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Early Jewish settlers arrived in Brenham, Texas, during the 1860s. With the arrival of Jewish merchants, Brenham's
retail and wholesale trade expanded further. B. Levinson, an original founder, arrived in 1861. The builders of the
Simon Theatre, the Simon family, arrived in 1866. These individuals became active in the business community of Brenham,
Texas, and as other Jewish settlers arrived, the need for a synagogue grew. Early leaders were: Rabbi Israel, L. Fink as
first president, F. Susnitsky as vice president, L. Z. Harrison, J. Lewis, Abe Fink. These men were part of the 20
original charter members of B'nai Abraham Synagogue.
B'nai Abraham Synagogue
Constructed in 1893 after the first structure caught fire in 1892. Inside the building the Aron Kodesh can be seen on
the eastern wall and in the center the Bimah where the Torah was read. In the 1990s the synagogue was believed to be the
oldest Orthodox Jewish synagogue to have been in continuous use in Texas
The B'nai Abraham Cemetery is a
Jewish cemetery located in Brenham and associated with B'nai Abraham Synagogue. Its location is near Blinn College, west
of the Brenham town square. This cemetery is the resting place for many notable Jewish Texans, such the Simon family and
Rosa Levin Toubin.