Barnston was born on August 23, 1868, in Dover, England, the son of Rabbi Isidore Jules Barnstein and Eva Mendelsohn.

[1] He was born Henry Barnstein, but he changed his surname to Barnston during World War I to make it sound less German.

[3] Seeking a more conductive atmosphere to practice liberal Judaism, Barnston immigrated to the United States in 1900 and became rabbi of the Reform Congregation Beth Israel in Houston, Texas.

Under Barnston, a new temple was built that was described by one source as the finest in the American Southwest and the congregation grew tenfold.

He didn't take a public stand on civil rights, although he joined with the First Methodist Church in an unprecedented act of ecumenical defiance against the Ku Klux Klan.

He was a member and supporter of the anti-Zionist American Council for Judaism, although he resisted pressure from his congregation to be more active in the organization.

[2] Barnston was active in interfaith work throughout Texas, serving as a leader in the National Conference of Christian and Jews and as a civilian chaplain to U.S. Army camps in the Houston area during both World Wars.