Celebrating the Jewish Pioneers Of Texas — Galveston’s Bryan Museum Even Recreates Houston’s Famed Sakowitz Storefront Window

Remembering a Remarkable Rabbi

By Shelby Hodge // Apr 28, 2026

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Ava Leigh & Ross Pellegrin at The Bryan Museum gala (Photo by Jacob Power)

Benjamin & Joy Warren, B.J. & Buddy Herz at The Bryan Museum gala (Photo by Jacob Power)

Billy & Jocelyn Sullivan at The Bryan Museum gala (Photo by Jacob Power)

Brittany Sakowitz Kushner & Kevin Kushner at The Bryan Museum gala (Photo by Jacob Power)

Chairs Charles & Lily Foster, Benjamin & Joy Warren, Buddy & B.J. Herz at The Bryan Museum gala (Photo by Jacob Power)

Christine & Mike Glover at The Bryan Museum gala (Photo by Jacob Power)

Eliza Kempner Quigley and her son, Kadin Quigley, at The Bryan Museum gala (Photo by Jacob Power)

Fred & Dianne Burns at The Bryan Museum gala (Photo by Jacob Power)

Gail & armin Cantini at The Bryan Museum gala (Photo by Jacob Power)

Hayley Hardcastle, Sarah Sullivan at The Bryan Museum gala (Photo by Jacob Power)

Heidi Gerger at The Bryan Museum gala (Photo by Jacob Power)

Jason & Dr. Romy Dell'Ario at The Bryan Museum gala (Photo by Jacob Power)

Jim & Dancie Ware at The Bryan Museum gala (Photo by Jacob Power)

John & Andrea Bryan at The Bryan Museum gala (Photo by Jacob Power)

Museum founder J.P. Bryan at The Bryan Museum gala (Photo by Jacob Power)

Lily & Charles Foster at The Bryan Museum gala (Photo by Jacob Power)

Margery & Robert Loeb at The Bryan Museum gala (Photo by Leonora Benkato)

Mary Jon & J.P. Bryan at The Bryan Museum gala (Photo by Jacob Power)

Melissa Williams Murphy, Khambrel Marshall at The Bryan Museum gala (Photo by Jacob Power)

Rabbi Peter Kessler, Robert Sakowtiz at The Bryan Museum gala (Photo by Jacob Power)

Russell Molina, Lori Collie at The Bryan Museum gala (Photo by Jacob Power)

Rusty Hardin at The Bryan Museum gala (Photo by Leonoara Benkato))

Salim & Rita Hayek at The Bryan Museum gala (Photo by Jacob Power)

Salim & Rita Hayek, Amy Gonzales, Stephen James at The Bryan Museum gala (Photo by Jacob Power)

Susanne & Gerald Sullivan at The Bryan Museum gala (Photo by Jacob Power)

Thomas & Michele Blackwell at The Bryan Museum gala (Photo by Jacob Power)

What: The Bryan Museum Gala, “Texas Our Promised Land – Celebrating Jewish Pioneers of Texas”

Where: The Bryan Museum in Galveston

PC Moment: Paying tribute to generations of Jewish pioneers whose resilience, faith, and determination helped shape the cultural and economic fabric of Texas, this Bryan Museum gala honored the legacy of Rabbi Henry Cohen (1863-1952). His remarkable life — from his birth in London to his community leadership in Galveston— was presented through storytelling and tributes.

A pop-up experience featuring life-sized panels of Rabbi Cohen further told the story of the beloved rabbi and offered a preview of the museum’s upcoming exhibition, Port of Promise: Jewish Pioneers of Texas, which is set to open in November. The 1950s-inspired Sakowitz storefront window showcased one-of-a-kind garments and footwear originally designed by Sakowitz and recreated by The Bryan Museum.

Margery and Robert Loeb photo credit Leonora Benkato — Margery & Robert Loeb at The Bryan Museum gala (Photo by Leonora Benkato)

The evening, chaired by Lily and Charles Foster, B.J. and Buddy Herz, and Joy and Benjamin Warren raised more than $800,000 in support of the Bryan Museum’s education, exhibition and outreach programs. Honorary chair was Rabbi Peter Kessler, in honor of Rabbi Jimmy Kessler and Shelley Kessler. The gala committee was led by Robert Sakowitz along with Rabbi Cohen’s relatives who had traveled from across the United States to make this the event.

Catering by Culinaire Catering fueled the lively energy of the night.

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JP Bryan photo credit Jacob Power — Museum founder J.P. Bryan at The Bryan Museum gala (Photo by Jacob Power)

Musical entertainment began in the cocktail hour with the Western sounds of Kevin Anthony and G-TOWN and the dance tunes of the Richard Brown Orchestra closed out the evening.

PC Seen: Andrea and John Bryan, Ava Leigh and Ross Pellegrin, Melissa Williams Murphy, Rabbi Peter Kessler, Guylene and Jay Lendrum, Kate and Jim Lykes, Dancie and Jim Ware, Jolyn and Russell Sheirman;, Angela and Craig Brown, Susanne and Gerald Sullivan, Jocelyn and Billy Sullivan, Sarah and Todd Sullivan, Lisette and Tony Brown, and Frances Moody Buzbee and Tony Buzbee.