MIMI TOUBIN, WHO HELPED MOVE HISTORIC B’NAI ABRAHAM SYNAGOGUE TO AUSTIN, DIES

  

A Brenham woman who was instrumental in moving the town’s historic synagogue to Austin has died.

Miriam “Mimi” Toubin died Monday at the age of 86, after a battle with lung cancer.

Mimi, along with her husband of 62 years, Leon, maintained the B’nai Abraham Synagogue for many years before arranging and paying for the move of the building to its new home at the Dell Jewish Community Campus in northwest Austin.

Before the move in January 2015, the synagogue, which was built in 1893 and is a Texas Historical Landmark, had been located outside of downtown Brenham on North Park Street.  As Brenham’s Jewish community declined, the synagogue had fallen out of use, and the Toubins wished to avoid the building falling into disrepair or being converted for other uses.

Toubin, who was born and raised in Brooklyn and moved to Brenham in 1958, served on the Board of Trustees for the Washington on the Brazos Historical Foundation and the Texas Jewish Historical Society.  She also supported the creation of Toubin Park in downtown Brenham.

Toubin was buried Tuesday at the B’nai Abraham Cemetery in Brenham.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the B’nai Abraham Brenham Historic Synagogue in Austin, the B’nai Abraham Cemetery in Brenham, the Camp for All Foundation in Houston, or the charity of the donor’s choice.