Alamo Street – Anshe Sphard/Primera Iglesia Bautista Historical Marker

Alamo Street Historical Marker

Dallas Mexican Historical League, Dallas Jewish Historical Society, and Primera Iglesia Bautista celebrated the installation and dedication of a new historical marker on Friday, November 3, 2023 (see slideshow above).

The Alamo Street State Historical Marker commemorates Congregation Anshe Sphard and Primera Iglesia Bautista, who together generated one of the early examples of multiculturalism in Dallas. Read below and follow the links to learn more about the unusual connection between the two congregations, and to watch the reception/dedication of the marker –including CBS 11 news coverage with reporter, Andrea Lucia.

Watch the marker reception here

Watch the marker dedication and official unveiling here

Watch the CBS 11 segment here

Read the original press release here

Learn more about the congregations here, as well as here.

Thank you to Juanita Nanez for being the guidepost of this project over the past several months and years, and to the officers and leadership of Dallas Mexican American Historical League and First Mexican Baptist Church for your partnership in this endeavor!  Thank you to Hector Rodriguez with Primera for acting as photographer and capturing the memories. Additional thanks to the following individuals who participated in the planning, design, storage, installation, and dedication of this Texas Historical Marker:

Jessica Schneider Adams, Jonathan Angulo, Ruben Arellano, Andrew Ayala, Palmer Bradshaw , Janeth Brambilla, Ricardo Brambilla, David Dixon, Priscilla Escobedo, Eddie Garcia, Elba Garcia, Alberto Gonzalez, Elizabeth Gunby, Carolyn Howard, Jesse Moreno, Carlos Munguia, Juanita Nañez, Debra Polsky , John Wiley Price, Melissa Prycer, David Preziosi, Paul Ridley, Hector Rodriguez Jaynie Schultz, Beri Schwitzer, Stacy Thornton, Frank Valtierra, Dorelia Valtierra, Rabbi Shira Wallach, Matt Weinstein, Trent Williams, Itzhak Zhrebker

Here is a video compiled by Hector Rodriguez of portions of the dedication, as well: 

DJHS Founder’s Records Come to Light

Recently, our archivist, Jessica Schneider, and our archives assistant, Corynthia Dorgan, collaborated to write an article for The Rambler, the newsletter of the Southern Jewish Historical Society. The article, “DJHS Founder’s Records Come to Light,” highlights the large, invaluable collection of Ginger Jacobs, a co-founder of DJHS. Follow the link to reach the article, along with several others contributed by our regional colleagues.

Rambler Spring 2021, Volume 25 Number 2