Jewish American Heritage Month

Posted By richards on March 2, 2017

Photo: Jon Shapley, Staff

A fundraising page to support rebuilding the Islamic Center of Victoria, which was destroyed in a fire, reached more than $1 million by Wednesday afternoon. (Jon Shapley/Houston Chronicle)

A fundraising page to support rebuilding the Islamic Center of Victoria, which was destroyed in a fire, reached more than $1 million by Wednesday afternoon. (Jon Shapley/Houston Chronicle)

A week before the fire at the Islamic Center of Victoria, a vandal had painted "H8" (shorthand for hate) on the side of the building.

A week before the fire at the Islamic Center of Victoria, a vandal had painted "H8" (shorthand for hate) on the side of the building.

Mission Bend Masjid (Carlos Antonio Rios / Houston Chronicle)

Mission Bend Masjid (Carlos Antonio Rios / Houston Chronicle)

Masjid El-Farouq Islamic Center in Houston (Nick de la Torre / Chronicle)

Masjid El-Farouq Islamic Center in Houston (Nick de la Torre / Chronicle)

Islamic Education Center in West Houston (James Nielsen / Houston Chronicle)

Islamic Education Center in West Houston (James Nielsen / Houston Chronicle)

Islamic Education Center in West Houston (James Nielsen / Houston Chronicle)

Islamic Education Center in West Houston (James Nielsen / Houston Chronicle)

Islamic Da' wah Center in downtown Houston (Melissa Phillip / Houston Chronicle)

Islamic Da' wah Center in downtown Houston (Melissa Phillip / Houston Chronicle)

Masjid al Mustafa Mosque in West Houston (Smiley N. Pool / Houston Chronicle)

Masjid al Mustafa Mosque in West Houston (Smiley N. Pool / Houston Chronicle)

Muslim Student Assocation at the A.D. Bruce Religion Building at the University of Houston (Michael Paulsen / Chronicle)

Muslim Student Assocation at the A.D. Bruce Religion Building at the University of Houston (Michael Paulsen / Chronicle)

Ahmadiyya Muslim Community mosque in North Houston (Karen Warren / Chronicle)

Ahmadiyya Muslim Community mosque in North Houston (Karen Warren / Chronicle)

Islamic Da'wah Center in downtown Houston (Mayra Beltran / Chronicle)

Islamic Da'wah Center in downtown Houston (Mayra Beltran / Chronicle)

Clear Lake Education Center mosque (Johnny Hanson / Houston Chronicle)

Clear Lake Education Center mosque (Johnny Hanson / Houston Chronicle)

Maryam Masjid in Sugar Land (Eric Kayne / For the Chronicle)

Maryam Masjid in Sugar Land (Eric Kayne / For the Chronicle)

Muslim American Society's Katy Center. (Gary Fountain / For the Chronicle)

Muslim American Society's Katy Center. (Gary Fountain / For the Chronicle)

Texas town's synagogue hands keys to Muslim worshipers after mosque burns

VICTORIA After a fire destroyed this South Texas towns only mosque last weekend, Victorias sole Jewish temple handed over a set of keys to the Muslim worshippers.

A Jewish value is to love your neighbor as yourself, said Robert Loeb, 66, president of Bnai Israel Temple. So I think you have some responsibility when other people have some turmoil to help them out.

In a town of fewer than 80,000 where people can give telephone numbers without an area code, the offer was as simple as a man stopping by a friends house and turning over the keys to the synagogue.

Dr. Gary Branfman, a 61-year-old Jewish plastic surgeon, woke up Saturday morning to news that the Islamic Center of Victoria had burned down. From his house, he could see the flames that took firefighters four hours to extinguish.

"We're a pretty small city, so you could see it from everywhere," Branfman said.

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He drove the short distance to the mosque, where he saw the wreckage. He decided on the spot that he would drive to the house of the mosques president, Dr.Shahid Hashmi, a fellow surgeon who is a former neighbor and longtime friend.

The drive didnt take long. Branfman said Victoria residents joke that they can get anywhere in the city in eight minutes or less, unless theres a cow crossing the road.

Branfman pulled up to the Hashmi home in his white Land Rover with a Grateful Dead bumper sticker. He walked up to the familiar house, which features arches, tiles and other elements of Islamic architecture.

Hashmi, a 69-year-old general surgeon who serves as president of the Islamic center, returned home a few minutes later.

Branfman, a member of the Bnai Israel board, pulled out his set of temple keys. He had not yet asked the rest of the board for permission, but he was prepared to ask their forgiveness later. He left the keys in the hand of his old friend.

The move was natural in a place like Victoria.

"When you live in a town of 80,000, you know a lot of people," Loeb said. When their neighbors needed help, they weren't strangers. He added that several churches also offered to host Muslim worshipers, who for the time being plan to hold prayer services in a temporary building beside the burned-out mosque.

When you live in a town of 80,000, you know a lot of people, Loeb said. When their neighbors needed help, they werent strangers.

Several churches and an office building also offered to host the Muslim worshipers.

We appreciated everybodys offer, Hashmi said. It was nice, very nice.

For the time being, the mosque is using a portable building donated by a local school and placed beside the burned house of worship, board member Irfan Qureshi said.

Our prayers are very simple, he added. We really just need a clean place to put our forehead.

Members of the temple and mosque got acquainted during a series of interfaith events three or four years ago, Loeb said. People spent several Saturday afternoons visiting the mosque, the temple and a church to learn about each others faiths.

Christians and Jews have been among those to support the mosque as it makes plan to demolish the burned building and rebuild. A fundraising page to support the project raised more than $850,000 in 24 hours. By Wednesday it had raised more than $1 million.

The mosque had beena target of hatred several years ago and experienced a burglary just a week before the fire early Saturday , the Victoria Advocate reported, and the synagogue was the target of anti-Semitic graffiti 10 years ago.

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Saturday's fire was not the first incident at th
e two institutions. In 2013 teenage vandals spray-painted graffiti on the mosque, which was burglarized a week before the fire early Saturday, the Victoria Advocate reported, and the synagogue was the target 10 years ago of anti-Semitic graffiti.

A clerk at a convenience store spotted smoke and flames billowing from the Islamic Center of Victoria at around 2 a.m. No injuries were reported.

Victoria Fire Marshal Tom Legler asked for help from the Texas Fire Marshal's Office and federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to determine what caused the blaze.

Andrew Kragie reported from Houston, Susan Carroll from Victoria.

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Texas town's synagogue hands keys to Muslim worshipers ...

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