Preserving Jewish Heritage in Texas Texas Jewish Est. 1980 Historical Society November, 2013 News Magazine Searching for Emet (Truth) by Dede Fox Dede Fox is a third-generation Texan whose debut poetry collection, Confessions of a Jewish Texas, came out in May, 2013. TCU Press published her historical novel, The Treasure in the Tiny Box, winner of the 8th Sydney Taylor Manuscript Competition and later names a YA Honor Book by the Association of Jewish Libraries. He was killed on Saturdays, a in a hit-and-run shanda. accident, they said. My great- One of Houston’s grandmother, first. The skid however, was marks indicated more concerned the driver had about the survival swerved off the of her children. road to hit my In the end, he great-grandfather agreed. They Baruch Mendel decided to land Sczupak. Although in Texas because his children offered they thought it a reward, no one was a shorter trip came forward. than the one to Some said the New York. police department On April 6, was infiltrated with 1914, they disem- KKK and that the barked the Bre- accident was no slau from Bremen, accident at all since Germany. Galves- his beard and dark ton immigration clothes marked him Baruch Mendel and Brothers, 1918 officials, concerned as an Orthodox Jew. Walking home from the synagogue, about Baruch’s varicose veins, sent him and his son, my he was an easy target. great-Uncle Max, to a quarantine center on Pelican Island. When I interviewed Great-Uncle Max and asked about Baruch insisted Max stay with him, because if they sent his father, I learned Baruch Mendel had battled his wife him back, he would need Max to say Kaddish over his over coming to the United States. My great-grandfather European grave. was certain Jews here did not keep Shabbat. They worked continued on page 3 IN THIS ISSUE: Message from the President 2 The Storm of September 8, 1900 4 by Judy Blum Hirsh Rope Walker 3 by Dianne Short Papa Chazanow 5 by Marianne Goldsmith Texas Jewish Historical Society - November, 2013 Page 1 Message from the President by Marc Wormser It is difficult to shal Klaven, the circuit railroad had been the work of R D, and believe that 2013 rabbi from the Institute of his son, Arthur, was present to give us is almost over. Southern Jewish Living the history of his father and his hobby. And with Hanukah located in Jackson, Mis- A stop at the Playhouse in Jefferson coming so early sissippi. was very interesting. It was the origi- on Thanksgiving, I Saturday began early nal synagogue building of the Temple suspect that the re- with a bus trip to Jefferson in Jefferson. Rabbi Klaven conducted mainder of the year and Marshall. A visit to a brief service in the Playhouse. The will go faster. the Temple Moses Monte- Torah that was in the synagogue is now The Texas fiore Cemetery in Marshall in Hot Springs, Arkansas. The building, Jewish Historical was very interesting, with as a synagogue, is being maintained as Society is active a guided tour describing much as possible by the Garden Club and growing. the histories of some of of Jefferson. The Board voted to donate The weekend in the Jewish families and $500 to the Garden Club in Jefferson to Longview, hosted the contributions these support maintenance of the Playhouse by Rusty and Mitzi families made to the area. and $500 to the Rail Road Club to help Milstein, was a fun-filled, educational Although the Jefferson Historical Muse- pay off the loan for the building that excursion into our Jewish history in um was closed for repairs, we were able houses the railroad from R D Moses. three communities—Longview, Jef- to visit the R. D. Moses Train Building As we continued to Marshall, we ferson, and Marshall. It started on housing the T&P Model Railroad built were able to visit the Jewish section of Friday night at Temple Emanu-El, with by R. D. Moses, a past TJHS member the cemetery and again pay witness to dinner and services led by Rabbi Mar- and board member. The HO gauge the many Jews that contributed to the development of the area. A brief stop at the Longview cemetery completed our The Texas Jewish Historical Society tour of the area. November 2013 A panel presentation Saturday night was given by Rusty Milstein, Quarterly News Magazine Amy Milstein, Joyce Stidham, and Da- vie Lou Solka. This group reflected on The Texas Jewish Historical Society News Magazine is published four growing up in a small East Texas town times annually. Stories about Texas Jewish history, oral histories, and re- as a Jew. What was interesting to hear quests