas.

Package Includes:• All taxes and gratuities• Exclusive shore excursion in Curacao to visit

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Itinerary:February 3 Set sail from San JuanFebruary 4 Day at seaFebruary 5 Oranjestad, ArubaFebruary 6 Willemstad, CuracaoFebruary 7 Day at seaFebruary 8 Phillipsburg, St. MaartenFebruary 9 Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas

February 10 Arrive in San Juan

Page 2 Texas Jewish Historical Society - Vol. 7, No. 2, April, 2007

The Texas Jewish Historical Society News Magazine is publishedfour times annually. Stories about Texas Jewish history, oral histories,and requests for assistance with research are welcome, as are photo-graphs and historical documents. Please provide color photocopies orscan at 300 dpi or greater, in .gif, .tif, or .jpg format and send electroni-cally to Associate Editor Davie Lou Solka at [email protected] or mailto 501 Bermuda Place, Corpus Christi, TX 78411, 361-852-5815. Besure to include your name and contact information.

Publisher-Editor Alexa KirkAssistant Editor Davie Lou Solka

Photographer Marvin Rich

Note: The Texas Jewish Historical Society isunable to guarantee the safe receipt and/or returnof documents or photographs. It is strongly rec-ommended that only color photocopies of bothcolor and black & white documents be provided.We welcome your comments and suggestions.

Do yourememberhow much youenjoyed listen-ing to Mamatell what lifewas like whenshe was grow-ing up? Or allthose greatstories thatPapa used totell? Have you written them downyet? Then what are you waiting for!And what about your own stories?Are you planning to let your kidswrite them down? The son who nevercalls and the daughter who never vis-its? Okay, I’m just kidding you about

History, Herstory, YourstoryA Message from TJHS President

Vickie Vogel

your perfect children.The person who has the best

memory of the event should write itdown or record it. Stop and think fora moment about the great stories youhave heard that you can ALMOSTremember. How sad it is when theyare lost forever.

The Texas Jewish Historical Soci-ety news magazine prints many of ourstories. In the last issue, for example,we were able to read about MorrisSeligman because David Seligmanwrote it down. Or perhaps you re-member Ileene Rosenfield’s article onher mother, or stories on the Rubin,Gindler, and Edelstein families, amongso many others. When my friendMyrtle Uhry died, I wrote an article

President

about her, because she never marriedand had no children to do it for her. Idon’t want her to be forgotten.

We have no staff writers, but wehave members who understand thevalue of remembering. Our newsmagazine depends to a large extent onyou. What better way to eulogizeyour loved ones?

Perhaps you are thinking, “Butwhere would I start?” Try this tech-nique: Write down your favorite storyabout your subject. Tomorrow, writedown another item on a separatepiece of paper. Each day, write downone true thing, short or long. Whenyou run out of stories, put the papersin chronological order, connect themtogether, and you have an article! Oureditor will fine tune it. The importantthing is to get started. Don’t put it off.It’s important.The Texas Jewish Historical Society

Volume 7, No. 2, April 2007Quarterly News Magazine

The message of the Texas JewishHistorical Society (USPS) is publishedfour times a year by the Texas JewishHistorical Society, P. O. Box 10193Austin, Texas 78766-0193, TravisCounty. Periodical postage paid atHouston, Texas. Postmaster andaddress changes to the Texas JewishHistorical Society, P. O. Box 10193Austin, Texas 78766-0193.

VISIT USVISIT USon the web at www.txjhs.org.


The Te Te Texas Js Js JewishHistorical SocietyHistorical SocietyHistorical Societyaccepts matchingaccepts matchingaccepts matching

funds fromfunds fromfunds fromcorporations.

Please ae ae advise if ye if ye if yourgift can be used ingift can be used ingift can be used in

this mhis mhis manner.

Congregation Rodef SholomCongregation Rodef SholomDedication of SDedication of State of tate of Texas Historicalexas Historical

MarkerSunday, June 24, 4:00 PM

1717 N. New Road, in Waco, Texas

For more information, contactIma Joy Gandler at 254-772-5717.

Also, please let her know if you are coming.

Rabbi HenryCohen II, whospoke at the An-nual Gathering ofthe Society in SanAntonio in 2004,has published hisbook, Kindler ofSouls: RabbiHenry Cohen ofTexas.

The encour-agement thatRabbi Cohen re-

New BookAbout Texas Rabbi

ceived at the Gathering was one ofthe factors that motivated him towrite this biography of his father.

Rabbi Cohen would appreciateany feedback on the book. Hemay be contacted at 610-896-5663.For interviews, contact StephanieNelson at 512-232-7634 [email protected].

The book may be orderedonline at www.utexaspress.com(you will receive a 33% discount)or call 512-232-7634. It is in hard-cover and is $24.95.

Yad VashemNeeds

VolunteersYad Vashem has issued an

urgent call for volunteers to ini-tiate Names Recovery Cam-paigns. You may photograph me-morial boards or Jewish tomb-stones bearing names of Holo-caust victims in your community’ssynagogues and cemeteries. Digi-tal photographs may be sent [email protected] the name of the synagogueor cemetery as well as yourname, address, and phone num-ber. Printed photos may bemailed to Yad Vashem’s Hall ofNames, POB 3477, Jerusalem,Israel.

Also, please send the list ofnames with data on tombstones,including dates of birth and death,name of cemetery, and location ofcity to Ima Joy Gandler, 3001Wooded Acres, Waco, TX 76710,so that this information may beincluded in the Records of theTexas Jewish Historical Societylocated at the Center of AmericanHistory TJHS Records in Austin,Texas.

SummerJuly 13-15 in Fort

WorthJack Gerrick

(Chair)

FallOctober 5-7 in AmarilloRobert & Jo Ann Holt

(Co-Chairs)

TJHS MEETING SCHEDULE 2007-2008Save the dates!

WinterJanuary 11-13 in BeaumontDavid & Binnie Hoffman

(Co-Chairs)

Annual Gathering, 2008Annual Gathering, 2008Date TBA, Waco

Ima Joy Gandler & Ed Katten(Co-Chairs)


continued on page 5

Philip RichThe Russian Orphan who Became a Success

by Marvin and Hershel Rich

In the year 1901, a small, Jewish,eleven-year-old boy named Pinchas, inSchverne, White Russia, near Minsk,became an orphan. His parents,Hershel and Irene OshmanRatchkovsky, died within weeks ofeach other.

He and his sisters, Rosie andMinnie, went to live with their grand-father, Maurice, and his wife who wastheir step-grandmother. They lived ina small wooden house that also servedas a shop for the family business,which was wood-block printing color-ful designs on all fabrics for tapestries,quilts, and drapes.

Pinchas’s bed was located in achoice part of the house—on top ofthe clay oven, where a small fire waskept burning on most of the coldnights. The house had a small porch,and stood a short distance from thedirt street. It was near the chedar (el-ementary school), where Pinchas wasa very good student. He wanted toattend yeshiva in a nearby shtetal afterhis Bar Mitzvah.

