Texas Jewish Herald/Jewish Herald/Jewish Herald-Voice

History

Founded in 1908 by Edgar Goldberg, The Jewish Herald was a weekly publication, devoted to matters of interest to the Hebrew citizens of Houston. In its first year, the paper was published every Friday, on eight pages measuring 10 x 13 inches each. By the end of 1910, The Jewish Herald had expanded to eight pages measuring 13 x 17 inches, and the paper's circulation had reached 1,150. Goldberg published the Herald through the Herald Printing Company, and the paper initially cost $1.00 for an annual subscription.

The first issue of The Jewish Herald appeared on September 24, 1908 (in the Jewish calendar year 5668, as stated on the nameplate), but the paper had its origins in a news bulletin that Goldberg sent to the Jewish community in April 1908. At that time, Houston could count approximately 1,700 Jewish residents and two Jewish congregations. Goldberg's bulletin stated that the community should keep informed of current events throughout the world, and especially of developments within the growing Jewish community. He proposed an Anglo-Jewish weekly which would chronicle the news affecting the Jews of Texas.

And indeed, the inaugural issue of The Jewish Herald focused on the local Jewish community. The front-page story featured the dedication of the Adath Yeshurun (Orthodox) synagogue, while deeper in the Herald's pages the paper reported on the recent completion of the Beth Israel (Reform) temple. Subsequent front pages typically featured noteworthy sermons, editorials, and commentaries on various aspects of the American Jewish experience, only occasionally featuring articles on more newsworthy items such as the Galveston Movement (to divert Jewish immigrants away from the cities of the Northeast), The New Orleans Jewish Orphans' Home, and the Dreyfus Case.

The Jewish Herald-Voice became the succeeding title to the Jewish Herald, and continues in publication today, through the Samuels family. The Jewish Herald-Voice serves Houston and the wider Jewish community across Texas with local, regional, national, and international news.

Acknowledgments

Access to pre-1923 portions of this collection was made possible through the generous support of a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities, awarded through the National Digital Newspaper Program.

Access to post-1923 portions of this collection was possible through the generous support of a TexTreasures grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, awarded through the Texas State Library and Archives Commission.

The post-1923 content of this collection is available through a grant from the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services (Texas State Library and Archives Commission). (2023)