Research Resources
TJHS Resources
The TJHS Magazine
The TJHS Magazine (1980-present) is published quarterly with stories of Texas Jewish families and events, from personal recollections and research in the TJHS Collection at the Briscoe Center American History, the University of Texas at Austin.
The TJHS Magazine is distributed to all TJHS Members and to archives, congregations, and archives worldwide.
An electronic archive of all issues can found on this TJHS Website, along with an index of contents by keywords such as subject name, title, name, or author.
Texas Jewish Historical Society Collection
The TJHS Collection has been established at the Briscoe Center for American History, University of Texas at Austin. The Collection contains the official records of the Texas Jewish Historical Society, as well source materials; documents; and family, community, and organization histories, dating from 1824 to the present. The Collection is organized by the Briscoe Center into nine series: Administration of TJHS, Communities, Family Histories, Rabbis and Cantors, Texas Jewish Organizations, Published Materials, Photographs, Audio, and Video and Film.
Encyclopedia of Southern Jewish Communities – Texas
The Goldring/Woldenberg Institute of Southern Jewish Life (ISJL), throughout its thirteen-state region, works with individuals, congregations, and organizations to preserve the storied past of southern Jews, as well as enriching the ongoing experience of Jews in the contemporary American South. ISJL has produced an Encyclopedia of Southern Jewish Communities.
In 2011, the Texas Jewish Historical Society awarded a grant for the research and authorship of the Texas section of this ISJL project. Included are histories of Jewish communities in 65 Texas towns and cities.
Virtual Restoration of Small-Town Texas Synagogues
The Texas Jewish Historical Society in 1996 provided a grant for a project to document vanishing small-town Texas synagogues and their Jewish communities. This project was undertaken by Houston, Texas, architect Robert P. Davis, who produced virtual computer models of 27 synagogues in 25 small Texas towns with accompanying reflections on the Jewish communities in these towns, and a series of essays on the Jewish experience in Texas.
TJHS Texas Jewish Burials Database
The Texas Jewish Historical Society maintains a database of Texas Jewish burials. The goal of this project is to include all Jewish burials in Texas, in all types of cemeteries.
Included are 1) consecrated Jewish cemeteries separate from any other cemeteries, (2) sections of non-sectarian cemeteries consecrated and dedicated as Jewish cemeteries and (3) Jewish burials in non-Jewish cemeteries.
Name, birth/death dates, and cemetery for each burial, along with other information, are recorded in the database.
History Publications
TJHS has provided financial support for publications on Texas Jewish history, including the following books, available in libraries and the TJHS Collection (Briscoe Center UT-Austin); and for purchase on amazon.com:
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Lone Stars of David: The Jews of Texas, Hollace Ava Weiner and Kenneth D. Roseman (Editors), Brandeis University Press, 2007
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Jewish Stars in Texas: Rabbis and Their Work, Hollace Ava Weiner (Author), Texas A&M Press, 1999
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Deep in the Heart: The Lives and Legends of Texas Jews, Ruthe Lewin Winegarten and Cathy Schechter (Authors), Eakin Press, 1990
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Most Fortunate Unfortunates: The Jewish Orphans’ Home of New Orleans, Marlene Trestman (Author), LSU Press, 2023
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Rope Walker: A Texas Jewish History Mystery, Jim Yarin, (Author), 248 Ancestors, 2020.
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Synagogues of the South – Texas
Researched and written by architectural historian Samuel D. Gruber, this online exhibit explores the mostly lost history of synagogues in the American South through the lens of dozens of postcard images from the William A. Rosenthall Collection at the College of Charleston. These views illustrate Jewish sanctuaries across a broadly defined “South,” stretching from Maryland to Florida and west to Missouri, Oklahoma, and Texas. Most of the images date from the early 20th century and represent former synagogues: buildings now either transformed for new purposes or demolished. This project was funded in part by a grant from the Texas Jewish Historical Society.
Texas Resources
Briscoe Center for American History, University of Texas at Austin
The Texas Jewish Historical Society maintains its TJHS Collection archive at the Briscoe Center for American History. The Briscoe Center preserves and makes available documentary and material culture evidence encompassing key themes in Texas and U.S. history. Researchers, students, and the public use its collections for a wide range of academic, professional, and personal uses.