One day, a wagon passed on itsway to the next town. Pinchasjumped on to the back of the wagonand went to the yeshiva. He met therabbi, easily passed the entranceexam, and was welcomed as a stu-dent. He then went to seven differentfamilies to arrange for a free bed andmeals for each day of the week.

After making his arrangements,Pinchas caught a ride on the back of awagon returning to Schverne. Whenhe arrived, he was welcomed as ahero. Since he had told no one of hisplan, they all thought that he haddrowned in the river.

Two days later, a letter arrivedfrom his uncle, Pincus Oshman, fromRichmond, Texas, USA. In 1903, that

was the Wild West! Enclosed was afive-dollar gold coin and a ten-dollarsteerage ticket on the S. S. Chimnetzfrom Bremen, Germany to New Yorkto Galveston. He would have to takea train from Minsk to Germany. Thedecision to go, alone, was a tough onebecause he hated leaving his little sis-ter, his best friend Willie, his cousinJake Oshman, his grandfather, and allof his other relatives. He spoke onlyYiddish, a little Russian, Polish, andHebrew.

Brave Pinchas decided to go forthe great adventure and beautifulcountry that his uncle described. Be-fore the big departure day, a smallstraw suitcase was found and packedwith a change of clothes and food forthe trip. Just before he left, his step-grandmother decided that two salamisausages were too much for such asmall boy, so she removed one. Hetold many sad stories about the hard,hungry trip.

Thirteen-year-old PinchasRatchkovsky arrived from Bremen,Germany, on the S. S. Chimnetz at theport of New York on June 12, 1904.He went through immigration at EllisIsland with no problems. On theship’s manifest, he was one the fewwho were shown as being able to readand write. The Hanseatic Steam ShipLine had a contract with Southern Pa-cific Railroad to take passengers toGalveston, where they then took thetrain to their final destinations. Whenthe train arrived in Richmond, Pinchaswas so happy to get off and greet hisUncle Pinchas and Tante Fannie thathe forgot his straw suitcase. Heyelled in Yiddish, and everyone beganscreaming to stop the train. It backedup and Pinchas retrieved his suitcase.

In Richmond, Pinchas boarded

with another aunt, Mumme Schiff,who ran a boarding house, which wasoriginally Jane Long’s. There wereseveral other “greenies” also livingthere. Pinchas worked at his uncle’sgrocery store that was across thetracks in what was known as Mud Al-ley because the street was not paved.He parched peanuts for seventy-fivecents a week, and attended publicschool. Though he was thirteen yearsold, Pinchas was not much larger thanthe younger kids in the class, and thecountry boys were always teasinghim. However, Pinchas learned En-glish quickly and he loved to readbooks and magazines.

Another uncle, Max Rockoff, alsocame to Richmond. Pinchas hadsome money saved and along withMax, bought a horse and wagon, filledit with household goods, and traveledin Fort Bend and Wharton Counties topeddle. But the area was in a severedrought, and no one had money to buygoods. One day on the way home,they encountered a downpour. Theirold horse could not pull the loadthrough the mud and he died. So,Pinchas and Max had to pull thewagon back to Richmond.

Pinchas tried other ways to makemoney. He read an ad in a magazinefor a venture to install gaslights inhomes, and another ad for installingelectric wiring in homes. One of hisfriends said that these sounded good,so they divvied up—his friend went towork installing electric wiring, andPinchas tried to sell the gaslights.Pinchas’ venture failed, but his friendmade money.

After the failed gas venture,Pinchas opened the first moving pic-ture theatre in Richmond. His gim-


mick was that he had a sliding roofthat opened in hot weather so thatpeople could come in the summer.

Pinchas filed his Declaration ofIntent for Citizenship in 1913 at theage of twenty-two. At that time, hewas 5 feet, 2 inches tall and weighedonly 118 pounds. He was drafted intothe army during World War I andtrained at College Station, Texas. Healways said that he was a TexasAggie. While he was in the Army,they said that his name was too hardto pronounce, so it was changed toPhilip Rich. He then went to an artil-lery base in South Carolina and stayedthere until his discharge. When he re-turned to Richmond, he found that theman who was in charge of his theatrewhile he was away had taken most ofhis money.

Philip fulfilled one of his maingoals in life when he brought his twosisters, Rosie and Minnie, to theUnited States. They grew up in Rich-mond, and Rosie married MeyerNathan, who owned the Grand Clean-ers. Minnie married AaronGreenberg, and they moved to BayCity, Texas, where he ran theOshman’s Dry Good Store on theCourt House Square.

Philip rented the old county jail,which was across from the railroadstation, and turned it into the Rich Ho-tel. He then opened the Palace ofSweets in Richmond and hired a cookwho made the best chili in town. ThePalace of Sweets always had an ad onthe front page of the weekly HeraldCoaster newspaper. There was oftena story about the fresh chocolates be-ing shipped in, or about how they al-ways served Klein’s ice cream. Philipwas such a good customer thatNathan Klein came to Hershel’s bris.

Before Philip was drafted, he meta beautiful Jewish girl named BerthaKrakower from Houston, who wasvisiting girl friends in Richmond. Ber-tha had five brothers, Jake, Nathan,

Izzie, Louis, and Herman, and threesisters, Bessie Pye, Sarah Aron, andEthel Fargotstein. Philip fell madly inlove and drove the long bumpy, some-times muddy, trip to Houston once aweek to visit Bertha, who lived in theHouston Heights.

During World War I, Berthalearned to operate a comptometer, thecomputer of that time, and made goodmoney. When Philip was drafted, hewrote her beautiful love letters almostevery day. She saved every one andthey are still in the family, tied in blueribbons.

Philip and Bertha were married inJune, 1921, and lived in a small whitehouse in Richmond. They continuedrunning the café. When Bertha be-came pregnant with Hershel, shemade a few hard trips to visit herHouston doctor. During the last twoweeks of her pregnancy, she stayedwith her sister, Bessie. Hershel wasborn on March 1, 1925. Bertha’sbrother, Herman, came to Richmondand ran the café so Philip could bringBertha and Hershel home from St. Jo-seph Hospital.

Bertha missed her Houston familyand in 1929, business was very slow.Philip was offered a job managing adry good store in the Houston Heights,next to the movie theater on 19thStreet, across from where Harold’sstore is now. Bertha helped in thestore and hired a country girl as maidand sitter.

Philip was bored, and was alwaysthinking of a way to go into businessfor himself again. He came up withan idea of putting coupons in chewinggum stick wrappers. Each couponhad a small replica of a card in a deckof playing cards, and pictures of prizesthat could be won if you collected fourAces, Kings, Queens, Jack, a Joker ora full deck. Traveler’s Gum quicklybecame a big hit.

Philip resigned his job from the drygood store, hired a secretary, andopened an office and assembly line in

the M&M Building on Main Street atthe Buffalo Bayou bridge, where theUniversity of Houston Downtown isnow. Profits were very good and in1932, he bought a beautiful large brickhome at 2415 Wheeler in RiversideTerrace—between Dowling and LiveOak. Marvin was born soon after themove.

