Rachel Cockerell shares the little-known story of the Jews who fled antisemitism in early 20th-century Europe to forge new lives in the southern United States

By Rob Attar

Published: Monday, 11 March 2024 at 07:40 AM


At the turn of the 20th century, millions of European Jews were seeking an escape from antisemitic persecution. While many dreamed of Palestine, a few thousand made their way, instead, to Galveston in Texas. In conversation with Rob Attar, the author Rachel Cockerell tells the story of the little-known Galveston movement, explaining how it connects to the histories of America, Zionism and European Jewry.

Rachel Cockerell is the author of Melting Point: Family, Memory and the Search for a Promised Land (Wildfire, 2024)