The History of Keeping Kosher in Jewish Dallas

Keeping kosher, a tenant of Judaism with a wide spectrum of modern observance, was not always as simple as it is today. Early Jewish pioneers, who began making their way to Dallas in the late 1850s, and traveling peddlers often kept kosher by carrying hardboiled eggs with them as a main form of sustenance. As this community grew, a kosher butcher set up shop, clergy also acted as shochets, and neighbors helped each other to ensure those who wished to keep kosher could keep kosher. The oral history interviews below, in two embedded playlists, were captured from the mid-1970s through present day; and, they tell most of the story of keeping kosher in Jewish Dallas.

[note: it is recommended to listen to audio-only interviews with headphones or earbuds for best listening experience].