A major national candy distributorin New York offered to handle allsales and distribution on an exclusivebasis if Philip would open an assemblyline in New York or New Jersey. Asmall assembly line was established inNewark, New Jersey, and businessboomed until New York State ruledthat the plan was a form of illegal lot-tery. The distributor returned all of theproducts to Philip and he was brokeagain.

Philip then recognized that in mosthomes, the gas jets that projected fromthe walls near the floor for spaceheaters was dangerous. Small chil-dren and pets could open them andblow up the house. He invented theProtectoCap, which was made ofwhite molded rubber. They were soldto stores, where their sales were tooslow to reorder.

Wrigley Gum Company in Chicagooffered Philip a job in Chicago in dis-tribution. While in Chicago, a manu-facturer of gum dispensing machinesoffered him a better job as nationalsales manager. That went well, butbuyers needed stands for the machinesand there was no source. Philip foundshops to make parts for the pedestalstands he designed, and he sold thestands with the gum machines. Healso designed and sold stands that hehad made for tabletop jukeboxes. Hetook a small space at the annual Na-tional Coin Machine Show where hereceived a flood of orders. He renteda shop, bought a few machines, sup-plies, and materials, and hired a shopmanager, engineer, and workers to fillthe orders.

Philip Rich, continued from page 4

continued on page 10


Index CompleteThe Greater Houston Jewish Ge-

nealogical Society has completed itsproject to index the life cycle eventspublished in the Houston JewishHerald-Voice from its origination in1908 to the present. The index isavailable at www.JewishGen.org,and articles may be obtained fromthe GHJGS as indicated in the expla-nation accompanying the index.

In about the first three decadesof publication, reporters from manycities of Texas sent in news of theircommunities, so that much of the in-dex includes statewide information,as well as inclusion of related familymembers from all over the world.

The TJHS contributed a much-appreciated microfilm reader to theproject enabling its beginning in 1998.Although all of the microfilm has

Projects Fts Finished - Succeed - Success!been copied on computer disk, sothat participants could work athome, the reader is still available forviewing film at the Herald-Voiceoffice.

The success of the project maybe measured by the fact that re-searchers from all parts of the coun-try have ordered articles that havebeen helpful to them in their genea-logical research.

Successfully Traced!Martin Cahn tells us that he has

traced Michael Livingston, who isthe great-grandson of Mr. Cahn’sgreat-grandfather’s brother becauseof an article that was placed in thelast issue of the Texas Jewish His-torical Society’s News Magazine!We are always glad to help traceancestors!

Paula Hirschberg Dreyfuss wasborn to parents Rachel Findling andHenry Hirschberg on April 30, 1922, inOldenburg, Germany. As a little child,Paula learned to play with dolls andcats and was “in heaven” with the giftof a book. She began to read at agefive. Paula inherited her mother’sgood voice. The two of them walkeddown the street arm-in-arm, singing, tothe amusement of passers-by.

Paula’s father, Henry, owned ahuge wholesale establishment whichsupplied peddlers with merchandise.They could buy one dozen or onegross. It was a very profitable busi-ness. Henry was known for payinghis bills promptly. Lesser known washis habit of keeping large sums ofmoney in a hidden home safe.Oldenburg had a population of100,000. It also had pretty, old houses

The Paula Dreyfuss Storyby Merilee Weiner

that were still standing from the year1427.

The only son in the Hirschbergfamily was Julius, age 18, who went toLubeck, Germany was an apprenticein a factory that taught students howto make brushes. He was there onlyto learn; he received no pay. At thattime, no visas were required to travelto America. Just as soon as he com-pleted his “brush” education, he leftfor America and secured employmentat the Empire Brush Company in PortChester, New York. He was assignedto the store room, which was in com-plete disarray. He created an inven-tory system, which did not exist beforehe arrived. When the store room wasin order, Julius earned $16 per week.In those days, he managed to buy ahome for $3,000. Eventually, he pur-chased a second home in nearby

Ryewood, New York for $25,000, andhe still lives there today. Julius wastwenty-one when World War II began.He enlisted in the army, and for thisservice, he earned American citizen-ship. It was at that time that JuliusHirschberg legally changed his nameto Jules Harris.

Relating Paula’s story as eventsunfolded, her parents waited too longto emigrate before Hitler’s minionsstruck on November 9, 1938—Czechoslovakia’s Kristallnacht. Thevery next day, the Nazis confiscatedHenry’s business and incarceratedhim. He told Rachel to stay in Ger-many, but to send the girls to Americaimmediately. He managed to get wordto his wife that he needed money tobuy his way out of the concentrationcamp. Unfortunately, he had ne-glected to ever give his wife the safe’scombination. What was she to donow? She said to Paula, “Let me gointo the other room and pray.” Whenmother Hirschberg returned, she in-structed Paula to call a locksmith.When the locksmith arrived, he wasable to ascertain the safe’s combina-tion, but before the door was pulledopen, Paula’s mother informed theyoung man that the safe contained avast amount of money. She told himthat he could reach in and take ahandful for himself for his silence.He did this, and she proceeded to tellhim, “Hide the money in the groundand when it is safe to do so, remove itand invest it and let it grow.” Luckwas on her side. The locksmithmarked the bill, “routine call,” and re-mained silent about the transaction.

Father Hirschberg then had ac-cess to money to bribe his way out ofprison. He promptly got an affidavitfrom the ex-brother-in-law in NewYork who had previously secured

continued on page 7


In Memory of FromBlanche Sheiness Victoria Wang

Marie DavisMr. and Mrs. Marvin Rich

Dr. and Mrs. Howard Kessner

In Memory of FromLibbie Stool Mr. and Mrs. Marvin Rich

Merilee WeinerMr. and Mrs. Ed Winkler

In Memory of FromMilton T. Smith Merilee Weiner

In Memory of FromErnie Golub Mr. and Mrs. Max Reichenthal

In Memory of FromKenneth Rich Mr. and Mrs. Ed Katten

Mr. and Mrs. Charles B. HartMerilee Weiner

Contributions The following donations have been received by theTexas Jewish Historical Society since January, 2007

documents for the two girls. Thatrelative was a doctor, and at the time,he was the Port Commissioner in NewYork. He had supplied the requisitedocuments for sixteen-year old Paulaand her seven-year old sister, Helen.They set sail in first class fromBremerhaven, Germany two weeksprior to their parent’s departure fromGermany to America.

Paula immediately became seasick, too ill to leave her stateroom.Her seven-year old sister decided totake a stroll and was found topside bythe captain of the ship. He asked thelittle girl where she was going and shereplied, “To the nursery.” He said,“Well, then, I’ll take you,” and withthat, he lifted Helen to his shoulder,took her to Paula’s stateroom, andthen to the nursery. This German

Captain was no admirer of Hitler andprobably took pride in helping theseyoungsters get out safely. An auntmet the girl’s ship in New York, andtwo weeks later, the arriving parents,Henry and Rachel.

