Port of Promise

November 7, 2026, through January 31, 2027

This exhibition explores how Jewish immigrants helped shape Texas from the early 1800s through the early twentieth century – building businesses, communities, and civic institutions while maintaining cultural and religious identity on the frontier. 

Between the years of 1907 and 1914, The port of Galveston played a starring role in a story as big as Texas and as poignant as individual struggle for survival. Galveston was an alternative entry into the United States for persecuted Jews. The Galveston Movement assisted close to 10,000 immigrants with travel and new lives further inland, in Texas and beyond.  This exhibition will highlight the stories of significant contributors to the story of Texas within industries such as philanthropy, merchants, banking, trade, medical, transportation, ranching and others.   Jewish pioneers of Texas forged a distinctive identity for their descendants and made enormous contributions to the Texas of today.

A special thanks to our Port of Promise Exhibition Steering Committee:

• Melissa Cohen-Nichols
• Honorable Grant Dorfman, Division 11B, Presiding Judge
• Lily and Charles Foster
• BJ and Buddy Herz
• Shelley Kessler
• Rabbi Peter Kessler
• Neil N. Nathan
• Joy and Benjamin Warren
   

REMEMBRANCE
Brittany Sakowitz Kushner & Kevin Kushner

ADVOCATE
Tissy & Rusty Hardin
Kimberly & Harris L. Kempner, III
Phyllis Cohen & Lewis Linn
Lewis & Joan Lowenstein Foundation

FRIEND
Andrea & John B. Bryan
Martha & Don Freedman
Drs. Hani & Djenita Jneid & Mr. Daniel Jneid
Dorothy L. Levinson
Margery & Robert Loeb
Marsha & Lionel Schooler
Joy & Benjamin Warren

PATRON
Marceal Donadio & Lawrence Dickerson
Christine & Mike Glover
Rose Blanchard & Michael Moreno
Heidi & Matt Seinsheimer
Margaret & Matt Callihan
Angie & Grant Dorfman
Grateful descendants of Lillian Seeligson Winterbotham, granddaughter of Michael Seeligson, first Jewish mayor of Galveston
Cheryl & Stephen Golub
Lisa & Lee E. Herman
Shelley Nussenblatt Kessler
Opera Gallery (Gilles & Florence Dyan)
Guylene & Jay Lendrum
Rhonda & Eric Lipper
Trish & Mike McDaniel
Jeff Seinsheimer
Debbie & Jeff Warren
Kelly & Luis Zúñiga

ADDITIONAL DONORS 
Ronnie & Al Harrison
Adrienne Barker
Lisette & Anthony Brown
Lily & Charles C. Foster
Marc Grossberg
Meg Walker & Craig Janek
Mary & Jeth Jones, II
Joel Loshak
Melanie & Chris Promecene
Kim & Fred Raschke
Marie & Christopher Robb
Gary Weisserman