Blog
Read about highlighted collections, figureheads of Jewish Dallas, the honorees of our annual awards, and other topics of interest.
News, Events & Spotlights
Viva Shalom: Celebrating Latin American Jews in Dallas
This year, the Dallas Jewish Historical Society will be celebrating the Latin American Jewish community in Dallas with "Viva Shalom!," our biennial "One Story at a Time" event. Like so many other organizations in our community, we are feeling the effects of COVID-19....
Regional Treasures: Menorahs from Historic Temple Emeth, Ardmore, Oklahoma Find New Home after Long Visit to Dallas
When we are approached regarding a donation—as a local historical society, it happens often—the main question we ask is: "does this fit our scope?"—meaning we do our due diligence to make sure that our repository is the best fit for the materials. There are a number...
Ginger Jacobs: A Brief Study of Personal Collections, How They Form, and What They Can Represent
Personal collections have a dual function of historical reference and story-telling. Learn a little about part of Ginger’s and start thinking about your own.
Influential Figures of Jewish Dallas: Isidore Zesmer
Isidore Zesmer, 1911 It is with great excitement that we present the Isidore Zesmer Collection! This collection has been a part of the Dallas Jewish Historical Society Archive for many years--processed and available for research, but without the supplemental...
Meet the Women: Who is Karen Shosid Weinreb?
Biennially, the Dallas Jewish Historical Society honors members of the Dallas community who embody philanthropy and humanitarianism with the Ann Loeb Sikora Humanitarian Award. This year's honorees are four outstanding women who have dedicated their lives to others...
Meet the Women: Who is Susan Shosid Bendalin?
Biennially, the Dallas Jewish Historical Society honors members of the Dallas community who embody philanthropy and humanitarianism with the Ann Loeb Sikora Humanitarian Award. This year's honorees are four outstanding women who have dedicated their lives to others...
From the Archive
Anne Garonzik Goodman Graduation Photo
Anne Garonzik was born in Pennsylvania in 1892. She was married to Charles Goodman during the month of February 1920 in Dallas, as it was announced in The Jewish Monitor. Before she was married, the January 1920 Census conducted in Dallas, shows she was located at...
Dreidel – “a great miracle happened there”
Here we have various colored plastic and wooden dreidels. Dreidel is Yiddish for "spinning top”. The Hebrew letters inscribed on a dreidel are Nun, Gimel, Hey or Chai, and Shin. The letters form an acronym for the Hebrew saying Nes Gadol Hayah Sham,...
Samuel Charles Blumenthal – WWI Dog Tags
Samuel Charles Blumenthal’s (1893-1978) WWI dog tags are located in the DJHS archive. Before World War I, Mr. Blumenthal lived in Georgia and was 23 years old. His name is stamped along the curved top edge of the alluminum tag. After July 26, 1918, all tags could be...
Bedikat Chametz – Feather, Spoon, and Candle Kit
There's an ancient Jewish custom called Bedikat Chametz (literally, “the search for Chametz). The night before Passover there is a search for any food that's made of grain and water that have been allowed to ferment and "rise”. The candle is for light when searching,...
Red Cross Nurses Outfit – August 1948
This is a nurse's uniform hat from the Red Cross from around August 1948. The online guide states: Indoor Uniform: Figure 73 Commando blue seersucker or blue poplin (latest selection since seersucker no longer obtainable) one-piece dress with either long or short...
E. M. Kahn and Company
Here we have a metal shoehorn from the E. M. Kahn and Company, “Complete Outfitters to Men & Boys,” which was located on Main and Elm, at Lamar. The founder Emanuel Meyer Kahn, a Jewish immigrant from Alsace-Lorraine, France, founded the E.M. Kahn Company in...