Rice Jewish Studies

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Rice Jewish Studies

The Program in Jewish Studies has over ten affiliated faculty members primarily from the humanities and social sciences.

Our faculty offer classes in numerous academic disciplines, including art history, languages, literature, music, philosophy and religious studies. Noted for their intellectual breadth, diverse methodologies and academic rigor, our courses span from the beginner’s to the advanced level and are appealing to students from all backgrounds. Our undergraduate and graduate students pursue an interdiscipl

inary course of studying Judaism which crosses boundaries between departments and schools. Our Program also benefits from one of Rice’s traditional strengths, an intimate learning environment within a vibrant university in which students enjoy close contact with their professors and have the opportunity to learn of their cutting-edge research.

05/04/2026

The Program in Jewish Studies was delighted to host 24 faculty from institutions across Texas this weekend for the May meeting of the Texas Jewish Studies Triangle. We spent the day at the Woodson Research Center exploring the Joan and Stanford Alexander South Texas Jewish Archives.

STJA curator Melissa Cohen-Nickels guided the group through the history of the Archives and shared current initiatives in the morning, followed by hands-on archival programming in the afternoon. Participants engaged directly with materials documenting the Houston Jewish community’s response to World War II, bringing history to life in meaningful ways.

It was inspiring to see so many ideas emerge about how to engage university students in rigorous historical research and archival work. Katie Webber, the Katz Family Archivist, led two excellent sessions on oral histories and utilizing university archives, helping us better understand both the creation of oral histories and their unique value in interpreting the past. She also explored how university archives across the state can be integrated into the classroom.

We look forward to building even more partnerships between STJA and institutions across Texas. Thank you to program chairs Matthias Henze (Rice University) and Chad Spigel (Trinity University)!

05/03/2026

Jewish American Heritage Month Spotlight
This May, we celebrate the individuals who helped shape Jewish life in Houston and beyond. Today, we highlight Mitchell (Michael) Louis Westheimer (1831–1905). Yes, that Westheimer!

Born in Baden, Germany, Westheimer arrived in Texas in the 1850s and built a life defined by entrepreneurship, community leadership, and generosity. A successful businessman and miller, he owned a flour mill, worked as a hay merchant, and even helped build Houston’s first streetcar rails. Fluent in seven languages, he frequently served as an interpreter for the local bank and post office, connecting communities in a growing city.
Westheimer and his wife, Babette Betty Hirsch, raised a remarkable family of sixteen children, including orphans and relatives. On their land, known as the Westheimer Plantation, he demonstrated a deep commitment to education by building a schoolhouse for his children and opening it free of charge to others in the community at a time when Houston had no public schools.

A dedicated member of Congregation Beth Israel, Westheimer served as an officer and trustee, helping guide one of Texas’s oldest Jewish congregations. His lasting impact can still be seen today: in 1895, he donated land for what would become Westheimer Road, now one of Houston’s most recognizable thoroughfares.

From education to infrastructure, Michael Westheimer’s legacy reflects the enduring impact of Jewish contributions to Houston’s growth and community life.

05/01/2026

May is Jewish American Heritage Month. The Joan and Stanford Alexander South Texas Jewish Archives would like to highlight Jews in the South Texas Jewish community. Today we begin with Rebecca Sakowitz Nathan (1887-1974). Born in Russia and raised in Galveston since the age of 2, Rebecca moved to Houston with her husband Max Nathan in 1909.
Rebecca was active in Houston Section of the National Council of Jewish Women for five decades and served as president in 1926. During her tenure she helped create the Council House, more affectionately known as Happy House, in Houston’s 6th Ward. The Happy House focused on immigrant families in the community, regardless of religion, who needed help. Children played at Happy House after school, learned music, art, dance, and sports. Adults could take ESL classes and engage in job training programs. Rebecca ran the house for 10 years, even after her time as president of NCJW. When the house was eventually closed she turned her attention to similar work with the YWCA and served on their board for decades.
Rebecca was a champion for interfaith initiatives.

She founded the Round Table of Christians and Jews which later became a section of the National Council of Christians and Jews in 1937 and Co-Chaired the Temple of Religion for Texas Women’s Advisory Committee during the 1939 World’s Fair in New York.
Through her leadership and vision, Rebecca Sakowitz Nathan helped shape a more inclusive Houston, one story we are proud to preserve and share. You can learn more about Rebecca at the South Texas Jewish Archives at

04/16/2026

The Joan and Stanford Alexander South Texas Jewish Archives is thrilled to announce an addition to our STJA team. Katie Webber is the new Katz Family Archivist. This 5-year position was generously supported by Jerold B. Katz Foundation. Katie will be working exclusively with the South Texas Jewish Archives collections enhancing STJA’s ability to preserve even more Jewish history and life.
While Katie has just arrived in Houston last month, we are actually welcoming Katie back to Rice University. She is a Rice alum (2019) who worked as a student intern at STJA and traveled to Jerusalem with the Program in Jewish Studies. After leaving Rice, she earned a Master's in Library Sciences with a concentration in Archives and Records Management from Simmons University in 2023. Katie worked at the Kinsey Institute as the lead archivist, and most recently served as archivist at the Museum of the Southern Jewish Experience in New Orleans. Katie comes to us with a wealth of knowledge of both archival processing and the Jewish community. Please join us in welcoming Katie to the team!

riceuniversity Fondren Library

04/01/2026

A metal certification from the Houston Rabbinical Association for Kosher for Passover Coca Cola from the STJA Archives.

Chag Pesach Sameach!

03/31/2026

Join the Program in Jewish Studies on April 16th at Rayzor Hall for this engaging lecture about Franz Kafka and Yiddish literature by Professor Matt Johnson of the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

From more information contact Ido Telem [email protected]

03/30/2026

Attention Rice students! Apply today for a Fellowship and Summer Research Grant. In addition, students are eligible to submit a paper for the Morris and Shirley Rapoport Jewish Studies Essay Prize.

03/23/2026

Had a wonderful time at the University of Denver attending the Western Jewish Studies Association Conference! Many thanks to for inviting me to present on using archives in the K–12 classroom. Good to see old friends and making new archival connections.

Proud to represent the South Texas Jewish Archives (STJA) and highlight the power of primary sources in education.

03/20/2026

Looking for some high school history scholars, detectives and buffs who want to learn how to dig into real local Jewish history.

Applications due April 25th!

Program runs June 8-12, 2026 at Rice University!

https://jewishstudies.rice.edu/joan-and-stanford-alexander-south-texas-jewish-archives

02/24/2026

Thank you to the Yiddish Vinkel and the for inviting me to speak about Yiddish life in the South. It was so fun being with so many Yiddishists who are keeping the language, history and culture alive in Houston. If you would like to join them for their weekly Zoom meetings or their 3rd Night Seder, please contact Barbara Goldstein at [email protected]

Address

Jewish Studies, 6100 Main Street (MS-340)
Houston, TX
77005

Telephone

+17133484512

Website

http://jewishstudies.rice.edu/

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