Timeline of Austin Jewish Community in the American Jewish Historical Context
A Living Timeline of Community, Continuity, and Change
This timeline traces the development of the Jewish community in Austin within the broader sweep of American Jewish history. It is intended as a living document. The Greater Austin Jewish Historical Society (GAJHS) welcomes suggested additions, corrections, and resources that can deepen this shared historical record. Please contact barry@austinjewishhistory.org.
Living the American Jewish Experience is an annual lecture and year-round programs that explore American Jewish identity within its historical context and the contemporary challenges of being Jewish in America.
The initiative brings leading contemporary thinkers to Austin to share provocative perspectives that encourage critical thinking about the fundamental assumptions, questions, and issues facing the American Jewish community—as well as individual Jews and families—today.
Click on lecture topic to download the lecture and on lecturer's name for their bio
January 7, 2025 The Scourge and the Surge: Post – October 7 American Jewry in Historical Perspective – Dr. Jonathan D. Sarna, renowned professor of American Jewish History, Brandeis University
January 8, 2026 Jews Have Never Lived in a Vacuum: Interreligious Engagement and the American Jewish Experience – Dr. Dean Bell, President & CEO, Spertus Institute for Jewish Learning and Leadership
The LTAJE lecture series is hosted by 