Preserving Jewish Heritage in Texas Texas Jewish Est. 1980 Historical Society December 2014 News Magazine Southern Jews in Global Contexts: Perry Kallison and the Birth of an Israeli Industry by Nick Kotz All photos courtesy of the author. Fifty years broadcast in ago, when a the nation’s group of ide- history— alistic young Perry and his Israelis wanted wife, Frances to form a settle- Rosenthal ment and raise Kallison, Angora goats a founding in Galilee, the member of the Israeli Ministry Texas Jew- of Agriculture ish Historical sent them to Society, were Texas A&M long-time University. The Zionists and college’s exten- avid support- sion agents ers of many referred them to Jewish causes. Perry Kallison. Together Israel’s hope they had con- to start a mohair tributed to the Perry Kallison on horseback at Kallison Ranch in the 1930s. industry could not 1930s Ameri- have been in better hands. can effort to help Jews escape from Nazi Germany and im- A first generation American, Perry was the son of a migrate to Israel, the United States, and other countries. In Russian Jewish harness maker—Nathan Kallison—who in 1946, in the wake of World War II, Frances had written to 1890, at age seventeen, fled the Czar’s murderous Cos- President Truman requesting him to liberalize immigration sacks to seek a better life in America. With the help of his for displaced persons. Perry, president of Temple Beth-El beloved wife, Anna, and later their two sons, Nathan built in San Antonio in 1948, subsequently contributed funds his one-room San Antonio saddlery into the largest farm- and passionately rallied political support for the birth of and-ranch supply store in the Southwest. The progressive the state of Israel. In 1964, he embraced the opportunity to ranch he founded in 1910 and dedicated to the pursuit help build Israel’s agricultural strength. of scientific farming and ranching pioneered significant Almost all of the Angora goat and mohair wool advancements in agriculture. business in the United States is centered on the Edwards Perry Kallison followed in his father’s boot steps. Plateau near Uvalde in South Texas. From his friends A Renaissance man—merchant-farmer, environmental- in the area, Kallison recruited Texas ranchers who were ist, philanthropist, philosopher, and beloved host of the willing to donate goats to the Israeli project. Next, he sent Trading Post, the longest running farm and ranch radio continued on page 8 Texas Jewish Historical Society - December 2014 Page 1 Message from the President by Debra Winegarten What a whirl- a speaker panel on the Dell Jewish Community Campus, wind weekend we recounting the followed by a Kabbalat Shabbat service had with the Joint role of LBJ in led by Rabbi Neil Blumofe. Because Texas Jewish Histor- Texas Jewish his- we didn’t want to go more than an hour ical Society/South- tory, as well as the without food, we walked to the Jewish ern Jewish Historical contributions of Community Center for a lovely Oneg Society meeting Bernard Rapoport. and a talk by Sam Gruber on synagogue in Austin, October Afterwards, the restoration around the world. 23-26, 2014! Over group split, some Saturday found us in various panels, 175 folks registered, viewing items including our very own Mondells talk- and we were burst- from the TJHS ing about filmmaking and other sub- ing at the seams. We collection at the jects. For a full listing of the schedule actually had to turn Briscoe Center for of events, go to our website, www. people away, which American History txjhs.org. Saturday evening found us broke our hearts not and others going on Lady Bird Lake on the Lone Star being able to share all of the joy and to the UT Harry Ransom Center to see Riverboat bat cruise, where we enjoyed wonderful activities. As a small com- the exhibit on the making of “Gone With a fajita dinner, perfect weather, a view pensation, this issue is full of pictures to the Wind” and a behind-the-scenes look of the bats, and the beautiful Austin help capture the excitement. at some of their Jewish artifacts. A brief skyline. A lovely Havdalah service Our meeting began on Friday dash back to the hotel to change clothes, capped off the evening. I lost count of morning at the LBJ Presidential Library, then we gathered for a kosher barbecue the number of times that participants with a tour of the exhibit, followed by dinner at Congregation Agudas Achim from both groups congratulated me and told me what a superb conference we put together. The Texas Jewish Historical Society And while I was tempted to take all December 2014 the credit, I am publicly thanking the TJHS board for agreeing