Congregation Beth Yeshurun has recently received two important distinctions:

• Designation as a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark  --   the highest honor the State can bestow on a structure.    This designation was based on Beth Yeshurun’s significant institutional history, the architectural merit of our building, and the building’s status as an exemplary model of preservation.
•  Honored with a Good Brick Award by Preservation Houston, which recognizes outstanding contributions to the preservation, restoration and enhancement of Houston’s architectural and cultural heritage.   

Both of these honors are noteworthy, because in most instances these designations are given to much older buildings  --  usually of pre-World War II vintage.

Join us for Lunch with the Rabbi on Zoom featuring David Bush, executive director, and Jim Parsons, program director, of Preservation Houston as they provide interesting insights on Beth Yeshurun’s architectural and historical attributes that led to both the Good Brick Award and the Recorded Texas Historic Landmark designation.   They will also discuss important buildings in Houston and the Greater Meyerland area, as well as Beth Yeshurun’s Southmore  building, which was our home from 1949 to 1962 and covered in David and Jim’s 2008 book, Houston Deco, about modernist architecture in the Texas Gulf Coast area.    

Open to the community.  Register below for the Zoom link in your confirmation email.

Preservation Houston is Houston’s only citywide nonprofit historic preservation education and advocacy organization. Since 1978, Preservation Houston has voiced strong support for better public policy and protection of our irreplaceable historic resources. Its members, volunteers and staff have been instrumental in the adoption of a citywide preservation ordinance, the designation of local landmarks and historic districts, and the development of a preservation ethic in the Bayou City.

More about the Good Brick Award from the Preservation Houston Website:

Preservation Houston has presented the Good Brick Awards since 1979 to recognize outstanding contributions to the preservation, restoration and enhancement of Houston's architectural and cultural heritage. Nomination categories include the renovation, restoration, or adaptive reuse of a building; new buildings or sympathetic additions that enhance the existing historic fabric of Houston; recognition for the craftspeople who continually maintain, build, and restore our important buildings and cultural fabric; preservation-related programs or activities; project planning; publications; and outstanding service or leadership in preservation.

David Bush, Preservation Houston’s Executive Director, developed his interest in historic architecture in his hometown of New Orleans. He holds a master’s degree in historic preservation from Middle Tennessee State University and has worked professionally in preservation since 1990, spending most of his career with Galveston Historical Foundation and Preservation Houston.

Jim Parsons, a native of Baytown, puts a passion for the state’s history and architecture to work coordinating programs and educational outreach as Programs Director for Preservation Houston. In addition to his preservation work, Jim has written about and photographed cities across the United States as a freelance author, editor and photographer.

David and Jim are the authors of four books on Art Deco architecture in Texas, including Houston Deco.