Early Texas Jewish Settlers, 1830–1845: Were They Really Jewish, and if so, Who Were They?

It will also argue that the Jewish men who ventured into Mexican and Republic-era Texas were not irrelevant to Texas Jewish history; in fact, they were important trailblazers on the frontier and filled similar positions as Jews who settled on frontiers in earlier times. Early Texas Jewish Settlers, 1830-1845: Were They Really Jewish, and if so, Who Were They? Furthermore, through letters, the presence of Jews in early Texas contributed to the dissemination of information about Jewish life in Texas because these men maintained contact with Jews and Jewish communities elsewhere. Similarly, Jews found frontier Texas an appealing place to live, and the Jewish men and women who came to early Texas were no less Jewish than the men and women who first ventured into Spain or Poland.2 Most Jewish migrants to North America gained a new freedom. [Extracted from the article]