to sponsor this Quarterly News Magazine meeting and to help fund it. Thanks go to Hollace Weiner and Bryan Stone who The Texas Jewish Historical Society News Magazine is published designed an incredible program, Davie four times annually. Stories about Texas Jewish history, oral histories, Lou Solka and her terrific on-the-ground and requests for assistance with research are welcome, as are photographs local organizing committee—Nelson and historical documents. Please provide color photocopies or scans at Chafetz, Gayle Cannon, Dolly Golden, 300 dpi or greater in .gif, .tif, or .jpg format, and send electronically to As- Nancy Hoffman, Pacey Laves, Abbi sistant Editor Davie Lou Solka at [email protected] or by mail to 3808 continued on page 14 Woodbrook Circle, Austin, TX 78759, 512-527-3799. Be sure to include 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- Marc Wormser torical Society, P. O. Box 10193, Note: The Texas Jewish Historical Society is Austin, Texas 78766-0193, Travis unable to guarantee the safe receipt and/or return County. Periodical postage paid at of documents or photographs. It is strongly recom- Houston, Texas. Postmaster: send mended that you provide color photocopies of both address changes to the Texas Jew- color and black & white documents. We welcome ish Historical Society, P. O. Box your comments and suggestions. 10193, Austin, Texas 78766-0193. Visit us on the web at www.txjhs.org. www.txjhs.org. Page 2 Texas Jewish Historical Society - December 2014 From Russia to Galveston by Dennis B. Halpin All four of my grandparents were ton, Texas, and my grandmother’s with her mother for her first born, so born in Russia in the late 19th century. family became part of what was known she returned to Galveston, where my They were part of the great wave of im- as the “Galveston Plan.” After settling father was born on the island (BOI) in migration of Jews from Eastern Europe in Galveston, my great-grandfather sent 1918. My father’s brother, Max, was to America that occurred between 1880 for his wife (my great-grandmother, born in Galveston in 1920, and his and 1924. That makes my background Sarah Smith) and their three children, sister, Ida Flora (“Sister”), was born similar to most American Jews. My my grandmother Bessie and her two in Galveston in 1922. My father’s mother’s family followed the “tradi- brothers, David and Morris. They ar- youngest brother, Harry, was born in tional route” of going to New York and rived in Galveston in 1913 with other Wisconsin in 1924, where my grand- settling there. My father’s family took extended members of my grandmother’s father moved with the family after his a different route. My paternal grand- family including her best friend and discharge from the U.S. Army. My father, Abraham Halpin, was born in cousin, Fanny Posnick. My grandmoth- father became a bar mitzvah in Chi- Sevastopol, Russia. At the age of 15, er once described the journey she took cago in 1931, but shortly thereafter, his family sent him to America. He to Galveston. She and her family took my family returned to Galveston where arrived alone in New York and stayed the train from Kiev to Bremen, Germa- my father attended Ball High School. with an aunt and uncle on his mother’s ny, where they boarded a ship that first While my father was in high school, side. An accomplished musician, in landed at Montreal, Canada, before pro- my family moved to Houston, where 1913, he enlisted in the U.S. Army to ceeding to Galveston. There they met my father completed high school at be in the Army Band and was stationed two Jewish soldiers at Fort Crockett, the San Jacinto High School, graduating in at Fort Crockett in Galveston, Texas. man who became my grandfather, Abra- 1936. However, all of this time, much Although he could play all instru- ham Halpin, and his best friend, Henry of my grandmother’s family remained ments, my grandfather’s instrument in Greenberg. Our families have stayed in in Galveston, and it wasn’t until Hur- the U.S. Army Band was the clarinet. touch to this day. It was also in Texas ricane Ike in 2008 that the last of my According to family lore, John Phillip where my grandfather was reunited with family left Galveston, ending almost Sousa considered my grandfather the his brother, Joe Melamed, who also 100 years of my family in Galveston. best clarinetist in the country. After my came to America on his own. The only family I have left in Galves- grandparents were married, John Phil- My grandparents were married in ton is in the Jewish cemetery on 61st lip Sousa tried to persuade my grand- Galveston in 1916 while my grandfather Street.