1898 , the same year liberal practitioners founded Temple Beth-El and broke ground on the building that stands today . The Orthodox congregation began meeting in the Odd Fellows Hall at Beaton and 3rd St ., and by the early 20th century it had the name by which it would be known for decades – Agudas Achim – as well as its own place of worship .
Though never particularly large – its population peaked at around 300 in the 1930s – the Jewish community nonetheless had an outsized impact on Corsicana . Agudas Achim and Temple Beth- El member rosters from the first half of the 20th century read like a who ’ s who of local luminaries , filled with names like Wolens , Samuels and Silverberg .
Today , Babette Samuels is the last of that original group still living in Corsicana . Like her late husband , Irvin Samuels , who until the 1990s ran the P . Samuels Men ’ s Clothiers store his father opened in 1897 , Mrs . Samuels has for years been a tireless philanthropist , volunteering her time to organizations ranging from the Chamber of Commerce to the Boy Scouts of America . To this day she helps maintain the Hebrew cemetery on 2nd Avenue , which was established in 1875 by some of the earliest Jewish families in Corsicana .
When asked why Corsicana Jews have been so involved in civic endeavors over the generations , Samuels has a simple answer .
“ It ’ s our community , and we wanted it to be prosperous and successful .”
Like Samuels , the name Wolens is synonymous in Corsicana with tireless charitable work , not to mention the possibilities that awaited immigrants searching for the American Dream at the turn of the last century .
Kalman and Ida Wolens arrived in Corsicana in 1902 from Poland by way of Chicago . Kalman ’ s first job in Corsicana was selling eyeglasses from a pushcart near the corner of Beaton St . and 5th Ave ., where he cobbled out his living in much the same way as other Eastern European Jews in places like Manhattan ’ s Lower East Side .
Through elbow grease and chutzpah , Kalman soon owned his own clothing shop in downtown Corsicana . By 1923 , oil riches allowed him to grow the K . Wolens Department Store into a regional
giant , with dozens of Texas locations .
Throughout his lifetime , Kalman , an Orthodox Jew , remained firmly committed to his faith and instilled those values in his family . Despite the demands of running a successful business , they strictly observed the Sabbath , refusing to drive a car , handle money , or turn on electric lights .
Kalman ’ s grandson Bud Silverberg , who lived with his parents in his grandfather ’ s home for a time , recalls Gentile friends frequently offering the Wolenses a ride to or from the synagogue on Saturdays , gestures that , while appreciated , were politely declined .
“ They didn ’ t understand why we were walking ,” Silverberg says
Summer 2022 | Explore Corsicana 11