2018 November

Preserving Jewish Heritage in Texas Est. 1980 Texas Jewish TM Historical Society November 2018 News Magazine Relatives, Retail, and Religion on the Rio Grande by David Perl “Are you related to Sam the boarding house in which Perl, from Brownsville?” he was living escaped the I’ve heard that question worst of the destruction. a hundred times. And yes, he My grandfather loved to tell was my grandfather. Often the story that the rest of the the follow-up goes some- family was due to arrive in thing like “my father took the port of Galveston the me down to Perl Bros. on very day of the storm but Elizabeth Street to buy my was instead diverted to New first suit.” Much has been Orleans at the last moment. written about my grandfather, Life in Galveston was a colorful, larger-than-life hard. In addition to stints character whose role as a re- as a bookkeeper and trav- spected downtown merchant eling salesman, one of my and civic booster was only grandfather’s earliest jobs part of his legacy. was helping Rabbi Henry Sam’s brother Leon Cohen as a runner of sorts was the other owner of facilitating the resettlement Perl Bros. In 1900 they had activities associated with immigrated to Galveston the Galveston Project. His from Podhajce, Austria, with brother Leon, on the other their mother Rebecca, sister hand, left Galveston for Belle and older brother Joe. Beaumont to learn the retail My great-grandfather Wolf trade under the tutelage of had arrived in Galveston his uncle Louis Perl. one or two years earlier and Drawn by advertise- escaped tragedy in the Great ments for “the Magic Galveston Hurricane, when The Perl brothers. Left to Right: Joe and Sam. Seated in front: Leon. continued on page 6 IN THIS ISSUE: Come to Brownsville for Isaac Solka ................................................................ 3 by Jack Solka Texas History Day Award ........................................ 6 the Winter Board Meeting by Willie Braudaway Restoration of Baytown Synagogue .......................11 by Joan Linares January 25-27, 2019 Popular Dry Goods ................................................ 14 Registration form in this issue. by Vickie Vogel Texas Jewish Historical Society - November 2018 © 1980-2018 Texas Jewish Historical Society, Inc. All rights reserved. Page 1 Message from the President by Davie Lou Solka Abilene, Texas is a charm- rived. The community wel- We worshipped in the lovely ing community with wonder- comed them with open arms sanctuary just as those servicemen and ful people. From the moment and at the request of the their families did. There have been we arrived in Abilene, ev- chaplain prepared to build a a few changes, but basically, it’s the eryone was very welcoming, synagogue building, a fund same size building that was built in hospitable, and friendly. raising campaign was begun. 1942. Camp Barkeley closed in 1945, Located in West Texas, and Donations were made by and Dyess Air Force Base opened a distance from other Jewish the Jewish and non-Jewish in 1952 with the romance between communities, Temple Mizpah community, and the present the Jewish soldiers and the Jews in has become the Jewish home building was built in one Abilene continuing. for Abilene Jews. We were wined and month in 1942 at a cost of $4,855! The highlight of our weekend was dined and found the Jewish history in In addition to religious services, the the unexpected (to most of us) jewel of Abilene to be interesting, as we have congregation hosted weddings and Abilene—the 12th Armored Division discovered in other isolated Jewish many holiday celebrations – including Memorial Museum. This museum communities. With the presence of the a Seder in 1944 for 1200 people. The explores the Division from Camp Bar- military (Dyess Air Force Base) and Seder was held at the Camp in the kley and the ways these men partici- several institutions of higher education, Mess Hall, where the kitchen had been pated in World War II. Included is a Abilene has much to offer. cleaned and repainted; new dishes and room dedicated to those who perished There have been Jews in Abilene pots and pans were purchased; and in the Holocaust and how the men of since the late 1800s, but there was not kosher meat came from New York and the 12th Division liberated satellite a synagogue building until World War Chicago. The small group of the La- camps near Dachau. Eighth graders II began. Camp Barkeley grew and dies Auxiliary made over 2,500 matza from area schools are brought here to a large number of Jewish soldiers ar- balls! learn about the Holocaust—as one of our group said to Bill Lenches, Execu- tive Director/Curator of the Museum, The Texas Jewish Historical Society “This is your Holocaust Museum.” I November 2018 recommend that you visit the museum if you are in Abilene or nearby—it’s Quarterly News Magazine worth the trip. As I said, the people of Abilene The Texas Jewish Historical Society News Magazine is published four were so welcoming and led by Barba- times annually. Stories about Texas Jewish history, oral histories, and re- ra “Bunny” Pollack and Sybil Crane, quests for assistance with research are welcome, as are photographs and his- gave us many memories of another torical documents. Please provide color photocopies or scans at 300 dpi or successful TJHS weekend. Thanks to greater in gif, tif, or jpg format, and send electronically to Editor Jack Solka at [email protected] or by mail to 3808 Woodbrook Circle, Austin, TX 78759, continued on page 21 512-527-3799. Be sure to include your name and contact information. The News Magazine of the Editor Jack Solka Texas Jewish Historical Society Layout/Design Editor Alexa Kirk (USPS) is published four times a year by the Texas Jewish Histor- Note: The Texas Jewish Historical Society is unable to ical Society, P. O. Box 10193, guarantee the safe receipt and/or return of documents Austin, Texas 78766-0193, Travis and photographs. It is strongly recommended that you County. Periodical postage paid provide color photocopies of both color and black & at Houston, Texas. Postmaster, white documents. We welcome your comments and send address changes to the Texas suggestions. Jewish Historical Society, P. O. Visit us on the web at www.txjhs.org. Box 10193, Austin, Texas 78766- 0193. www.txjhs.org Page 2 Texas Jewish Historical Society - November 2018 Isaac Solka 1905 - 1986 by Jack Solka This is Isaac Solka’s end of hostilities. While life story. His family living in Russia, George name at birth was Tzalke. was old enough to be When he lived in Mexico drafted into the Russian from 1924 to 1945, his army. When they were name was modified to going places my father Calka. Since his brother would ride or walk ahead George spelled his name of my uncle and acted Solka, my father changed as a “look out.” He the name to Solka when would signal his older we moved to the U.S. in brother if they were 1945. rounding up young boys My father, Isaac to be conscripted into the Solka (Yitzchak Tzalke), Russian army. was born in Goworowo, However, the “facts” Poland, around 1903 to as remembered by my 1905, in a small shtetl of father and uncle changed approximately 2,000 Jews. from time to time. Thus, Goworowo is 50-60 miles the information in this from Warsaw. The later story might not be totally date of birth is according accurate. But its lessons to my father’s official to be learned are relevant documents, but he was today because they speak probably born earlier. He to my father’s character. recalled being told at the When my two sisters start of World War I (1914 and I were growing up, or 1915), that as an or- we frequently asked our phan, he should have had father about his growing a bar mitzvah by the age Isaac Solka, Age 22 or 24. Photograph taken in Mexico up years in Poland. We of 12. His father, Yaakov were seldom successful. Tzalke, died of an infected tooth when times when the family was sitting at a From time to time, Dad would throw my father was a toddler. My father’s table waiting to eat, and his plate was us a “bone” to make us stop asking mother, Ruth Tzalke, died three years never filled. When my grandfather questions, then he would change the later from a “broken heart.” noticed this, he told his wife to feed conversation to the present asking us According to taped interviews the child. She put some food on his questions about school, work or our with my Uncle George in 1991, he, plate and told my father to choke on it. other activities. He never wanted to my Aunt Edna, and my father were 7, I heard this story many times growing hear about anything bad that happened 5, and 3 years of age when their father up. to us or to others. As an example, we died. My father was the youngest of During World War I, Goworowo could not mention that an airplane had the three children. After the death of was the scene of many battles crashed, talk about automobile acci- their parents, my father, and his broth- between the Germans and the dents, or that people had died. We had er and sister lived with relatives eating Russians. Ultimately, the residents to talk “nice” or not talk at all at the meals at different houses, since all of of Goworowo were marched to the dining table. their relatives were poor and could nearest train station 25 miles away As a small child, my father did not feed the children all the time.

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