Living conditions were verycramped and when Henry could notfind work in New York City, the fourof them moved in with their son, Julius,in Port Chester, New York. Julius’knowledge of brush-making helped hisfather, Henry, perfect an idea that hehad for a three-pronged dishwashingbrush which he named, “Lola.” FromPort Chester, New York, the parentsand daughters moved to Bridgeport,Connecticut, which was a boomingpost war community. Henry eventu-ally became prosperous again.

Earlier, when Paula was inBerlin’s Dress Designer School, her

instructor bluntly informed her that herskills would be better put to use as adressmaker. She heeded his advice,and that profession served her wellwhen she eventually went to live inCalifornia. She earned her firstmoney as a model.

In Bridgeport, Connecticut, Paulaattended the second best businessschool in the city. She was working inthe family’s five- and ten-cent storewhen a Parisian customer requested abrush to finish a sculpture. The storedid not stock the brush, and Paula said,“I personally own such a brush whichI will loan to you.” This is how Paulamet her first husband, Joseph Lefer,an artist.

After thirteen years of marriageand living in St. Petersburg, Florida,Joseph proved to be an impracticaldreamer. As a child genius, and later,a muralist, he “lived for his art.”Paula went to Reno, Nevada to obtaina divorce decree, which neededJoseph’s signature to become final.She tracked him to New Orleans,Louisiana, and found him street paint-ing in the French Quarter. He reluc-tantly signed the decree because hedid not want a divorce.

Afterwards, Paula moved back toBridgeport, Connecticut and secured asecretarial job. Her second husband,Ernst Dreyfuss, also came from Ber-lin, Germany. He was a widowed pro-fessional photographer working for aLos Angeles Company on assignmentin Texas. The two met and married inHouston, Texas, and had a very goodmarriage. They coincidentally movedin the same art circles as that of herfirst marriage. Peter, Ernst’s son froma previous marriage, and his wife,Sharon, live in Arlington, Texas.

Unfortunately, neither Ernst norPaula was aware that he had cancer.Their brief five-year marriage endedwith his death at 58. She has been awidow for 35 years.

Today, petite, well groomed Paulacontinued on page 8

Paula Dreyfuss, continued from page 6


That was the year my chin could finallyreach the railing of the women’s balcony.The Yom Kippur of the new blue dress,the one that matched the bluebonnets.

Below me, the men huddled close, wrappedin their white prayer shawls, shuttling leftto right, forward and back. They looked likemy Bubbe’s feather bed after I’d jumped in.

If I leaped over the rail I could float downto their softness and Papa would turn just in timeto catch me. Zeide would be startled, but he’dlaugh and say Vos machstu, meshugee?

Then he’d let me pull his beard. I loved to pullhis mossy beard! Beside me at the rail, my Bubbeon her wooden stool was making funny soundsinto her hankie, so I turned to stare. She was

talking to her ghosts again in those strangesyllables. This had happened many times, soI know how to make her better. Scramblinginto her soft lap, I smoothed her hairs where

How Mamalosha Found MeThe Shul, Brenham, Texas, 1944

by Lois Ruth (Levin) Roismanthey had come undone. She wrapped herarms around me, her tears on my hair, drip-ping to my new dress. We never spoke becausewe didn’t understand the other’s words.

But I knew she loved my yellow curls, and Iloved the white ones hiding underneathher bun. She rocked us softly and spoke againto her ghosts. Then looking deep through my eyes,

Bubbe slowly wiped her tears from our faces. Andthat was the moment Mamalosha first appeared,looking out at me from Bubbe’s eyes. Shy at first,then animated, she climbed out over the lids and leapt

into my life. What could I have done to stop her?Me in my bluebonnet dress, and my chinthat barely reached the women’s railing.

Lois Ruth (Levin) Roisman’s family (Levin andSusnitzky) is from Brenham, Texas, and she now lives

in New Hampshire. She is presenting this poem atBrandeis University and it is reprinted with her

permission. Contact her a [email protected].

ObituariesKenneth J. Rich

Kenneth J. Richwas born in Houston,Texas, on April 14,1963, and died Febru-ary 23, 2007. He issurvived by his lovingparents, Shirley andMarvin Rich, brotherBernard Rich, and sis-ter and brother-in-law,Elka and David Poor, three nieces, two nephewand many loving aunts, uncles, and cousins. Ken-neth was the owner of The Brew Shop, and hadmany friends in home brewing clubs as well asthroughout his Heights neighborhood. Serviceswere held on Sunday, February 25, 2007, atEmanu El Memorial Park, Kagan-Rudy Chapal.

Dreyfuss resides at Seven Acres Jewish Senior CareServices in Houston, Texas. She has friends fromGermany with whom she still keeps in touch. In fact,a couple visits her in Houston once a year.

An active participant in many of Seven Acresactivities, Paula particularly likes the program, “Readand Chat,” and is very much at home in the Library.Additionally, she attends the Monday morning YiddishHour conducted by Bill Orlin and Zoly Zamir, whohave their fascinating stories of their Hitler encounterin the past. For memory exercises, Paula keeps adaily diary.

In her modulated, soft-spoken voice, Paula’sjourney from Oldenburg, Germany to Houston, Texascontains many interesting experiences, including thestudy of piano and voice at age twenty-three, from ateacher, “who enjoyed teaching adults.” She saysshe was never a good musician, but she still loves tosing to this day.

Paula Dreyfuss, continued from page 7


Big Spring, Texas, appropriately,once had a big spring (now dry) whichwas the only reliable source of waterwithin a hundred miles. Skidi Paw-nees and Quahadi Comanches, as wellas Spanish explorers and later theUnited States Army, relied on thesprings. The area remained unsettled,however, until after the Civil War.

Barbara Israel of Tempe, Arizonatells that her great-grandfather,WilliamFisher (b.1857), and his brother JosephFisher (b.1845) were both born inSchintlin, Austria. Shortly afterWilliam’s birth, their father moved thefamily to the United States, settling inIndiana in the mid-1800s. During theCivil War, Joseph was a messenger/butcher boy, despite his broken En-glish, for General George Thomas.

After the war, he ventured to Cali-fornia, and was joined several yearslater by William. They returned toSanborn, Indiana toward the end of the1870s and began a business, but Josephheard about opportunity in West Texas,where the railroad had just pushedthrough on the way to El Paso.

Until the coming of the Texas andPacific in 1881, Brownwood suppliedthe settlers in Big Spring and the mailcame in from Fort Concho (SanAngelo). Once the railroad camethrough, Howard County and espe-cially Big Spring, were benefited by arailroad maintenance shop establishedthere. Big Spring turned into a majortrading center, a shipping point for live-stock and produce, and a supply pointfor an area extending from NewMexico to Lubbock.

Arriving in Texas, Joseph Fisherfirst bought a lot in Sweetwater, butquickly decided that Big Spring, as arailroad division point, offered greateropportunity.

As Joseph had anticipated, thepopulation of Big Spring grew rapidly.

The Jewish Community of Big Spring, Texasby Vickie Vogel

In 1880, the entire county had a popu-lation of only fifty; by 1900 the num-ber of residents had increased to2,525.

In 1882, Joseph started his busi-ness in a tent at First and Scurry. Itwas soon replaced by a wooden build-ing, which burned shortly thereafter.

