The congregation is small and active in the Galveston community.[citation needed] It is currently led Rabbi Todd Doctor.[3][4][5] Rabbi Jimmy Kessler, of Congregation B'nai Israel, a local Reform synagogue, previously assisted the congregation with religious functions such as marriages and funerals.
History
Beth Jacob Cemetery
Beth Jacob's roots date back to 1888 when a group of OrthodoxRussian Jews came together to form the Hebrew Orthodox Benevolent Association. Around the same time a group of Orthodox Jews from the Austro-Hungarian Empire immigrated to Galveston and began looking for a synagogue to join. As the only Orthodox synagogue in Galveston at the time followed the Russian tradition, the group of Austro-Hungarian Jews chose to form their own synagogue organization, the Young Men's Hebrew Association.[4]
During the early part of the 20th century there was a great influx of Jews from Russia and eastern Europe under the Galveston Movement program.[6] Therefore, in an effort to unite the growing Orthodox community, on February 15, 1931, the two Orthodox congregations voted to merge and form Congregation Beth Jacob. Despite being in the middle of the Great Depression, Rabbi Louis Feigon and members raised funds to build a new synagogue on the site of the old Hebrew Orthodox Benevolent Association.
The congregation continued to grow and by the early 1960s it became evident new buildings were needed for religious, educational and social facilities. In 1965 a new wing was built that included a 242-seat sanctuary, a large social hall, a library and more school rooms for the expanded Sunday, Hebrew and Hebrew high schools.[4][7]
