History of the Jews in Galveston, Texas attract more members. Today the congregation is small, but still active in the Galveston Community. One of B'nai Israel's rabbis, Henry Cohen, helped found the Galveston Movement in the early part of the twentieth century. Between 1907 and 1914, the Movement endeavored to divert Jews fleeing Russia and eastern Europe away from crowded East Coast cities. Ten thousand Jewish immigrants passed through Galveston, Texas during this era, approximately one-third the number who migrated to Palestine during the same period. Galveston was chosen as an initial American port of call partly because it was already a destination for German shipping company
Free State of Galveston the Gulf Coast and along the shores of the bay. Immediately after the hurricane, Galveston worked to revive itself as a port and an entertainment center, including the construction of tourist destinations such as the Hotel Galvez, which opened in 1911. In the same year, the Galveston–Houston Electric Railway opened and became recognized as the fastest interurban rail system in the country. Galveston's port was also rebuilt quickly, and by 1912 had become the second-leading exporter in the nation, behind New York. Nevertheless, after the 1900 storm and another in 1915, many avoided investing in the island. Galveston had been