Shearith Israel Synagogue

Duane's take

Here's how the official marker tells it, and I'll do my best to do it justice. Way out in Wharton County, a story was quietly taking root. Jewish families in Wharton began meeting together for worship services about 1899.

No grand building, no official charter, just families gathering, keeping faith alive in a corner of Texas that most people wouldn't have figured for it. Now that kind of thing, it takes patience. It takes commitment.

And sure enough, patience paid off. The congregation received its official charter in 1913 and was registered as Shearith Israel Synagogue. A name.

A charter. A congregation with its feet planted in the soil. Then in 1921, they built a synagogue building right on S.

Rusk Street, and J. Keilin became the first rabbi to lead it. A house of worship, standing permanent against the Texas sky.

But a community isn't just where you gather to sing and pray. It's also where you remember your people. So in 1937, a cemetery was established on N.

Alabama Road. A place for the living to honor the ones who came before. And then, 1956.

They didn't just build another building. They built a new synagogue in the shape of the shield of David, out on Old Lane City Road. Think about that for a moment.

A building shaped like a shield, rising up in Wharton County. The congregation kept drawing members from numerous towns, and it grew into a leading force in area civic and religious activities. Started with families finding each other around 1899.

That's the thing about a good story in Texas. It doesn't end. It just keeps going.

What the marker says

Jewish families in Wharton began meeting together for worship services about 1899. The congregation received its official charter in 1913 and was registered as Shearith Israel Synagogue. A synagogue building was erected on S. Rusk Street in 1921, and J. Keilin was the first rabbi. A cemetery was established on N. Alabama Rd. in 1937. A new synagogue in the shape of the shield of David was built on Old Lane City Rd. in 1956. The congregation continues to draw members from numerous towns and is a leading force in area civic and religious activities. (1988)