Proudly Serving as Storykeepers for the Dallas Jewish Community
Who We Are
For over 50 years, DJHS has served as a trusted storykeeper and resource for Dallas’ Jewish community. Our archives hold over 20,000 photographs, documents, and artifacts, preserving the history of Jewish Dallas across generations. To date, we have recorded and professionally archived over 900 oral histories. From in-depth interviews to personal genealogical support, we help families trace their roots, capture their stories, and ensure their legacies endure.
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Our Vision:
To help connect present and future generations with Jewish Dallas.
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Our Mission:
To preserve and protect collections of written, visual, and audible materials that document the history of the Dallas Jewish community, to make these materials available to the public and researchers, and to keep the past as a living legacy for our community.
Educate, Engage, Empower
As storykeepers, it is our joy and responsibility to share resources and connect members of the community through a wide variety of programming, lecture series, and events.
Jim Schwartz Annual Lecture Series
Workshops
Partner Series
Historical Jewish Dallas Bus Tour
Speakers Bureau
Dallas Jewish History At A Glance
1850’s–1860’s
Jewish immigrants begin to arrive in Dallas from Western European countries, settling in Goose Valley, an early residential neighborhood, and behind their businesses Downtown. The first Jewish person recorded living in Dallas, Alex Simon, opened a dry goods store in 1858. Around that same time, Isaac Sanger relocated from Connecticut to McKinney before coming to Dallas. Abraham Dysterbach moved his family to Dallas, opening a saloon and general store at 1424 Elm. The photo of Dysterbach’s was taken c. 1875
Photo credit: Doc Miller Collection
1872
A banner year for Dallas – The Hebrew Benevolent Society was organized by 11 Men who established a Jewish cemetery and hold the city’s first Jewish services; E.M. Kahn opened the first men’s clothing store; Sanger Bros. department store opens; an iron bridge is built over the trinity, The H & TC railroads come to Dallas, influenced by Alex & Philip Sanger; telegraph lines are installed, the street car system is implemented, there are 15 Jewish families (approx. 70 individuals) living in Dallas while the overall population was approximately 2000. 10 years later, the first electric lights come to Dallas, illuminating Sanger Bros. and the Main St. Saloons first.
Dallas Jewish Historical Society Collection
1874
Temple Emanu-El founded as the first Jewish Congregation in North Texas by members of the Hebrew Benevolent Society. It’s first location was Downtown at Church (now Field) & Commerce. When Temple Emanu-el moved to the Cedars neighborhood across from City Park in 1899. Before 1900, Shearith Israel and Tiferet Israel were also established.
Dallas Jewish Historical Society Collection
1900–1920’s
From 1900-1920, the Jewish population increased from 1200 to nearly 8000 and growing steadily as thousands of families began making their way to America from Russia and Eastern Europe. These new Dallasites opened businesses in Deep Ellum, a major center for commerce thanks to the bustling railroad depot. As businesses grew and merchants prospered, the Jewish population began migrating to the Cedars and South Dallas neighborhoods.
Dallas Jewish Historical Society Collection
1930’s–1950’s
By the mid-20th Century, the Jewish population was thriving and focus shifts to an increase in Jewish welfare organizations. United Jewish Appeal, Dallas Hebrew Free Loan, United Hebrew. Schools, Dallas Home for the Jewish Aged, Jewish Family Services, and Jewish Welfare Federation Women’s Division are all established around this time with missions to support the local population and Jews of diaspora in need. The mid 1950s also saw a massive shift of the Jewish population moving from South Dallas to North Dallas, mainly in the neighborhood that is now Preston Hollow. The Jewish Community Center moved from Pocahontas Street, across from City Park, to Northaven Road, where it resides today.
Julius Schepps Community Center Collection
1971
After the demolition of Temple Emanu-El’s third location on South Blvd., a group of concerned citizens from the Jewish community – including Ginger Chesnick Jacobs, Ruth Brown Kahn, Robert Beer, and Minette Klein – established the Dallas Jewish Archives, which later became known as the Dallas Jewish Historical Society in the early 1980s.
Dallas Jewish Historical Society Collection
1960’s–1990’s
The Jewish community experienced immense growth during this time, both in population and in community initiatives. Additional service organizations were formed, Federation actively supported international causes, several Jewish day schools and Hebrew schools opened, and the number of congregations exploded in the greater Dallas area. Jewish community leaders were making an impact in secular Dallas, as well.
Annette Strauss Collection
2000’s–Present
The Jewish community has grown and expanded as much as Dallas has overall. Many agencies and business celebrated or will soon be celebrating 75th, 90th, and 100+ year anniversaries, Jewish education is at its pinnacle, service organizations assist the Jewish and secular communities. Golden Acres Home for the Jewish Aged expanded to meet increased need and adopted a new name and new locations – The Legacy Senior Communities, originally in Preston Hollow, then Plano, and its newest location in Midtown Park; the Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum expanded both its building and its mission to bring awareness to past and ever increasing international civil rights issues; the Jewish population is involved in every corner of civic life in Dallas, especially enmeshed in business and the arts.
Jewish War Veterans Post #256 Collection
Uncover the Stories
of Jewish Dallas
Explore the rich tapestry of Jewish Dallas history through our archives, exhibits, and oral histories. Whether you’re a seasoned researcher or just starting your journey, our collections bring the past to life and connect us across generations.
Discover Jewish Stories