Rescuing History After Harvey: Creating the Houston Jewish History Archive

• In Event: The Past and Future of Jewish Archives

Abstract

The devastation Hurricane Harvey brought to Houston was keenly felt in the neighborhoods of Meyerland and Willow Meadows, home to many of the city’s Jewish institutions and families. In the aftermath of the storm, hundreds of residences and at least three Houston synagogues suffered serious flood damage. The archival collections of United Orthodox Synagogues (UOS) of Houston and Congregation Beth Yeshurun, which include photographs, synagogue bulletins, board minutes, rabbinical correspondence, and rare commemorative books, were severely damaged by the several feet of water that inundated each building. In addition, many personal possessions of Houston’s Jewish families of potential interest to scholars, including letters, journals, photographs, and memorabilia, were ruined and are at risk of being discarded and lost forever.

In the days and weeks following the storm, Rice University faculty and staff worked to rescue wet and moldy documents from flooded synagogues in Houston. This effort has culminated in the development of the Houston Jewish History Archive, a collaboration between the Program in Jewish Studies at Rice and the Woodson Research Center in Rice’s Fondren Library. Although the archive will not formally launch until July 1, already hundreds of papers and photographs related to Jewish life in Houston and South Texas have been donated for the purposes of preservation and research.

In conjunction with the other papers comprising a panel on the past and future of Jewish history archives, this presentation looks to the past, exploring the links between archives and activism on behalf of endangered or extinguished Jewish communities. Furman will also consider the future: in light of Houston’s experience, how might climate change affect Jewish communal records in the years to come, and how must repositories of Jewish history respond to this challenge?

Author

• Joshua J. Furman, Rice University