Though Congregation Beth-Israel, 1825 W. Beauregard Ave., wasn’t officially formed until 1913, Jewish history in San Angelo reaches back to the beginning of town, as most of the property that constituted the Village of Santa Angela was once owned by a Jewish man from San Antonio named Marcus Koenigheim.
Koenigheimgained title to the unsold portions of town through a loan default by founder Bart DeWitt, and according to historical records, he considered it ill-fortune at the time, attempting at one point to trade the bulk of the land for a barrel of whiskey.
The offer was refused, as the land was generally considered worthless at the time, while whiskey was worth a nickel-per-shot.
A few-years later, things began picking-up in the little frontier town, and merchants began building brick-and-mortar stores to serve the burgeoning population.
Some of those merchants were Jewish, and as far-back as 1885, the San Angelo Standard newspaperfeatured regular items throughout the year informing readers about business closings associated with High Holy Days of the Jewish Faith, as it was well-known the proprietors would not transact business for any price on days when work was forbidden.
At this time, there were only four synagogues in the Lone Star State:
Temple Beth Israel in Houston, founded in 1854, the oldest congregation in Texas; Congregation B'nai Israel in Galveston, which is the oldest synagogue building in Texas, rebuilt in 1890; Temple Beth-El in San Antonio, founded in 1874; and B'nai Abraham Synagogue in Brenham, which was founded in 1885.
By 1913, the population of San Angelo had grown to a little-more than 10,000, with a Jewish population of 20, according to theAmerican Jewish Yearbook.
Congregation Beth-Israel was chartered that year, and the assembly held services in their homes, and then in local buildings, as opportunities presented themselves.
According to an article featuring Beth-Israel in 1962, construction on the present building began in 1928, and San Angelo Mayor W.D. Holcombe was in attendance with the Rev. M.S. Epperson of Harris Avenue Presbyterian Church for the laying of the cornerstone.
The mayor said that he took “great pleasure in participating in the laying of the cornerstone of the Jewish Synagogue in San Angelo,” and that he looked upon this move on the part of the local Jewish population as a "mark of the city’s growth... as a thriving community."
The Rev. Epperson was quoted saying “I consider the invitation to participate in the laying of the cornerstone of a Jewish Synagogue as one of the greatest honors that has ever been bestowed upon me.”
The reverend said that he felt the occasion gave him a chance to “further expressthe fact the the South was not given-over to religious bigotry and narrowness, that prevented those of a different faith from association and fellowship.”
“I hope this will not only be another cornerstone of a house of worship in San Angelo," he said."But that it will be the cornerstone of a better understanding and feeling among the Jew and Gentile of West Texas.”
In the earliest years, the congregation was spurred-on by founding-member Aaron Samuel Willick, who was credited with instigating the plans that resulted in the Synagogue’s completion.
According to historical records, the Congregation obtained the lot at Beauregard Avenue and Milton Street from H.C. Ragsdale in 1927, which was just outside the city limits at that time. Lamentably, Willick died the year before the building was dedicated.
Beth-Israel was ready for services in August 1928, and a dedication took place on March 24, 1929, which was broadcast over local radio.
That was the same year City Hall was completed on College Avenue, and the Hilton (Cactus)Hotel went up on Twohig.
Rabbi David Goldman, who lived at 219 N. Madison St., made some prophetic remarks on the occasion.
Goldman, who had been Yeshiva-educated, served the San Angelo community until 1951. He was also a well-known real-estate agent,fondly known as “Rabbi Dave.”
The temple offered the congregation classes in religious formation, including Hebrew lessons, though the building had only one classroom; groups also met in the kitchen, sanctuary, and hall.
Upon Goldman's retirement, the Rabbi David L. Shnayerson came to Beth Israel from Kilgore.
According to the Standard-Time's archives, Shnayerson was born in Russia, and emigrated to the United States before the First World War.
He had been a ministry student in his home country, but entered the insurance business upon arriving in America, and was quite successful until the Stock Market crash of 1929, at which point he was persuaded by friends to return to the ministerial life, and served in San Angelo until his death in 1971. He is buried in Lawnhaven Cemetery.
A major highlight from the Congregation’s timeline in this era includes September of 1955, when they were presented with a Torah scroll in memory of the late A.S. Willick by Mrs. A.S. Willick, of Dallas Street, and her daughter and son-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. William B. Greene of 210 N. Bishop St., along with Mr. and Mrs. Walter Goldberg of 320 N. Madison St.
According to a news article from Sept. 4 of that year, presentation of the Torah “which was rescued from Russia when Hitler’s army marched into the country, was made on the 27th anniversary of the cornerstone laying and was followed by a buffet supper."
According to the Congregation, Beth-Israel never formally affiliated with any particular branch of Judaism, but a chapter of Young Judea, a Zionist youth organization, was active from the 1920s through 1931, and a B’nai B’rith chapter began in 1946.
Beth Israel also has a long tradition of serving Jewish soldiers stationed at Goodfellow Air Force Base, since the installation was established 1940.
In January 2013, Beth-Israel was recognized with a Texas historical marker, and Marty Cohen shared some of the remarks Rabbi Goldman made on the day the cornerstone was set.
"This city may build the most magnificent courthouses, city halls, colleges, hotels, skyscrapers, and furthermore we may build the most beautiful temples and synagogues,” Goldman told those assembled in 1929. “Yet this little humble structure we are building today, and dedicating to God, will stand out always as a beacon of light to posterity— as well to the present generation— who will regard it as a living symbol of the supremacy of San Angelo over all the other cities of West Texas, west of Fort Worth and north of El Paso.
"The laws of physics teach us that every action has its reaction. ...What we Jews have done for San Angelo is only a measure of what San Angelo has done for us. We are not trying to receive the applause of our good friends in this city without expressing our own most sincere appreciation of the good things we enjoyed here, of the broadminded policies and principles carried out by its governing bodies, and endorsed wholeheartedly by a citizenry which has been inspired by both school and church to fight and exterminate evil and keep the good.
"This synagogue is the physical evidence of the generosity of San Angelo to the Jewish community here."
Editor's note: Congregation Beth-Israel is planning a major fundraising and outreach event May 17-18, 2019.