Just as William had followed Jo-seph to California, he now followedhim to Big Spring in 1884. William andJoseph replaced the destroyed buildingwith one of native stone on the westside of Parker (Main) Street, in the

middle of the 100 block. The Earl ofAylesford had raised the first masonrybuilding in town, and the J&W FisherCompany became the second.Bressie Bro and Denmark built a two-story rock building across the alley tothe north, and before long, the Fishersacquired this.

Joseph, who later married AnnaKaufman, built a stately home behindthe first rock store facing west onScurry, and William, who marriedAnna’s sister, Nettie, built his homenext door.

The brothers built up their inven-tory until they soon called it the “StoreThat Has Everything”—from paper toneedles to threshing machines. TheFishers specialized in durable mer-chandise such as California (Levi)pants and shirts, heavy-duty boots,Stetson hats, heavy woolen goods forwinter, and bolts of cotton prints.

They stocked hardware and every-thing to keep the wagon in good work-ing order. Their grocery departmentheld thousands of pounds of flour andstacked cases of canned goods, 100-pound sacks of “red” beans, driedfruit, barrels of salt-cured bacon, andbuckets and barrels of lard. They of-ten bought their inventory in carloadlots.

Because the Fishers cashed war-rants (pay checks) the railroad peopletraded there as well as the ranchers.For them, the Fishers carried fanciergoods such as canned fruits, curedmeats, “cake” flour and the new solidshortening.

There was also a demand forready-made clothing. The Fisherscarried the latest styles and had aseparate millinery department. Thestory is told of a drunken cowboy wholiked the fluffy ostrich feathers andordered six for his hat. By the time hewas sober, he had lost three. He re-turned the ones he still had and paidfor the lost ones.

In 1927 a small group of Jewishfamilies formed Temple Israel in BigSpring. At first they met in homes andlater in the Settles Hotel. The Pragerswere another Jewish family in town;Bill Prager, according to Barbara Is-rael, now lives in Dallas. The Pragersalso had a store in Big Spring.

The Fisher business operated untilthe 1930s (except for when the Fish-ers returned to Indiana to educatetheir children), being later managed byWilliam’s sons, Joye and BernardFisher. Joseph’s son, Albert, went intobusiness for himself as A.M. FisherCo. W. H. Brennand, who built one ofthe show-place residences of BigSpring in the 1300 block of Jack(Lancaster) Street, bought the storefrom the Fishers, but later sold it back.



A week later, two shady mencame into his office. They said theyrepresented “The Syndicate,” AlCapone’s gang. They said that forhim to be a part of the coin machineindustry, they had to have ownershipof the business. They would pay fortheir share out of the first year’sprofit, but Philip said he didn’t need apartner. They said, “Think about it.”

That day, the electricity and lightswent out, and Philip couldn’t get themback on. After six weeks, he had themachines returned, and he and hisfamily left in the middle of the night,driving back to Houston.

When the Rich family returned toHouston in 1940, their home onWheeler was rented, which paid themortgage. They lived in a duplex onJackson at Elgin and cousins sub-rented the back bedroom. Marvinwent to Allen Elementary School andHershel attended San Jacinto HighSchool. He worked for Walter Pye atColumbia Dry Goods and developed aHouston Press route. Marvin soldLiberty magazines door-to-door in theneighborhood. Bertha worked for herbrother, Herman Krakower, at Plumb-ing Supply Company.

Philip was an inventor. At thattime, fountain sodas were made byputting syrup in a glass and addingcarbonated water. Philip made elec-tric root beer barrels using coolingcoils and washing machine parts,which mixed the syrup and soda watertogether, cooled it, and dispensed theroot beer. But when World War II be-gan, he couldn’t get sugar for syrup orparts for the barrels.

Herman Krakower bought a smallplumbing supply store at 1519 Con-gress Avenue. It carried both newand used plumbing. He took all of thenew supplies and gave the store andused supplies to Philip and Bertha.During World War II, there was pricecontrol on new parts, but not on usedones. So Philip cleaned and then soldthe used parts at good prices. Marvin

would go to the store and sort throughbins and boxes of used fittings to becleaned and sold. Philip also adver-tised and bought used fixtures, tubs,toilets, water heaters, and radiators.He would repair them and then sellthem.

He also bought small motors andtwelve-inch fan blades, had woodenboxes with mountings made, and as-sembled fans in another building onCongress Avenue. The fans soldquickly because at the end of the war,there were no new ones available.

Philip located a wire fan guardmanufacturer in Chicago and had theguards shipped to Houston. He lo-cated a motor manufacturer near De-troit who had made small motors foraircraft and now needed business.Philip flew to Detroit and contractedfor 5,000 motors, and bought fanblades from Connecticut. He had col-lege students assemble the fans forone dollar each, and every afternoontrucks from several Houston storeswould line up to buy an allotment offans to sell.

By 1946, the demand for fans wasterrific. It was very hot and fans werebeginning to be manufactured again.Philip developed an improved householdfan that was powerful, light, and wouldtilt on a wire base. He named it the“Windmaker.” The amount of businesshis company could do was limited bythe lack of working capital.

Hershel returned to Houston fromthe Navy in August, 1946, and re-turned to Rice University, where hemajored in Mechanical Engineering.Marvin worked part-time after classesin any way that he could to help, in-cluding assembling fans. At Rice Uni-versity, Hershel fell in love with asweet, lovely, brilliant sophomorenamed Hilda Atlas. After graduationin June, 1947, he began working withPhilip full time. He and Hilda weremarried September 7, 1947.

Manufacturer’s representativeswere hired to sell on commission in the

Southern states. Philip bought a ware-house at 709 Berry, west of MainStreet for expansion, but that locationwas soon outgrown. It was sold to theAlley Theater, and the warehouse con-tinued to outgrow several future loca-tions, including 1519 Congress, threelots at 2401 San Jacinto, and 2900Caroline and Tuam. Philip was alwaysbrave and optimistic and was neverafraid to go into debt. Even though helost fortunes at least five times, henever took bankruptcy, and alwayspaid his debts.

Hilda graduated from Rice in 1948with a major in philosophy. She soondecided that the business was muchmore interesting than staying home orplaying cards with her friends. Shemoved a desk into Philip’s office andhelped him with plans, making real es-tate deals, and enjoying the company.Philip loved to joke with her and ran alot of ideas by her, even though theydid not always agree.

At the Caroline Street plant, wirefan guard manufacturing began. Away was developed to make safetyguards, so that the unprotected sharpfan blades could not cut children andpets. The household fans were im-proved by adding a ring around theguard, which gave the fan universalpositioning. The new fan was calledthe “Satellite Windmaker,” since itwent to market right after the RussianSputnik was placed in orbit.

In 1952, Philip and Hershel be-came full partners and Hershel wasnamed President of the Phil Rich FanManufacturing Company, Inc. Manytypes of fans were made, including at-tic fans, commercial and industrialpedestal fans, Navy bulkhead fans, os-cillating fans, and ceiling fans for thegovernment.

