Congregation Shearith Israel (Wharton, Texas)
Congregation Shearith Israel was a Jewish Texan community in Wharton, Texas. This rural Texan community held Jewish services for over 100 years (1899-2002).
| Congregation Shearith Israel | |
|---|---|
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Judaism (former) |
| Ecclesiastical or organizational status | Synagogue (1899–2002) |
| Status |
|
| Location | |
| Location | Wharton, Texas |
| Country | United States |
  Location of the former synagogue in Texas | |
| Geographic coordinates | 29°19′09″N 96°05′36″W / 29.319179°N 96.0932696°W |
| Architecture | |
| Type | Synagogue |
| Date established | 1899 (as a congregation) |
| Completed | 1956 |
| Destroyed | September 26, 2010 (by arson) |
| [1][2] | |
Community history
editJewish immigrants, arriving as early as the 1850s, established additional businesses and began the Congregation Shearith Israel, the only synagogue in a three-county area.[3] A first synagogue building was erected on S. Rusk Street in 1921.[1] Although centered in the town of Wharton, the community has members in two counties adjacent to Wharton County and the towns of Bay City, El Campo, Edna, East Bernard, Palacios and Boling.[4] The community has over a century of Jewish history and held for many years, the Shearith Israel annual barbecue. This event would be attended by many from the three county area.[5] The present synagogue, holder of an historic landmark, was built in 1956 on Old Lane City Road. A Jewish cemetery was established on N. Alabama Rd. in 1937. The synagogue received a historical marker in 1988.[1]
The synagogue held its last service, led by Rabbi Jerome Cohen, in 2002.[6] Worship services began in about 1899.[1]
The Shearith Israel synagogue building (built in 1956) was destroyed by a fire intentionally set by two local teenagers, on Sunday, September 26, 2010 (the third day of the Jewish holiday of Sukkot, also known as the Feast of Booths).[2]
References
edit- ^ a b c d Historical Marker
- ^ a b Halvorson, Barry (October 2, 2010). "Two juveniles arrested in synagogue arson case". Wharton Journal Spectator. Retrieved November 4, 2010.
- ^ Wharton, Texas
- ^ "Jewish Cemetery Information". Archived from the original on September 27, 2007. Retrieved October 31, 2007.
- ^ "Wharton Jewish Community". Archived from the original on October 25, 2009. Retrieved October 25, 2009.
- ^ "Small-Town Jewry on Wane in Texas". The New York Times. April 29, 2002. Archived from the original on July 29, 2018.