Fort Worth Jewish Archives

Max Pila

Max Pila (1920–1999) was a Holocaust survivor of Auschwitz, Birkenau, and a Nazi death march. After the war, he and his wife Rosa settled in Fort Worth in the early 1950s, where Max worked in the catering department at Congregation Ahavath Sholom and was beloved by Sunday school students. Inspired by the 1978 television series Holocaust, he began speaking publicly about his experiences—witnessing the murder of his brother, enduring brutal work details, and surviving the death march. His 1996 oral history with R.D. Moses preserves his story of survival, resilience, and the new life he built with Rosa.

Dr. Frank Cohen

Dr. Frank Cohen, M.D. (1913-2006) was Fort Worth’s beloved pediatrician for decades, known for his gentle, grandfatherly care. Beginning his practice in 1946, he led Tarrant County’s successful polio immunization campaign in 1962 and later received the Gold Headed Cane Award from the Tarrant County Medical Society. The atrium at Cook Children’s Medical Center now bears his name. A dedicated community leader, Dr. Frank served as president of the Jewish Federation of Fort Worth and helped launch both Camp Shalom and Fort Worth’s first Jewish preschool.

Pauline Schlinger Frankel

Pauline Schlinger Frankel (1917–2005)
Born in Dallas and a graduate of Forest Park High School, Pauline attended the University of Texas before marrying Nathan Frankel in 1936 and moving to Fort Worth as a bride. Together, she and Nathan founded Frankel Electric Supply Co., which became a thriving business in downtown Fort Worth at 1109 Lamar Street and Lancaster Avenue.

Alfred “Shuggie” Cohen

Alfred “Shuggie” Cohen (1918-2012) A jeweler known for his humor and warmth, Shuggie Cohen was Zales’ Texas Manager of the Year (1978) and B’nai B’rith Person of the Year (1984). Nicknamed “Shuggie” because he was “sweet as sugar,” he loved sports, golf, and singing, and came from a family of rabbis, including Philip Dan, who lectured across Texas in Yiddish about Zionism.

Bennie Rubin

Bennie Rubin (1904–2000)
In 1928, Bennie and Gertrude Steinberg Rubin transformed a small sewing room above Fort Worth’s George Gause Funeral Home into Maybelle Sportswear, a successful ladies’ apparel company. Starting with simple house dresses sold to Leonard Bros. Department Store, they grew the business with the help of a $2,500 bank loan into a factory employing up to 40 workers. For 25 years, Maybelle Sportswear produced uniforms, dresses, blouses, and slacks before the Rubins retired in 1953.

Danna Mehl Levy

Danna Mehl Levy (1916–2008)
Remembered for her elegance, wit, and generosity, Danna Mehl Levy was a Fort Worth native dedicated to community service. A charter member of Women of Rotary and the Tarrant County Medical Association Alliance, she was also the daughter of B. Max Mehl, the renowned coin dealer who popularized coin collecting in America. Her husband, Dr. Louis Levy, became one of the leading orthopedic surgeons in the Southwest

Phillip Sheinberg

Philip Sheinberg, MD (1927–2009)
Dr. Philip Sheinberg, a Fort Worth native, served as an Air Force flight surgeon before becoming one of the region’s leading ophthalmologists for more than 30 years. Known for his wit, integrity, and storytelling, he brought joy to patients and friends alike. With his wife, Nancy Silverman, he raised four children.

Corrine Rosenthal Bond Jacobson

Corrine Rosenthal Bond Jacobson (1927–2023)
A pioneering businesswoman, Corrine Jacobson built a multimillion-dollar safety-supply company serving oilfields, airlines, and major corporations, all while raising two children as a single mother. She later authored a book on widowhood and, in retirement, dedicated herself to volunteer work—founding an after-school program and organizing coat drives for the homeless—while remaining deeply committed to Judaism and social justice.

Abraham “Al” Sankary

Abraham “Al” Sankary (1924–2011)
The son of Syrian immigrants and one of ten children, Al Sankary graduated Central High at 16 and served in WWII with the U.S. Army in India, helping engineer the Burma Road to China. He went on to build the American Southwest’s largest chain of tuxedo-rental stores, Al’s Formal Wear, pioneering in telemarketing and direct mail. His autobiography, What’s Next? I’m Only 80 (2005), reflects his humor and determination. In Fort Worth, he served as president of Congregation Ahavath Sholom and the Jewish Federation.

Ben M. Gilbert

Ben M. Gilbert (1912–1996)
Fort Worth’s leading bankruptcy attorney, Ben Gilbert was president of the Tarrant County Bar Association and recipient of the Blackstone Award. A WWII veteran of the Pacific campaigns, he was also a devoted leader in Jewish life, serving as president of Beth-El Congregation, chairing Federation campaigns, and generously supporting charitable causes.

Marvin Tills

Marvin Tills (1942– )
A Fort Worth native, Marvin Tills grew up attending cheder at Ahavath Sholom and the Hebrew Institute, studied for his bar mitzvah with Rabbis Isadore Garsek and Charles Blumenthal, and joined youth groups USY and AZA. His grandparents, the Zeitlins and Engelbergs, immigrated from Poland and Ukraine, while his parents, Goldie Engelberg and Joe Tills, were in the bakery and grocery-supply trade. Marvin later launched a film and entertainment business and was active with the Jaycees and Toastmasters.

Arnold “Arnie” Gachman

Arnold “Arnie” Gachman (1940– )
Chairman of Gamtex Industries, Arnie Gachman has carried forward his family’s scrap-metal business founded in 1914 by his grandfather, Jake “Pop” Gachman, an immigrant from Ukraine. An industry leader and civic philanthropist, he was named Fort Worth’s Business Executive of the Year in 2022 for his role in business, the arts, and helping establish the TCU School of Medicine.

Sherwin Rubin

Sherwin Bernard Rubin (1932–2023)
An engineer, athlete, and community leader, Sherwin Rubin attended Texas A&M on a swimming scholarship and later worked for General Dynamics, running its Tel Aviv office for five years. A U.S. Air Force veteran and civilian pilot instructor, he stayed active throughout his life, bicycling up to 75 miles a week into his 90s. In 1983, he was named B’nai B’rith Man of the Year for his leadership in Jewish organizations.

Sol Weinstein

Sol Weinstein (1902–2000
Proprietor of a landmark hardware store at 419 W. Magnolia Avenue, Sol Weinstein spent his life in the family business, working alongside his father, uncle, and later his son George. Known for stocking hard-to-find parts when others sold only new tools, he built a reputation for resourcefulness and service. A Paschal High graduate (1920), Sol entered the business full-time as a young man. Among the store’s fixtures was a brass cash register from a Prohibition-era saloon.

Sam Reznikoff

Sam Reznikoff (1921-2014)

On Thanksgiving Day of 1946, Sam Reznikoff, who was born and raised on New York’s Lower Eastside, came to Texas to obtain an Aviation Mechanics License. He wanted to work on airplanes. He ended up in the insurance business, with a sterling reputation and a successful office that he passed down to his son-in-law. He was an independent scholar as well as a part-time farmer who raised his children in rural Parker County. Reznikoff served as Men’s Club president at Ahavath Sholom and was active in many aspects of the Fort Worth Jewish community.