Products were sold nationallythrough manufacturer agents, sellingdistributors, and dealers. All of theauto plants in Michigan used Rich’sthirty-inch fan mounted under bar




joists. Both Sears and MontgomeryWard sold Rich’s attic fans that hadbeen painted in different colors—greyand red. Consumer Report magazinetested both and reported that the greyone was better than the red one.

Marvin joined the business in1953, when he returned from thearmy. He had attended the Universityof Texas and majored in marketing,and was a very good salesman. Hesold fans to Texas and Louisiana deal-ers, school systems, and manned na-tional trade show booths. Marvinmarried lovely Shirley Mayer on Au-gust 28, 1959, and became MarketingManager for the company.

Philip served on the Board of thenew Temple Emanuel, where Marvinbecame the first Bar Mitzvah. Philipwas a member of the Downtown Opti-mist Club and was active until he diedin 1964. Hershel assumed his mem-bership. At the age of sixty-five,Philip took the Dale Carnegie course“How to Win Friends and InfluencePeople,” where he won a prize for themost improved public speaker.

One of Philip’s life ambitions wasfulfilled when he and Bertha took atrip back to Schverzne in 1958. Whenhe returned, he wrote a five-page let-

ter to his boyhood friend, WillieGallow, in Detroit describing his visit.It is a very emotional letter and so de-scriptive that when Marvin and Shirleywent to Schverzne in 1994, they usedthe letter as a guide.

The Houston Chamber of Com-merce recognized Philip for his excel-lent business practices. The HoustonChronicle recognized him as “ANeighbor of Note” in 1969. In thatarticle, Philip said, “Look at me. I was52 years old, flat broke, and in debt.And I haven’t done so badly. You cando the same.”

Philip was a real entrepreneur.After each move of the fan companyto larger facilities, he converted theproperty to rental, and then would sellit. He was also a partner in an apart-ment project with Allen Fields calledRichField Manor, still operating onBlodgett Street. He and Hershel werealso partners with Melvin Silverman ina large project called RosewoodApartments, near Texas Southern Uni-versity.

He built forty units of apartmentsoff of Telephone Road behind a build-ing that was another expansion of PhilRich Fan Manufacturing Company at6040 Telephone Road. The General

Services Administration wanted thebuilding for NASA, and the buildingwas later sold to Ambox Manufactur-ing Company. Another profitable realestate venture was the 3333 FanninBuilding, designed by JosephKrakower and built in ninety days byMeyerson Construction Company.Southwestern Bell occupied the build-ing for seven years, and it was leasedto two major tenants until it sold sev-eral years ago.

Philip and J. B. Belin developedHilltop Lakes Resort City in LeonCounty. He and Bertha enjoyed visit-ing for the weekend and staying at theLodge. Philip’s final venture was withUnited Inns of America, which had thefranchise for Holiday Inns. Philip metthe owner, Dr. Cockcroft, and they be-came good friends. In a partnershipwith Dr. Cockcroft, they built the Holi-day Inn Central. It was under con-struction when Philip died on Septem-ber 15, 1964, which was Erev YomKippur.

Philip died the week before Morty,Hershel’s son, was to become a BarMitzvah. Philip Rich truly lived anAmerican dream and his children andgrandchildren are proud to carry hisname.


The Fishers were remembered fortheir integrity and generosity to thecommunity, donating to construction ofschools, churches, and lodge halls.Poor families were treated with re-spect and generosity.

“I am part of the line that comefrom Joseph and am still trying to findout where one of his sons went andconnect with his descendents. Butthis will help, I think,” writes Barbara.“Joseph had two children, Albert andZadie. Albert had two sons Albert andEdward. Edward married and lived inSan Angelo and had no children. I be-lieve Albert, Jr. moved to Sacramento

in the 1950s and he had two sons, Pauland Gregory. As for William, he andhis wife had three children, Bernard,Joye, and Irma. I stay in contact withIrma’s daughter, Babbette Samuels.She lives in Corsicana, Texas. Mymother, Betty Jean, was an only childand Bernard and his wife had onechild as well. To make relationshipsclose again, my great-grandparentswere two brothers marrying two sis-ters (William Fisher/Nettie Kaufman)(Joseph Fisher/Anna Kaufman) andmy grandparents did the same (JoyeFisher/Rhea Eckhaus) (BernardFisher/Francis Eckhaus).”

If you have information about Jo-seph Fisher’s descendents, [email protected].

Bibliography:Barbara Israel, Tempe, Arizona, email

correspondence with author.Howard County, The Handbook of

Texas Online. http://www.tsha/utexas.edu/handbook/online/articles/HH/hch20.html

John R. Hutto, Howard County in theMaking (Big Spring, Texas:Jordan’s, 1938)

Joe Pickle, Getting’ Started: HowardCounty’s First 25 Years (BigSpring, Texas: Heritage Museum,1980)

Big Spring, continued from page 9


Echo Hill Ranch Plans55th Anniversary Celebration

by Barbara RaynorEcho Hill Ranch in Medina, Texas,

will host a 55th Anniversary FamilyCamp and Alumni Retreat July 28-29,2007. Activities will include hill climbs,swimming, horseback riding, and friedchicken for Sunday lunch! Saturdaynight will be a 55th Anniversary Cel-ebration around the camp fire.

“When my Mom and Dad openedthe Ranch fifty-five years ago, theywanted to create a non-competive,child-centered summer camp, whereeach child could grow and explore his

or her own interests and tal-ents in a well-supervised,structured, but relaxed envi-ronment,” said Roger Fried-man, co-owner and Execu-tive Director. “Times havechanged—and my parentsare no longer with us—buttheir spirit and vision forEcho Hill is still evident ineverything we do.”

In fact, a day in the lifeof Echo Hill Ranch in 2007

is virtually identicalto a day in the life atEcho Hill Ranch in1957—and neitherthe staff nor theranchers would haveit any other way.Jewish values alsoplay a key role inshaping the camp’sphilosophy. Fried-man continues, “ Myparents believed that ‘youshould always leave a placebetter than you found it,’ whichechoes the Jewish teaching oftikkum olam, or repairing theworld.

“So we try to instill in ourcampers an appreciation andrespect for the world and thepeople around them by provid-

The Friedman Family, 1961, top to bottom:Uncle Tom, Richard, Aunt Min, Marcie,

and Roger

The Friedman Family, left to right (top):Roger and David, (bottom): Amanda,

Roz Beroza, and Michaela

ing them with ways to take care ofthat world and their fellow campers.”

Participants for the AnniversaryCelebration are welcome to stay at theranch, and everyone who attends willreceive a complimentary 55th Anni-versary t-shirt. For registration andmore information, go towww.echohill.org or call830-589-7739.

Lone Stars of DavidLone Stars of David—A Hit!A Hit!by Davie Lou Solka

The book about Texas in the Brandeis Series inAmerican Jewish History is being acclaimed by everyonewho has read it. Published by the University Press ofNew England, in association with the Texas Jewish His-torical Society, the book is now in its second printing.