for assistance with research are welcome, as are photographs and was the lack of anti-semitism in these historical documents. Please provide color photocopies or scans at 300 communities at that time and a knowl- dpi or greater, in .gif, .tif, or .jpg format, and send electronically to As- edge of being different religiously did sistant Editor Davie Lou Solka at [email protected] or by mail to 3808 not stop them from being just one of Woodbrook Circle, Austin, TX 78759, 512-527-3799. Be sure to include continued on page 13 your name and contact information. The News Magazine of the Publisher-Editor Alexa Kirk Texas Jewish Historical Society Assistant Editor Davie Lou Solka (USPS) is published four times Photographers Sally Drayer, Marvin Rich, Davie Lou Solka a year by the Texas Jewish His- Note: The Texas Jewish Historical Society is torical Society, P. O. Box 10193, unable to guarantee the safe receipt and/or return Austin, Texas 78766-0193, Travis of documents or photographs. It is strongly recom- County. Periodical postage paid at mended that you provide color photocopies of both Houston, Texas. Postmaster: send color and black & white documents. We welcome address changes to the Texas Jew- your comments and suggestions. ish Historical Society, P. O. Box Visit us on the web at www.txjhs.org. 10193, Austin, Texas 78766-0193. www.txjhs.org. Page 2 Texas Jewish Historical Society - November, 2013 Rope Walker by Dianne Short In the wooden peg with a rope-sized slot in the Bernard Simon, came to him and the old Hebrew bottom. Word had spread and the crowd man painfully whispered prayers with Cemetery gathered for the noon event to listen to him in Hebrew. He would not reveal in Cor- the Mayor and the band…and to watch his identity or history to Mr. Simon. sicana, the death-defying entertainment. The only thing he supposedly said, also Texas is a Captain J.A. Townsend’s school in perfect Hebrew, was to ask that he be headstone had been dismissed so the children “buried with my people.” with only could attend, which swelled the crowd Whether he told anyone his name is two words even more. They all waited in the dusty unrecorded and lost to history. He was on it: Rope streets and on the board sidewalks for the buried in Jewish tradition the next day Walker. entertainment to begin. in Hebrew Cemetery and a stone was Almost The band struck up, the Mayor cut erected saying simply “Rope Walker.” nothing is the red ribbon and the cheering crowd Although Corsican citizens tried many known of the man in the grave except looked upwards, awaiting the unbeliev- times over the years to locate and in- the manner of his death. It is a tale of able feat. The rope was tightened and form his family, no one was ever found. physical bravery and emotional mystery the man, wearing a sky blue uniform and Today, both M & H and Jackson’s that has endured for well over a century. seemingly relaxed, bowed to the audi- Salon have been gone over one hundred What is known is that he came ence from the roof of M & H . After all, years. The stone for the unknown acro- to Corsicana on a hot day in 1884 to he had performed the trick many times bat, however, still stands. perform at the grand opening of a store. before. After motioning with his hands Notes: The town was bustling with new stores for complete silence to aid his concentra- This story was compiled from three and businesses opening, each trying to tion, he waited while two strong young sources: outdo the last. This one was Meyers and men hoisted the heavy stove onto his 1. William Rabinowitz’s 2003 re- Henning Dry Goods Emporium. back and strapped it tight. telling of the words of his grandfa- M & H was on Beaton Street, the The crowd hushed as the walker ther, Hyman Tikvah Rabinowitz, main artery of downtown Corsicana. began to gingerly test the rope with his who was a travelling salesman and “The biggest shovels to the biggest good foot. Then he moved out, putting claimed to be there that day. bodices” had been written on the front all the weight of man and stove on the 2. A 1936 Corsicana Daily Sun in- of the store, whose proprietors had hired rope. Using his peg leg on the rope for terview with Rachel Mae London, the man to perform a spectacular stunt to balance, he moved slowly toward the who as a child, was an eye witness draw customers to their grand opening. center, smiling widely to his audience to the tragedy. The Mayor of Corsicana was there from over twenty feet above them. 3. My own fallible memory of the and a band was playing.