Established in 1854, Congregation Beth Israel is one of the oldest Jewish congregations in Texas, and boasts a long and fascinating history. A center of the national Reform Jewish movement, the congregation serves more than 1,600 households throughout the greater Houston area. The campus can be found in Southwest Houston and offers weekly Shabbat Services, Torah study, and a number of educational, cultural, and social programs. Congregation Beth Israel also supports a religious school in the Miriam Browning Jewish Learning Center, and the Shlenker school, providing over 800 students with quality education, grounded in Jewish values. The clergy team is currently (2019) led by Senior Rabbi David Lyon.
A famous figure on the Houston Jewish scene, Rabbi Hyman Judah Schachtel served as the Senior Rabbi at Congregation Beth Israel from 1943 to 1975, and as Rabbi Emeritus from 1975 to 1990. Hugely influential, Schachtel wrote a number of books including “The Real Enjoyment of Living” and “The Life You Want to Live,” hosted his own radio show on KODA-FM, and delivered the inaugural prayer for President Lyndon B. Johnson in Washington D.C. in 1965.
4.25 Linear Feet (8 boxes)
English
The materials are arranged in six series, as follows:
Series I: Programs and Catalogues
Series II: Directories
Series III: History and Memorabilia
Series IV: Books
Series V: Temple Bulletins
Series VI: Oversize
Part of the Woodson Research Center, Rice University, Houston, Texas Repository