CONGREGATION TEMPLE ISRAEL

Organized May 6, 1919

Charter members

I. Markowitz, President

A. Zundelowitz, Vice President

Jos. Colona, Secretary

J. L. Art, Treasurer

Louis Pink, Trustee

Phil Kleinman, Trustee

Leon Loeb, Trustee

Leo Markowitz, Trustee

M. A. Marcus, Trustee

J. Cohen, Lazarus Cohen, Abe Marcus, Chas. Tobolowsky, and Sam Kruger.

Names of Presidents since organization in order named:

I. Markowitz, One Term

J. L. Art, One Term

L. Pink, Two Term

A. Marks, One Term

L. Pink, Four Term

E. Liopold, Two Term

Louis Franklin, One Term

Louis Pink, Three Term

Rabbis.

David Goldberg, Samuel Phillips, and S. J. Schwab

Congregation has not engaged a Rabbi in the past three years.

Services are conducted by Mr. Paul Goldstucker, a four year student of the Hebrew Union College. Mr. Goldstucker, assisted by several lady teachers, conducts the Sabbath School. Average attendance: 35 children.

The church property consisting of ground, building, furnishings and parsonage, represent a cash outlay of $42,000. At one time there was no indebtedness. At present there is a mortgage of $7500 and sizable sum of past-due interest. The estimated membership of the congregation is 40.

Submitted by L. Pink, Pres.

Here is another short history.

The Jewish Cemetery & Its People

Wichita Falls, Texas

Temple Israel was built in 1919-1920. It was the house of worship for a small group of Jews who had settled here for several years. Among this group were some of the towns leading merchants: Sam Kruger, Joe Art, Louis Pink, Gene Liepold and his partner named Loeb, Jake Cohen, Phil Kleinman, Harry Jaffe, Sol Lasky, Saul Lebenson and many others, including an old nestor named Zundlewitz (a retired merchant and rancher) who later endowed a Junior High School with his name. Most of these Jews formed the Nucleus of Temple Israel. Another group who were Orthodox in their beliefs formed a group call the House of David. Temple Israel was built on the corner of Burnett and 11th Street. That building is now part of the Senior Citizens building owned by the city.

Louis Pink, who owned the Palace Drug Store was president of the Temple and Freida, his wife, organized the Sabbath School. In 1921, Freida Pink died and she had to be buried. Our first death since the Temple had been built. So the members of the congregation had a meeting; agreed to buy some land and start a Jewish Cemetery. Donations were asked for and those families making donations were given plots in the cemetery according to their donation. The land was purchased from a Mr. Baumgardner (not a Jew) who had named his cemetery Hillcrest. He sold this acreage with perpetual care which was never received. He later went broke and had to sell his cemetery or else have it taken from him by his debtors.

As the years went by, more Jews moved here. Some died. Although the Temple originated the cemetery, we would permit any Jew to be buried in our Cemetery, whether Reformed or Orthodox. In later years the two congregations decided to incorporate the cemetery under the name of "Hebrew Rest Cemetery" and it is now operating under the terms of the Corporation.

I have written this from memory and experience. In 1921, I was 13 years old so the facts of the situation may not be absolute. Since 1950 I have been associated in some way with the Cemetery and am considered to manage the Cemetery.

-written by Pat Cohen

August 25, 1988

NOTE: The Hillcrest Cemetery is the westward-most part of Rosemont Cemetery (on Southwest Parkway in Wichita Falls). The Jewish Cemetery is between that and Rosemont. The city (of Wichita Falls) now takes care of all three parts, so I understand.