JAHM San Antonio | Unveiling of The First Texas Torah

Join the San Antonio community at the JCC for a historic and meaningful event as we unveil the First Texas Torah, on special loan from the Institute of Texan Cultures. Scribed in the mid-19th century and believed to have been brought from Germany, this remarkable artifact represents the deep-rooted history of Jewish life in Texas and serves as a testament to the traditions of early Jewish communities in our state.

Come out to learn more about this Torah's journey and its significance in Texas Jewish heritage.

This event is free and open to the community.

The Navasota Torah

This Torah is believed to have been brought from Germany to Texas in 1885 by Philip Hamburger. Philip and his family immigrated from Prussia (a historical region that included land in Poland, France, and Lithuania) to Evansville, Indiana, and then onto Navasota, Texas. The arrival of the Torah prompted the creation of the Congregation B’nai Abraham in Brenham. Then in 1964, Brenham lent the Torah to Shaar Hashalom. Congregation B’nai Abraham is now part of Congregation Tiferet Israel in Austin, TX. After its return from Shaar Hashalom, the Torah was then donated to the Institute of Texan Cultures in 2014. The Navasota Torah is 1534 inches, or 12 feet and 10 inches, long and made of sheepskin parchment.

Inscription

An inscription was added onto this Torah at the end of Deuteronomy. The inscription translates as follows: "I corrected this Sefer [Torah] for the Navasota congregation in the month of Menachem Av, 5657 [1897]. Chaim Schwartz, watchman of the House of Israel in Texas".

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