[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 70 (Friday, May 8, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E664-E665]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     JEWISH AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. SHEILA JACKSON LEE

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                          Friday, May 8, 2015

  Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Jewish 
American Heritage Month. Nearly 360 years have passed since the 
establishment of the first Jewish community in North America. Since 
that time, Jewish Americans have contributed to the cultural richness 
and diversity of our nation in every field of community life, including 
business, government, medicine, law, the natural and social sciences, 
the arts and humanities, academia, religion, and the military.
  There are approximately 5 million Jewish Americans and more than 
100,000 of them live in Texas, nearly half of those, about 45,000, live 
in the Houston metropolitan area. Although their numbers may be small 
in a state with a general population over 20 million, the impact of 
Jewish Americans in Texas and in Houston has been great indeed.
  Jewish Americans were there during the fight for Texas' independence 
from Spain and Mexico. Adolphus Sterne, an East Texas merchant, became 
a principal source of financial backing for the Texas Revolution and a 
close friend of Sam Houston. Albert Moses Levy was surgeon-in-chief in 
the revolutionary army. The De Cordova family helped develop the city 
of Waco and Henri Castro settled immigrants in several Texas towns. In 
1859 the first synagogue in Texas was established in Houston.
  Business and trade, especially the merchandising of food, clothing, 
jewelry with style, elegance, and distinction are the arenas in which 
many Jewish-Texan families made their most visual marks on the state of 
Texas. There is hardly a city in the Lone Star State whose history is 
without landmark stores founded and

[[Page E665]]

developed by Jewish entrepreneurs: Neiman, Marcus, Sanger in Dallas; 
Battelstein and Sakowitz in Houston; and Joske in San Antonio.
  These cities and towns reaped the benefits not only in availability 
of goods, but also in owners' generous patronage of the fine arts and 
in contributions to civic life such as the historic Levy Opera House in 
Hillsboro and the Brin Opera House in Terrell. Other early Jewish 
Americans who contributed mightily to civic life include Anna 
Hertzberg, who served as president of the original San Antonio Symphony 
Orchestra before World War I, and Olga Bernstein Kohlberg of El Paso, 
who started Texas' first free public kindergarten in 1892. That 
tradition continues today with the Dell Children's Hospital in Austin 
established by Dell Computers founder and CEO, Michael Dell.
  Mr. Speaker, it was 67 years ago this month that President Truman 
recognized the free, independent, and democratic State of Israel, 
making the United States the first country to welcome Israel into the 
family of nations. And for 65 years Israel and the United States have 
remained the best of friends and the strongest of allies. One reason 
for the enduring strength of this relationship is the enduring 
contributions made by Jewish Americans in enriching American life and 
culture.
  Mr. Speaker, as a representative of the state of Texas which has 
welcomed Jews for more than three centuries, I join with my colleagues 
and President Obama in calling upon all Americans to learn more about 
the heritage and contributions of Jewish Americans and to observe this 
month with appropriate programs, activities, and ceremonies.

                          ____________________