Lone Stars of David: The Jews of Texas, com-piled and edited by Hollace Ava Weiner and Kenneth

D. Roseman, Texas Jewish Historical Society members, isa collection of twenty-one chapters by three dozen knowl-edgeable authors. Each chapter is written with its ownbibliography and tells the stories of the varied roles thatJews have played in Texas history in regard to education,petroleum, merchandising, and philanthropy. There are



The Texas Jewish Historical Soci-ety is pleased to co-sponsor a series ofpublic programs in May in conjunction

with the publication of the new bookLone Stars of David: The Jews ofTexas, co-edited by Hollace AvaWeiner and Kenneth D. Roseman.Partnering with the Goldring/Woldenberg Institute of Southern Jew-ish Life, the TJHS will present lec-tures in Dallas, Houston, Waco, andWichita Falls by historians who con-tributed to the book. Weiner, a writerand archivist, and Dr. Stuart Rockoff,Director of the History Department atthe Goldring/Woldenberg Institute ofSouthern Jewish Life, will headline thistour. Weiner will discuss the chal-lenges of compiling this new collectionof essays on the history of Jews inTexas while Rockoff will discuss hisessay “Deep in the Heart of Palestine:Zionism in Early Texas.”

On May 8, Weiner and Rockoffwill speak at the Wichita Falls Mu-seum of Art at 7:00 PM. On May 9,Rockoff will speak at the annual meet-ing of the Dallas Jewish Historical So-

Lone Stars of David: The Jews of TexasHits the Road!

ciety held at the Jewish CommunityCenter of Dallas, with Weiner intro-ducing him and sharing a slide show of

photos from the anthology. TheDallas meeting starts at 7:00 PM,with the program to begin at 7:30PM. Weiner and Rockoff travel toTemple Rodef Sholom in Waco onMay 10 for a 7:00 PM program.The tour concludes on May 14 atthe Houston Jewish CommunityCenter, with Dr. Bryan E. Stone ofCorpus Christi’s Del Mar Collegejoining Rockoff and Weiner to dis-cuss his essay, “On the Frontier:Jews without Judaism.” The BestLittle Klezmer Band in Texas willkick off the event at 7:30 PM, withthe historians starting at 8:00 PM.These events will be part of cel-ebrating Jewish American HeritageMonth, which was recently createdby congressional legislation and

signed by President Bush.Co-sponsors for the Lone Stars of

David tour, besides the TJHS and theGoldring/Woldenberg Institute of

Hollace Ava Weiner

Dr. Stuart Rockoff, Director of theHistory Department at the

Goldring/Woldenberg Institute ofSouthern Jewish Life.

Dr. Bryan E. Stone,contributor to the book.

Southern Jewish Life include the Dal-las Jewish Historical Society, Congre-gation House of Jacob in Wichita Falls,the Wichita Falls Area CommunityFoundation, the Waco Jewish Commu-nity Council, and the Houston JewishCommunity Center. The tour is alsosupported by Humanities Texas. Formore information, contact TJHS presi-dent Vickie Vogel at [email protected] Stuart Rockoff at 601-362-6357 [email protected].


TJHS Members Meeting in

The TJHS Meeting and Banquet was held January, 2007in Kingsville. Left to right: TJHS President Vickie Vogel,David Vogel, and guest speaker Dr. Allen Rasmussen of

Texas A&M University in Kinsgville.

Lolo, aKing Ranch

retiredcowboy (re-ferred to asa Kineño),

played RedRiver Valleyon his har-

monicafor us.

David Hoffman

Rebecca and Maurice Schmidt

TJHS Members at King Ranch

Board MembersJan Hart,

Charles Hart,and Greg Meyer

are hard at work.


Kingsville, January, 2007

Left to Right: Binnie Hoffman, Nancy Hoffman, DavidHoffman, Charles Hart, Jan Hart.

Shirley Gindler, Bob Gindler, Ed Katten

Maurice Schmidt tells Society membersabout his art, which is in the background.

TJHS Board Members

Jake and Beverly Trachtenberg

Left to right: Keith Rosen, Barbara Lack, Jay Lack,Don Teter, Gertrude Teter

Mabel Massin


Meeting in Kingsville, January, 2007

TJHS Treasurer Ben Pfeffer.

Bryan Edward Stone

Marilyn Jorrie, Jane Guzman, David Vogel, and Vickie Vogel

Board members from left to right: Mitzi Milstein, Rusty Milstein,David Hoffman, Marvin Leshin, and Beverly Trachtenberg

Keith Rosen Sally Drayer

Left to right: Mitzi Milstein, Sally Drayer, CharlesHart, Jan Hart, Rusty Milstein


Honor or Memorialize a Friend or a Loved OneWith a Donation to the Endowment Fund

of The Texas Jewish Historical SocietyWhen you honor or memorialize a friend

or a loved one with a donation to the TexasJewish Historical Society’s Endowment Fund,you help support important programs. Honora friend or a loved one with your memorial orother type of contribution today. Send thehonoree’s full name, type of honor (memorial,congratulations, and occasion—birthday, anni-versary, award, new child or grandchild, etc.)and your name, along with a check in theamount of your choice to:

The Texas Jewish Historical SocietyP. O. Box 10193

Austin, TX 78766-0193

Upon receipt of your gift, you will receivean acknowledgment card. Your support ofTexas Jewish Historical Society’s programs isgreatly appreciated and will be recognized inan issue of the quarterly news magazine.Thank you.

The Texas Jewish Historical Society Gratefully acknowledges yourgift to its Endowment Fund in the amount of

$____________

In honor/memory of: __________________________________

___________________________________________________

Recipient: Name: _____________________________

Address: _____________________________

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Donor Information:Name: _____________________________

Address: _____________________________

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An acknowledgment will be sent to the recipient.Your gift will further the efforts to record, preserve, and disseminate

historic information about Texas Jewish culture.

Order Lone Stars of David: The Jews of Texas while supplies last.

Number of books _______ x $34.95 = $ ________

Tax = $ 2.88

Shipping, and Handling = $ 4.25

$ .50 additional s/h per book = $ ________

Total: $ ________For membership discount price, email [email protected]

Send check or money order toTJHS, P. O. Box 10193, Austin, TX 78766-0193

The book about Texas in the Brandeis Series in AmericanJewish History is being acclaimed by everyone who has readit. Published by the University Press of New England, inassociation with the Texas Jewish Historical Society, the bookis now in its second printing.

Lone Stars of David: The Jews ofTexas, compiled and edited by Hollace AvaWeiner and Kenneth D. Roseman, Texas

Jewish HistoricalSociety mem-bers, is a collec-tion of twenty-one chapters bythree dozenknowledgeableauthors. Eachchapter is writtenwith its own

Own Your Own Piece of Historybibliography and tells the stories of the varied roles thatJews have played in Texas history in regard to educa-tion, petroleum, merchandising and philanthropy. Thereare chapters on particular families, areas, individuals,and topics.


Texas Jewish Historical Society’s Annual

Left to right: Roy Elsner, Essie Elsner, Selma Winkler,Ed Winkler, Max Stool

Members toured the Odessa Presidential Library.

Roy Elsner and Barbara Graff.Commissioner Graff, an OdessaCounty Commissioner, gave thewelcome address on Saturday.

