Leon Toubin
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Leon Toubin, age 79, is a Jewish Texan civic leader, philanthropist, historian and caretaker of B'Nai Abraham Synagogue, Brenham.[1]
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[edit] Family
Leon Toubin, and his wife, are the last two members of one of the oldest Orthodox Jewish kehilla in Texas that predates the American Civil War and was formally organized in 1885. [2] Leon Toubin is the son of Sam H. Toubin and Rosa Levin Toubin.[3][4] The Blinn College website states that, "Sam Toubin, long-time businessman, owned and operated the New York stores in nine towns in Texas. Rosa Toubin, a Brenham native, attended local schools, Blinn College and Rice University. Both were civic leaders and well respected in the Brenham area for their philanthropic endeavors."[5] Rosa Levin Toubin is a Jewish historian for the Brenham kehilla. Among other works, she wrote "Colorful Brenham Community has history of over 120 years" in 1980.[6]
[edit] Civic leadership
Aside from his leadership concerning the Brenham kehilla, Leon Toubin is involved in the local community as a civic leader. Among his community activities, Mr. Toubin is involved in the "Toubin Pocket Park Project." The project is concerned with restoring an historic cistern on Toubin's mainstreet property. Texas Historical Commission archeologist, Mark Denton, has visited the site and commented that, "building a public cistern showed that Brenham was very progressive... None of the larger cities in Texas had public cisterns."[7] Mr. Toubin is on the board of trustees for Blinn College, [8] and on the board of directors of the Economic Development Foundation of Brenham. [9]
[edit] Philanthropy
Leon and his wife, Mimi Toubin, are involved in numerous philanthropic works within the state of Texas. There philanthropic donations have focused on numerous Texas organizations including many Jewish organizations. Some of these philanthropic works include donations to Texas Hillel[10], the "Julie Rogers 'Gift of Life Program'" [11], the Camp Young Judea program in Texas [12], and the The University of Texas "Longhorn Foundation" via the "Leon and Mimi Toubin Family Scholarship" [13]. Leon and Mimi Toubin also built the "Sam and Rosa Toubin genealogy Room" for the Washington County Genealogical Society.[14]
[edit] Jewish Texan historian
Leon Toubin has been a spokesperson for the Brenham kehilla. [15] [16] In the text Lone Stars of David: The Jews of Texas, Leon Toubin discusses the history of the Brenham, Texas kehilla. He states that the synagogue has, "holy scriptures and everything." He goes on to add that, "the only thing we need is Jewish people." [17]
In the text, Growing Up Jewish in America: An Oral History, Toubin discusses the descendents of the Brenham kehilla and states that at one time they, "were probably all Jewish once, but we're Lutheran now." [18]
Toubin tells a similar story for the PBS special one hour documentary, At Home on the Range: Jewish Life in Texas. This story concerns former Washington County Sheriff Goldberg. Toubin states that, "The sheriff we had here was named Goldberg. I got a call from a Goldberg in Houston. He said: 'Leon, I want to ask you a question. There’s a sheriff in Brenham named Goldberg, is he Jewish?' So I stopped him on the street one day and said: 'Sheriff I want to ask you a question. Are you Jewish?' The sheriff said: 'Leon, I was probably Jewish. But the family came here and there weren’t any Jewish girls to marry. Everyone intermarried and I'm Lutheran today. But I was probably Jewish at one time." [19]
[edit] References
- ^ MacLaggan, Corrie (2007-12-04). Brenham synagogue's caretakers guard their memories. Retrieved on 2007-12-05.
- ^ MacLaggan, Corrie (2007-12-04). Brenham synagogue's caretakers guard their memories. Retrieved on 2007-12-05.
- ^ Weiner, Hollace A. (2007). Lone Stars of David: The Jews of Texas. Retrieved on 2007-12-05.
- ^ B’Nai Abraham Cemetery. Retrieved on 2007-12-05.
- ^ Sam and Rosa Toubin Memorial Scholarship. Retrieved on 2007-12-05.
- ^ Texas Jewish Historical Society References. Retrieved on 2007-12-05.
- ^ City of Brenham. Toubin Pocket Park Project. Retrieved on 2007-12-05.
- ^ About Blinn College. Retrieved on 2007-12-05.
- ^ Brenham Banner Press (2007-11-21). EDF elects two new members to board. Retrieved on 2007-12-05.
- ^ Texas Hillel. Capital and Endowment Campaign Contributors. Retrieved on 2007-12-05.
- ^ Julie Rogers Gift of Life Program. Retrieved on 2007-12-05.
- ^ Camp Young Judea Texas. Retrieved on 2007-12-05.
- ^ The Longhorn Foundation. Retrieved on 2007-12-05.
- ^ WASHINGTON COUNTY GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY. Retrieved on 2007-12-05.
- ^ MacLaggan, Corrie (2007-12-04). Brenham synagogue's caretakers guard their memories. Retrieved on 2007-12-05.
- ^ Davis, Robert P. (1996-06-20). B'nai Abraham, Brenham, Texas. Retrieved on 2007-10-18.
- ^ Weiner, Hollace A. (2007). Lone Stars of David: The Jews of Texas. Retrieved on 2007-10-31.
- ^ Frommer, Myrna K. (1995). Growing Up Jewish in America: An Oral History. Retrieved on 2007-10-31.
- ^ Cohen, Brian (1996). At Home on the Range: Jewish Life in Texas. Retrieved on 2007-10-31.