First Thursdays: Southern Jewish History on One Foot

This lecture will focus on the Jewish South’s importance to both Southern and Jewish History.

From the development of Jewish communities in 18th-century port cities to the rise and fall of small-town Jewish merchants to the explosive growth of Jewish life in sunbelt cities like Miami and Atlanta, Jews have been deeply engaged with the development of the American South. This session packs more than 300 years of southern Jewish history into a digestible, interactive presentation that illustrates the Jewish South’s importance to both southern and Jewish histories.

No cost for congregants; $15 for non-members.
Registration is required.

Dr. Josh Parshall is a nonprofit professional and historian of Jewish life in the U.S. South. His academic interests include American Jewish culture and politics, Yiddish language and culture, and southern studies. He holds a Ph.D. from the Department of American Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where his dissertation research focused on southern branches of the Arbeter Ring (Workmen’s Circle). Dr. Parshall also serves as President of the Southern Jewish Historical Society. This program is organized in partnership with the Goldring/Woldenberg Institute of Southern Jewish Life (ISJL). Founded in 2000 and based in Jackson, Mississippi the ISJL supports, connects and celebrates Jewish life in the South. The ISJL provides a visionary model of regional cooperation through which communities large and small assume a shared responsibility for Jewish life.

First Thursday programs run from September through June. We plan to bring you guest speakers, including congregants and rabbis from around the country, to share their expertise on topics of interest. We will also include several discussions of films with Jewish themes.

Sponsored by our Adult Education Committee.