26. South Texas Jewish Archives

As part of the Los Angeles Jewish community, Robert Levy interacts with a number of its organizations and institutions. Mostly dated in the early 1930s, Robert Levy’s family papers offer a glimpse of Jewish life in Los Angeles nearly a century ago.

Made up of mostly class photos from Beth Yeshurun Day school, the Friedman Family papers show David and Rachel Friedman growing up in the tight-knit community formed by Beth Yeshurun’s outreach to Houston Jews.

The collection consists of one box of correspondence to members of the Kristal family from 1921 to 1925, including two wedding invitations, and one news clipping. The majority of the correspondence is in Yiddish and much of it is from relatives in the Poland.

The collection contains one box of convention materials, newsletters, directories, and event materials collected by Carolyn Litowich during her time as a member of B'nai B'rith Youth Organiztion/B'nai B'rith Girls in the 1950's.

The Dattle Family papers are made up of certificates, records, and a photo recording the marriage and military service of Phillip Dattle.

This collection is made up of one box containing awards, books, event materials, memorabilia, and organization documents from the B'nai B'rith Youth Organization, spanning from 1956-2011.

BBYO yearbooks, an oral history interview, speeches given by Bell, and programs and booklets from Congregations Adath Emeth and Beth Yeshurun events document some of the activities David Bell participated in from 1941 to 2023.

The collection consists of personal photographs, a play written about Ben Katz, Beth Yeshurun programs, a VHS recording, and materials about the history of Beth Yeshurun that document some activities and interests of the Katz family within the Houston Jewish community from 1939 to 1991.

The Colish / Samuels Family Papers follow the early days of Rabbi Robert Lewis Samuels through his attendance at Lanier Junior High and San Jacinto High School, his Confirmation, and participation in activities like the Aleph Zadik Aleph organization and sports teams for football and baseball.

This collection consists of correspondence, publicity materials, a statement about the founding of the Joan and Stanford Alexander South Texas Jewish Archives, formerly known as the Houston Jewish History Archive (HJHA), meeting materials, newsletters, and news clippings that feature the work the STJA is doing to preserve materials belonging to individuals and synagogues in the Houston Jewish community following the damage wrought by Hurricane Harvey in 2017.