70th Anniversary Plate, The Lorch Company, 1909-1979

by | Apr 30, 2020 | From the Archive | 0 comments

“In 1888 a 27-year-old foot peddler named August Lorch came to Dallas to sell dry goods and shoestrings, and in 1892 he was doing well enough to become a one-horse peddler; the next year he got a second horse” (Texas Monthly September 1982).

Founded in 1909 in Dallas, The Lorch Company became the oldest privately owned women’s apparel company in the United States. The Lorch Company created garments utilizing cotton for not only informal attire, but dressier cotton looks for women to survive the Texas heat. They were also part of the Dallas manufacturers that recognized and utilized new “synthetic” fabric that resisted wrinkles. 

During World War II The Lorch Company helped in the production of nurse uniforms, as well as created more practical clothes for the women at home. “The retirement of Lester Lorch, the death in 1987 of A. Lorch Folz, and a devastating fire at the Dallas plant in June 1989 necessitated the closing of the company in 1991” (Texas State Historical Association).

From the Lorch Company Collection

 

Ellis & May Titche Wartime Correspondence Goes Digital

by | Apr 29, 2020 | From the Archive, News | 0 comments

We’re thrilled to share with you a selection of audio recordings from the Ellis & May Titche Wartime Correspondence Collection.

Mel Ginsburg, a dedicated long-time volunteer of DJHS, has been working hard to record letters from Ellis Titche to May Levy during their courtship and early marriage during the WWII Era.

There are many, many more letters to share, but here is a selection from the earliest days, August 1943. From the beginning, May kept and labeled each letter she received from Ellis. May’s letters in the collection begin a little later, in Spring 1944. Because of this, the conversation seems a little one-sided, but not for long.

Listen below, or visit our SoundCloud.

Marvin Greenberg

by | Apr 28, 2020 | Oral History Interviews, Video Oral History | 0 comments

Marvin Greenberg
Interviewed by Jo Reingold on February 20, 2017.

Marvin was on January 27, 1931 in Waco, TX. As a Teenager he moved to Dallas, and later returned after graduating from the University of Texas. He opened Greenberg Drugs in Preston Center and maintained the successful business for over 40 years. Marvin passed April 23, 2020. DJHS will miss our longtime friend and supporter who not only added to Dallas Jewish history, but also understood its importance.

Click here to watch his oral history interview.

 

350 Years of Jewish life in America Medal, 1654-2004

by | Apr 28, 2020 | From the Archive | 0 comments

September 2004 marked the 350th anniversary of Jewish settlement in North America. In honor of 350 years, the Jewish-American Hall of Fame Division of the American Jewish Historical Society commissioned artist Dana Krinsky to create a medal to celebrate.

The medal was available in bronze, silver, and vermeil, and this particular medal is the silver version. Designer Dana Krinsky has inscribed the words of George Washington and a quote from Leviticus. A group of men, women, and children are shown on a journey of liberation; the stars and horizontal stripes refer to the American flag. 

From the Renee Stanley Collection

 

Samuel Bak, Star of David Brooch

by | Apr 23, 2020 | From the Archive | 0 comments

Samuel Bak was born in 1933 in Vilna, Poland. While he and his mother survived, his father and four grandparents all perished at the hands of the Nazis. Bak’s work is an expression of his Jewish roots and past experiences.

He created this piece for The Golda Meir Israel Honor Club Members, which is an honor society of women who purchase a minimum of $5,000.00 in Israel Bonds. The design has two loops on the back for the women to wear as either a necklace or as a brooch. The brooch design was offered in a two-toned gold and silver, and a solid gold. Some designs feature pearls or turquoise stones, and some have no stones at all. He currently lives and works in Boston, Massachusetts at age 86.

From the Ginger Jacobs Collection