Preserving Jewish Heritage in Texas Texas Jewish Est. 1980 Historical Society February, 2013 News Magazine My Father, Sam Night by Bernice Night Schnurr In the year 1911, a young man of eighteen ran away from Poland, which later became Austria, because he did not want to join the army after his only brother died in the war. Instead, he wanted to live his dream of becoming a merchant who could own his own business. His parents blessed him, and that man was Samuel Naichtingal, my father. He arrived in Ellis Island and shortened his name to Samuel Naicht and then Ameri- canized it to Sam Night (always with an “N”). He had several cousins in New York who helped him for a while. He taught himself to read, write, and speak English, and after some time, his sister and brother-in-law, Sam Night in his store in Beaumont, Texas Sadie and Ben Pfeffer, invited him to work for them in their store in Houston, Texas. So he stayed in Houston and worked for a while. Later, IN THIS ISSUE: he worked in Orange, Texas, and then went to Dallas to work in a store owned by B. Schwartz and his wife Annie Message from the President 2 Schwartz. They were very nice people who admired the Markus: Planter of Trees 4 hard working, ambitious Sam Night and invited him to a book review by Linda Blasnick Shabbat dinner one evening. At their house, he saw a pic- ture of a beautiful girl, who was Annie Schwartz’s niece The Gerrick Family 5 and who lived in New York. Annie wrote to her niece and by Jack Gerrick asked her to come to Dallas to meet this ambitious, nice looking man. So she came, and “Sidath” was made. Her Encyclopedia of Southern Jewish 10 name was Sarah Elise Goldstein, and she was my mother. Communities: Houston, Texas My father took her to Houston and they were married by Jewish Pioneers of Corpus Christi 12 Rabbi Max Geller. by Vickie Vogel It wasn’t too long before a friend of his, B.Wylde, asked Sam to come to Beaumont, Texas, where the Spin- R. D. Moaes 16 continued on page 3 by Lynell Bond Moses Texas Jewish Historical Society - February, 2013 Page 1 Message from the President by Marc Wormser The January mission.” Along similar lines, I am happy meeting in San An- On behalf of TJHS, I to see so many additional members gelo was a success- thank Barbara Rosenberg taking advantage of receiving the ful meeting with and Suzanne Campbell news magazines and other bits of in- a weekend full for hosting a great week- formation via email. It not only saves of activities and end. postage, but it also seem to be a more dedication events. After the new direc- natural event than reading mail. Congregation Beth tory was mailed, TJHS The new web site will be up with- Israel celebrated was informed of changes in the next month. I hope that every- their 100-year an- of address, deaths, phone one will like our new format. With niversary with a numbers, etc. This just the new site, one will also be able to historical marker shows that as diligent use PayPal (accepting any credit card) and a presentation as one might be, a lot of to pay dues, make donations, make of a flag flown over current information falls purchases, etc. the state capital by through the cracks. That One concern that we have is our Representative Drew Darby. He said, is the reason that in every News Maga- declining membership. We currently “This event is due to the combined zine, we continue to ask for your help have 631 members. The attrition is efforts of the synagogue members, the to keep us apprised of those changes. due primarily to deaths, which is Texas Jewish Historical Society, the I certainly realize that this notifica- understandable, but we have also had Tom Green County Historical Com- tion is not at the top of your priority several resignations of membership mission, the West Texas Collection at list. Please help us maintain a current due to a variety of personal reasons. At ASU, and the Texas Historical Com- database as much as we can. the same time, we have added thirty- three members in 2011 and twenty- four members in 2012. Hopefully, as The Texas Jewish Historical Society we go forward, every one of you can February 2013 help, and we can see a major rise in membership. Quarterly News Magazine The Annual Gathering will be in Houston, April 19 through 21. Hotel The Texas Jewish Historical Society News Magazine is published accommodations will be at the Marri- four times annually. Stories about Texas Jewish history, oral histories, ott Westchase on Westheimer (regis- and requests for assistance with research are welcome, as are photographs tration form is included). We hope to and historical documents. Please provide color photocopies or scans at see many of you there. 300 dpi or greater, in .gif, .tif, or .jpg format, and send electronically to Please note that there are two Assistant Editor Davie Lou Solka at [email protected] or by mail to 3808 registration forms for meetings in Woodbrook Circle, Austin, TX 78759, 512-527-3799. Be sure to include your name and contact information. continued on page 21 The News Magazine of the Publisher-Editor Alexa Kirk Texas Jewish Historical Society Assistant Editor Davie Lou Solka Photographers Marvin Rich and Davie Lou Solka (USPS) is published four times 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 - February, 2013 Sam Night, continued from page 1 dle Top oil boom had begun. He said promised to pay every penny back. His Help was hard to find, so he sold that all the merchants in Beaumont word was his bond. They trusted him the contents of the store to another were doing well. Sam found a store at and he made it through the hard years. merchant, rented the new merchant 479 Crockett, so my parents left Dallas Many of the merchants did not survive the store, and went to work for him. in 1920. My father worked hard and the 1929 crash. After the crash, condi- He worked in the store like it was established good relationships with his tions improved and the store began to his very own. The new merchant did customers by accommodating them be fruitful again. My father was able to extremely well during the war years. late into the night. Many nights he purchase four tracts of land and moved On March 25, 1945, my father was stayed open until nine or ten—or even back to the middle of the block, which in China, Texas, collecting debts that midnight—so that they could shop was 479 Crockett where he started. His were due from rice farmers when he after work when the ships came into slogan was “Sam Night Back in the crossed the highway and was struck the harbor of Neches River port. Middle of the Block.” by a passing car. He suffered a head Sam did well until the stock mar- The oil boom was over, so my injury and died that night. He died ket crash in 1929, which forced him to father began to cater to the rice farm- working. He was forty-nine. move to a smaller store at the corner ers of the small nearby towns of Nome, My brother Harvey came home of Crockett and Park. By this time he China, and Fanette. He was willing to from the war and asked my mother had four children: Harvey, his old- sell them the work clothes that they to re-open the store. The merchant est; Bernice, Geraldine, and Evelyn. needed and was willing to trust them who was renting the store was asked He was so proud of his children. He to pay after the crops were harvested. to move and new merchandise was wanted a dozen so my mother had two Most of the people paid and for those put in. That was in 1948. Harvey more. Thank God they were boys— who didn’t, he would drive on Sundays built it back up, and as time went on Ralph and S.D. “Donnie”—because he to collect from them in person. My he brought his brothers, Ralph and wanted his name to live on. That made father actually never drove, but my Donnie, into the business. Ralph is a half-dozen and my mother said “that mother was the driver and took him still co-owner. Donnie left and went was all.” Today, my three brothers anywhere he wanted to go. She worked into commercial real estate. The two have three sons, and five grandsons. at the store and helped him with every- brothers worked well together and They also have two daughters and four thing. She sold and loved being the kept the styles contemporary with the granddaughters. The girls have three cashier.