Dallas Jewish Historical Society
The mission of the Dallas Jewish Historical Society is to preserve and protect collections of written, visual and audible materials that document the history of the Dallas Jewish community, to make these materials available to the public and researchers, and to keep the past as a living legacy for the community.
Greater Houston Jewish Genealogical Society
The Greater Houston Jewish Genealogical Society is a non-profit organization dedicated to collecting, preserving and disseminating genealogical information, techniques and research tools among individuals who are interested in Jewish genealogy and family history. The Society has members with a broad-range of genealogical skills and knowledge who are willing to share information with both the beginner and more experienced researchers.
Joan and Stanford Alexander South Texas Jewish Archives
The Joan and Stanford Alexander South Texas Archives is a collaborative effort between Rice University’s Program in Jewish Studies and the Woodson Research Center in the Rice University Fondren Library. Begun in 2017 in the wake of Hurricane Harvey, the Archive is dedicated to the study and preservation of Jewish life in Houston and throughout South Texas.
The Ackerman Center for Holocaust Studies, University of Texas at Dallas
The Ackerman Center is a distinguished and publicly-engaged academic center that offers an in-depth view of the Holocaust, genocide, and human rights studies within a dedicated facility. It provides an educational, engaging, and transformative experience for their diverse students, who carry the mission with them as educators, professionals, and leaders in America and around the world.
Schusterman Center for Jewish Studies, University of Texas at Austin
The Schusterman Center for Jewish Studies at the University of Texas at Austin, was founded in 2007 with an approved undergraduate major. The Center’s core mission is to integrate Jewish Studies into the undergraduate curriculum and to make the University of Texas at Austin a center of excellence in research and teaching of Jewish Studies.
Texas Historical Commission
The Texas Historical Commission is the official state agency for historic preservation. Its mission is to protect and preserve the state’s historic and prehistoric resources for the use, education, enjoyment, and economic benefit of present and future generations. Its staff consults with citizens and organizations to preserve Texas history through its architectural, archeological, and cultural landmarks.
Texas State Historical Association
The Texas State Historical Association, organized in Austin in 1897, is the oldest learned society in the state. Its mission is to “foster the appreciation, understanding, and teaching of the rich and unique history of Texas and, by example and through programs and activities, encourage and promote research, preservation, and publication of historical material affecting the state of Texas.” The association’s publications include the Southwestern Historical Quarterly, more than 150 scholarly books, the Texas Almanac, and the well-known Handbook of Texas Online.
Texas State Library and Archives Commission
The Texas State Library and Archives is the official archive of the State of Texas. In addition to the main Lorenzo de Zavala State Archives and Library in Austin, it also maintains the Sam Houston Regional Library and Research Center in Liberty, Texas. The Texas State Library and Archives has recently created a Texas Digital Archive as a repository of state government information in electronic format, as well as the TexShare and TexQuest programs bringing digital content to residents of the state through local libraries.
San Antonio Genealogical and Historical Society
The San Antonio Genealogical and Historical Society, founded in 1959, maintains a library of over 15,000 books, publishes an award-winning semiannual journal and society books, and conducts educational seminars, classes, and workshops.
The Portal to Texas History
The Portal to Texas History is a gateway to rare, historical, and primary source materials from or about Texas. Created and maintained by the University of North Texas Libraries, the Portal leverages the power of hundreds of content partners across the state to provide a vibrant, growing collection of resources.
Galveston Historic Seaport
The Galveston Historic Seaport has compiled the nation’s only computerized listing of immigrants to Galveston. Visitors can search for information taken from ships’ passenger manifests pertaining to their ancestors’ arrival in Texas. For convenience, the database is also available online.
Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum
The Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum maintains an archive and library collection of over 20,000 artifacts, including papers, photographs, oral histories, and publications. A portion of these have been digitized and are available online through a searchable database.
Holocaust Museum Houston
Holocaust Museum Houston is dedicated to educating people about the Holocaust, remembering the 6 million Jews and other innocent victims and honoring the survivors’ legacy. The museum maintains a database of Holocaust survivors in the Houston area.
The Holocaust Memorial Museum of San Antonio
The Holocaust Memorial Museum of San Antonio provides educational programs and exhibits on the Holocaust. Oral histories of Holocaust survivors in the San Antonio area were conducted and maintained for education, research, and genealogy.
Regional and State Jewish Historical Societies