LEON TOUBIN REFLECTS ON BRENHAM SYNAGOGUE ABOUT TO BE MOVED

  

The B’nai Abraham Synagogue in Brenham is about to find a new home, after being in its present home since 1893.

The Synagogue is currently located right outside of the downtown Brenham square on N. Park Street,

Preparations for the move began today, and will soon be at it’s new home by the beginning of the year.

Last week, workers braced its interior for the trip. The Torah scrolls and prayer books had already moved to Austin.

Then roof will be lifted off with a crane and cut into two pieces and cut into two pieces, followed by the building being lifted and loaded onto a flatbed truck, with the roof traveling on another flatbed.

The City of Austin regulations require that a men and women’s bathroom be available for the building, so one will be added on to meet that requirement. It will also have central air conditioning and heating.

The congregation has not had a rabbi since World War II, and the past generations of Jews have grown up and left Brenham, and the older ones have passed away.

This is the same synagogue where Toubin was had his bar mitzvah, and had hopes that the Jewish people would return to Brenham. But that has not happened.

Leon Toubin, along with his wife Mimi, have been maintaining the synagogue, but worry about what will happen when they are gone. They were both afraid that the building would fall into disrepair, or even become a church.

 

leon toubin2
Leon Toubin

Now there are plans to move the old synagogue to a location where it would be appropriately used by the Jewish community. The Dell Jewish Community in Northwest Austin is its intended destination.

The project is expected to cost in the neighborhood of $450,000, and a little over half has been raised already. The timing is a little behind schedule due to many things, including permit conflict issues.

Toubin is hoping that the Jewish Community in Austin will raise the rest. One person has pledged $50,000.

The City of Brenham has purchased the land, and has not yet disclosed what will be put in place, but there is speculation that it will be use as park space.

Synagogue story2

Synagogue story

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2 Comments

  1. Mr. & Mrs. Leon Toubin, have done a remarkable job as stewards of their faith and caretakers of the synagogue, the Torah Scrolls and prayer books. I, too, agree that it is provident that a new community will preserve the richness of the history and carry forth with its original intent. We shared this unique history with our children as we watched the restoration of the exterior. What a wondrous gift to share during Hanukkah.

  2. I think it is wonderful that this building will be used by a religious community rather than used as some restaurant or some kind of commercial use. At the same time, it is sad that Brenham has lost such an important part of the history. I wish it could have stayed.

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