In July 2023, the Texas Jewish Historical Society (TJHS) established the Rabbi Jimmy Kessler Educational Outreach Fund to honor the late Rabbi Jimmy Kessler of Galveston and to further his commitment to promoting and preserving the history of Jewish experiences in Texas. Remarkably, in its first-ever capital campaign, TJHS has successfully raised $176,000 in the past year.  

The Kessler Fund set an initial target of $250,000 to launch a viable and sustainable program. Close friends of Rabbi Kessler, Lonnie and Marsha Schooler from Houston, provided a generous seed gift to kickstart the Fund. Contributions, large and small, have also come from family, friends, the TJHS Board of Trustees, and significant donations from the Kempner Fund and the Hertzstein Foundation.  

“We hope that friends and family will help us reach our goal,” said President of TJHS Joan Linares. “Our aim is to create an endowment that ensures sustainable funding for many years to come.”   

This fundraising initiative coincides with the recent anniversary of Rabbi Kessler’s second yahrzeit, marking a profound tribute to his memory. One of the first funded programs will be a TJHS-University Jewish Studies Fellowship. This program would support graduate and undergraduate students as they explore the rich traditions of Jewish heritage within diverse cultural, religious, historical, and artistic frameworks in a Texas context. The program parameters have been intentionally kept broad by the TJHS Kessler Fund Committee, allowing students the freedom to creatively approach their Texas Jewish studies.  

“Jimmy would be thrilled to know that his legacy will continue through the educational outreach focused on Texas Jewish history, which was his passion,” wrote Shelley Kessler, Jimmy’s widow, in a message to TJHS. “I wholeheartedly support the planned uses for the funds.” ■ 

For further information, contact president@txjhs.org.