Hey Austin Kehillah! FOR ALL AGES!
2026~5786
May is Texas Jewish American Heritage Month
Whether you have deep roots in the Greater Austin area or are new to our community, this 4-week challenge is for you! Enjoy the activities with family, friends, groups, congregational friends, or just for yourself.
Suggested for All Activities:
WRITE, VOICE RECORD, SNAP PHOTOS, SHOOT VIDEO!
Share your content with us at: tjahm2026Austin@gmail.com and be entered in three random drawings for $100, $72, and $36 gift cards to H-E-B, BookPeople, and Ēma Restaurant, a new Israeli eatery at The Domain!
Week 1 Challenge
The Oldest Jewish Object in Your Family
May 1 - May 8
- FIND Jewish objects in your home that seem like they could be the oldest in the family. Things like a menorah, prayer book, Torah, family photos, recipe cards, anything
- ASK: Which object is or might be the oldest? How long has your family possessed it?
- TALK about the objects with family, friends, religious school, or peer group
Week 2 Challenge
What is your Texas Migration Story?
May 9 - May 16
- LEARN FROM YOUR FAMILY how and when your family first got to Texas and where your earlier family lived, as far back as anyone can remember.
- IMAGINE arriving in Galveston as a Jewish immigrant in 1910. Where would you have come from? What did you bring? Were you alone or with family or friends? Who met you?
Week 3 Challenge
Where Do You Find Your Jewish Community?
May 17 - May 24
- LIST the places in Austin where you connect with Jewish community. What are your favorite Jewish spaces? synagogue, JCC, Chabad, schools, restaurants, friends' homes
- DRAW a map of your Jewish Austin - mark the places that are meaningful to you, expand to all of Texas if you can.
- TALK WITH OTHERS why these places matter to you and what makes them feel like your community.
Week 4 Challenge
Record Your Jewish Heritage Story
May 25 - May 31
- MAKE A LIST of 5 topics to talk about your life about being Jewish in Texas. Use examples from the previous 3 challenges, or create new topics. For example, Being Jewish in Texas means...; What was your life journey to Texas and settling here?
- RECORD audio/video or write your answers out as if you are writing about your life to a family member 25 years in the future, or to yourself. Preserve your stories.