Leon Toubin, known locally as "The Last Jew of Brenham", a

Jewish Texan Jewish Texans have been a part of the history of Texas since the first European explorers arrived in the region in the 16th century. In 1990, there were around 108,000 adherents to Judaism in Texas. More recent estimates place the number at around ...

civic Civic is something related to a city or municipality. It also can refer to multiple other things: General *Civics, the science of comparative government *Civic engagement, the connection one feels with their larger community *Civic center, a comm ...

leader Leadership, both as a research area and as a practical skill, encompasses the ability of an individual, group or organization to "lead", influence or guide other individuals, teams, or entire organizations. The word "leadership" often gets vi ...

, philanthropist, and

historian A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the st ...

, is the caretaker of

B'nai Abraham Synagogue (Brenham, Texas) The B'nai Abraham congregation in Brenham, Texas, was organized in 1885. History Early Jewish settlers in the Washington County, Texas, arrived during the 1860s. B. Levinson, an original founder, arrived in 1861. Alex Simon arrived in 1866. Thes ...

, which he began attending in the late 1930s as part of the daily minyan.

Family

Leon Toubin is the son of Sam H. Toubin and Rosa (Levin) Toubin. The

Blinn College Blinn College is a public junior college in Brenham, Texas, with additional campuses in Bryan, Schulenburg, and Sealy. Brenham is Blinn's main campus, with dormitories and apartments. History Blinn was established as Mission Institute in 188 ...

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 William Marsh Rice University (Rice University) is a private research university in Houston, Texas. It is on a 300-acre campus near the Houston Museum District and adjacent to the Texas Medical Center. Rice is ranked among the top universities ...

. Both were civic leaders and well respected in the Brenham area for their philanthropic endeavors." Leon Toubin was raised in Brenham. Note: link goes to a more recent edition of the book.

Religious activities

After his mother's death in 1989, Toubin became the caretaker of B'Nai Abraham Synagogue. The synagogue was formally organized in 1885. Toubin and his wife are the last two members of the congregation. Toubin was interviewed for several books and a documentary which focused on oral histories of Jews in America, and specifically in Texas. In the book ''Lone Stars of David: The Jews of Texas,'' Toubin discusses the history of the Brenham, Texas Jewhish community and laments the lack of participation at the synagogue. He expounds on the subject in ''Growing Up Jewish in America: An Oral History,'' mentioning that many of the descendants of the Brenham Jewish community "were probably all Jewish once, but we're

Lutheran Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Cathol ...

now." In the documentary ''At Home on the Range: Jewish Life in Texas'', Toubin tells a similar story about a Washington County Sheriff. The sheriff once told Toubin that "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."

Civic leadership

Toubin is involved in a project to restore an historic cistern on Toubin's property on Main Street. He is also on the board of trustees for

, and on the board of directors of the Economic Development Foundation of Brenham. Toubin is also the caretaker of the B'Nai Abraham Jewish cemetery. "Main Street Brenham will be able to complete its Toubin Park Project with the help of a $25,000 community development grant. This grant, provided by the

Lower Colorado River Authority The Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) is a nonprofit public utility created in November 1934 by the Texas Legislature. LCRA's mission is to enhance the lives of the Texans it serves through water stewardship, energy and community service. LC ...

, will be used to purchase benches, trash receptacles and lampposts for the new park area in downtown Brenham."

Philanthropy

Toubin and his wife have given money to various philanthropic organizations, including the Texas Hillel, the "Julie Rogers 'Gift of Life Program'", the Camp Young Judea program in Texas, and

The University of Texas The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin, UT, or Texas) is a public research university in Austin, Texas. It was founded in 1883 and is the oldest institution in the University of Texas System. With 40,916 undergraduate students, 11,075 ...

"Longhorn Foundation".

Family

Religious activities

Civic leadership

Philanthropy

References

See also