GOD & TEXAS: Rabbi Henry Cohen

As the waters receded from the 1900 Galveston hurricane, Rabbi Henry Cohen was seen walking the island's soggy streets with members of the Central Relief Committee and a loaded shotgun. Known for helping the poor, the Rabbi was now preserving law and order in the watery chaos. 

Born in London, England, in 1863, Cohen became a Rabbi in 1884 and ministered in Jamaica and Mississippi. In 1888, he began serving the Congregation Temple B’nai Israel in Galveston, and married Mollie Levy in 1889. He quickly became known as a champion for the poor, sick, and imprisoned. As a leader of the Galveston Movement, he aided in the immigration of Jewish refugees from Russia and Eastern Europe, and often met them dockside with finances, food, and clothing.

When Cohen was asked about his priorities, he replied, “Other men play golf for recreation. My hobby is helping people.” He was often seen riding his bicycle around Galveston and visiting the less fortunate. Cohen was not without his own distinctive idiosyncrasies. He always wore a white bow tie and Dexter shoes. And in his pocket were three cigars and some extra cash to give to a needy person. The Rabbi wore Victorian cuffless shirts, with separate linen cuffs. And on his cuffs, he would write his itinerary and reminders for the day. 

When the 1900 hurricane hit, Cohen saw the opportunity to help others. He refused offers to leave the flooded island and instead commandeered a mule-drawn wagon to deliver medicine and food to those who had lost everything. Seeing that many churches were destroyed, Cohen opened his worship center for Protestant services. 

In his later years, Cohen was known for leading prison reform that promoted better living conditions and training in life skills to assure inmates a job upon release. For his many charitable efforts and support of social justice, Cohen was honored by President Woodrow Wilson with the title, “First Citizen of Texas.” A historical marker in honor of Cohen is located at 722 21st St. in Galveston, and reads in part, “When Rabbi Cohen died, the Commissioners Court of Galveston County called him one of this country’s greatest humanitarians and spiritual leaders.”

In his inspiring biography about Cohen titled, “The Life of a Frontier Rabbi,” author Jimmy Kessler writes regarding Cohen’s humanitarian endeavors: “Rabbi Cohen's belief in this drove him to be involved with causes and people in need, no matter who they were. He was guided only by the words of the Prophet Micah (6:8), "to do justly, to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God."

One of Rabbi Cohen’s frequent sayings is inscribed on his gravestone and reads, “Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him” (Job 13:15). This bold statement reveals that no matter how difficult the circumstance or great the calamity, Cohen would steadfastly trust and obey his mighty God. This he modeled in life and bequeathed in death as a beacon for others to follow. 

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