TJHS members toured the Jewish section of the Odessa cemetery.

Dr. Frank Kasman was thechair of the Saturday

evening banquet.

Hollace Weiner was presented witha surprise gift from TJHS

President Vickie Vogel.


Gathering in Odessa, April 21-23, 2007

Rusty Milstein

Dr. Jane Winer, our speaker, Dr. Monty Strauss,and Dr. Frank Kasman

Hollace Weiner and Gary Whitfield

Barbara Rosenberg, chair ofbook marketing

Roy Elsner gave ahistory of Jews inOdessa and the Per-mian Basin.

The Attendees of the 28th Annual Gathering Barbara Graff


Annual Gathering in Odessa

Sonja Stein, Jane Guzman, and Jim Stein

Roy Elsner, Bob Gindler, and BenRosenberg admire the “Nose Art” at the

Commemorative Air Museum.

Roy Elsner

FrankKasman,Jan Hart,and SheilaRosenfeld

Dr. Jane Winer Spoke aboutTexas Tech University’s West

Texas Jewish Archives.Standing: Dr. Monty Strauss, Dr. Jane Winer, and PaulFelt. Seated: Hollace Weiner, Noel Graubart, Mickey

Graubart


Texas Jewish Historical Society 2006-2007

Officers

Vickie Vogel (La Grange) ...................................................................... PresidentGreg Meyer (San Antonio) ...................................................... 1st Vice-PresidentBob Gindler (Sugar Land) ...................................................... 2nd Vice-PresidentDavid Hoffman (Evant) .......................................................... 3rd Vice-PresidentBen Pfeffer (Houston) ........................................................................... TreasurerOpen ................................................................................... Recording SecretaryJan Siegel Hart (Temple) .............................................. Corresponding SecretaryRusty Milstein (Longview) ......................................................... ParliamentarianSally Drayer (Dallas) ............................................................................. HistorianIma Joy Gandler (Waco) ....................................................................... Archivist

Board of Trustees 2006-2008Ralph Frapart (Brownsville)Elaine Greenberg (Houston)Lynn Greenberg (Houston)Neil Gurwitz (Bastrop)Jane Guzman (Dallas)Dorothy Harelik (Hamilton)Nancy Hoffman (Austin)Ed Katten (Waco)Howard Lackman (Arlington)Marvin Leshin (Corpus Christi)

Alan Livingston (Houston)Selma Mantel (Houston)Allen Mondell (Dallas)Sheila Rosenfield (Austin)Robin Schriefer (New Braunfels)Davie Lou Solka (Corpus Christi)Max Stool (San Antonio)David Vogel (La Grange)Hollace Weiner (Fort Worth)

Board of Trustees 2007-2009Elaine Albin (Rockport)Harold Berman (Dallas)Leon Brachman (Fort Worth)Douglas Braudaway (Del Rio)Carol Brin (Dallas)Charlene Hertz (McAllen)Franklin Kasman (Midland)Barbara Lack (Victoria)Yetta Leshin (Corpus Christi)Michael Levine (Waco)

Ruth Litwin (Plano)Mabel Massin (Houston)Mitzi Milstein (Longview)Susan Novick (El Paso)Samylu Rubin (Dallas)Shari Schwartz (El Paso)Jan Statman (Longview)Lonnie (Karotkin) Taub (Austin)Beverly Trachtenberg (Houston)Marc Wormser (Corpus Christi)


Houston Historical ToursSouthern Caribbean Jewish Heritage Tour

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Welcome New Members!November 30, 2006 - April 1, 2007

Has YourAddress

Changed?Has your address changed?

What about your area code orphone number? Has your namechanged? Do you want yourname to appear differently on theTJHS mailing label? Please letus know. We’d really appreciateyour help. Please send newinformation to:

Leon Brachman3720 Autumn DriveFort Worth, TX 76109phone: 817-924-9207e-mail: [email protected]

Aaron, Steve & Carol9707 Meadow Brook Dr.Dallas, TX 75220

Alice Music Study Club500 W. Fifth St.Alice, TX 78332

Braudaway, Douglas & Wilma105 Kim Dr.Del Rio, TX [email protected]

Brooks, Richard & ClaireP. O. Box 4534Austin, TX 78765

Cohen, Marvin355 N. Post Oak Ln., #646Houston, TX 77024

Cohen, Sylvia (Deener)252 Shadow Mountain Dr.El Paso, TX [email protected]

Eisen, Jay & Mindy2135 WoodsfieldBeaumont, TX 77706

Krause, Dan & Carolyn1134 Mill SpringsRichardson, TX 75080

Langston, Scott206 MitchellWeatherford, TX 76087

Levine, Michael & Sarah2101 Lake James Dr.Waco, TX 76710254-772-1181fax: [email protected]

Litwin, Martin & Ruth5813 Wild Ridge Ct.Plano, TX 75024972-370-0100fax: [email protected]

MaqomP. O. Box 31900Houston, TX 77031

Rosenzweig, Sara1432 SpurLubbock, TX 79423

Serebrin Family2210 South Blvd.Houston, TX 77098

Statman, Max & Jan (Berliner)461 Country PlaceLongview, TX 75605903-663-0645

Straus, Monty J. & Jane L. Winer4209 88th St.Lubbock, TX 79423

Wang, Daniel & Victoria271 Nahanton St.Newton, MA 02459

Wormser, Marc & Joyce4301 Boros Dr.Corpus Christi, TX 78413

chapters on particular families, areas, individuals, and topics.The book has been awarded the Doelece Parmelee

Award for achievement in Preservation through HistoricalResearch from the Texas History Foundation. Weiner andRoseman accepted the award at a banquet in April. LoneStars of David is one of the books in the Brandeis Series inAmerican Jewish History, published by the University Pressof New England, in association with the Texas Jewish His-torical Society, and is available at major bookstores or fromthe TJHS.

It’s difficult to choose which chapter is a favorite –they are all well written and interesting. TumbleweedSmith, Texas Folklorist, has said, “…It’s a fascinatingscholarly work written by some talented storytellers.”

Lone Stars of David may be purchased at majorbookstores, gift stores, or from the Texas Jewish HistoricalSociety. It is $34.95, plus $7.13, which includes tax, ship-ping, and handling. Make check payable to Texas JewishHistorical Society and mail to P. O. Box 10193, Austin, TX78766-0193.

Lone Stars of David, continued from page 12


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Texas Jewish Historical SocietyNew Membership and Information Update Form

Membership Category! $36 Annual Member ! $100 Sponsor ! $500 Benefactor! $50 Supporting Member ! $250 Sustaining Member ! $1,000 Patron

Donor or New Member’s Name(s): ____________________________________________________________

Maiden Name: ______________________Address: _______________________________________________

City: ___________________________________________ State: ______________ Zip: _____________

Home telephone: (_____)______________ Cell: (____)_______________ Fax: (_____)_______________

E-mail address(es): _____________________________ Website:________________________________Contributions to the Texas Jewish Historical Society are tax deductible within the limits of the law.

2007 April

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