atlanta jewish community

In 1928 Edward Kahn became the executive director of the Federation of Jewish Charities. When it became clear the International Olympic Committee (IOC) was not going to have any commemoration or give a mention, the Atlanta Jewish community, largely through the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta, organized their own ceremony with the families of the Israelis who were killed. Hyman Mendel was one of many successful Jewish immigrants in Atlanta. Explore your progressive Jewish values from new angles. [2][6], In 1913, a small number of Hasidic Jews also founded their own synagogue, Anshi Sfard. The empathetic/patronizing nature of such relationships was dramatized in Roy Hoffmans novelAlmost Family (1983) and Alfred Uhrys play Driving Miss Daisy (1987). Conley changed his story a number of times throughout the investigation and trial, but did not crack while being cross examined on the stand and was key in the trial's outcome. Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta The old-timers were frequently condescending toward the greenhorns who spoke Yiddish or Ladino, followed traditional religion, supported Zionism, and began in the lower class. (1861-65) the Jewish population in Atlanta had doubled, their small numbers still precluded the establishment of formal religious institutions. In 1958, one of the centers of Jewish life in the city, the Hebrew Benevolent Congregation, known as "The Temple" was bombed over its rabbi's support for the Civil Rights Movement. Weve grown to serve the city we love! [2], While Zionism was gaining traction in Jewish communities around the world and U.S., it was slower to catch on in Atlanta. [13] Under his leadership, the congregation significantly grew in size and moved to a new location in the north of the city. Congregation Ohr HaTorahis aModern Orthodox congregation, built upon the following core values: Torat Yisrael- We lead our lives guided by strong commitment to Torah and Halacha. Success stories like that of Hyman Mendel, who became the citys biggest dry-goods wholesaler, abounded. We are Atlanta Jewish Academy, a welcoming Jewish day school guided by modern orthodox values. Instead they made their livelihoods through small-business enterprises. Information about your use of this site is shared with Google. When he took over leading the synagogue, it was in a time when its membership and community had a growing fracture between its older, founding, Yiddish-speaking immigrants and the less traditional English-speaking next generation. padding-right: 8px; Phone: 404-337-6116. Janice Rothschild Blumberg, As but a Day to a Hundred and Twenty, 1867-1987 (Atlanta: Hebrew Benevolent Congregation, 1987). OHT offers a full range of services, classes, and programs, with something for everyone, including Daily and weekly prayer services,Torah study and educational display: block; David Mayer, the most noteworthy of the Confederacy supporters, served as Georgia governor Joseph E. Browns commissary officer. Jewish ga('create', 'UA-10497136-1', ga_cookie_domain); Travel from the Golan Heights to the shores of Eilat and everywhere in-between. Most of the congregations and the Jewish Community Center, successor to the Jewish Educational Alliance, launched building drives. [10], Even over 100 years later, the subject remains a touchy one for some, and how important what happened to Leo Frank is in the broader history of the Jewish community in Atlanta is still an open question. Steven Hertzberg, Strangers within the Gate City: The Jewsof Atlanta, 1845-1915 (Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society of America, 1978). Our Partners Molly Blank Concert: Joe Alterman & Houston Person, TOGETHER AGAIN: Joe Alterman and Houston Person. that positive role models maximize the chances for children to grow upwith good consciences and well-developed moral reasoning skills. The Great Depression only temporarily delayed Jewish movement into the middle and upper classes. A few owned enslaved people, some employed enslaved workers in their business pursuits, and most supported the Confederacy. [17] The congregation's next rabbi, Jacob Rothschild, however, took a different attitude and felt that advocating against segregation and discrimination were moral imperitaves, controversial or not. In Atlanta, as elsewhere, some Jewish peddlers, merchants, and landlords conducted business with African Americans, often extending credit and courtesies contrary to common usage. We ensure that students are properly prepared for the transition into colleges that complement their talents, interests, religious goals and aspirations. Atlanta Atlanta Jewish Times; Jerry Springer, son of Jewish refugees whose talk show was known for conflict, dies at 79 Community. Nonetheless the 1930s still marked a watershed. Where your support sustains the causes you care about. Jews have lived in Atlanta since its founding. Doris H. Goldstein, From Generation to Generation: A Centennial History of Congregation Ahavath Achim, 1887-1987 (Atlanta: Capricorn, 1987). WebA thriving and connected 21st Century Jewish Atlanta where every Jew and their loved ones can access warm and caring Jewish community, timeless Jewish wisdom, global Jewish All requests for permission to publish or reproduce the resource must be submitted to the, Early 20th-Century Groups & Organizations, William Breman Jewish Heritage Museum, Ida Pearle and Joseph Cuba Community Archives for Southern Jewish History, Digital Library of Georgia: Southern Israelite Archive, Emory Libraries: American Jewish Committee, Atlanta Chapter, 1976-1983. Jewish The editor of the Atlanta Constitution newspaper, Ralph McGill, wrote a powerful editorial in the paper denouncing the bombing and any tolerance for hatred in the city, for which he won a Pulitzer Prize. The perception of the German Jewish community was that the Yiddish Jews were of a lower class, possibly a threat to the carefully cultivated image of the Jewish community in the city, and needed to assimilate but also be kept separate. Amazon donates to Ohr HaTorahwhen you shop atsmile.amazon.com. This site uses cookies from Google to deliver its services and to analyze traffic. This was partially due to Rabbi David Marx's staunch anti-Zionist views and which were influential due to his leadership of The Temple. CIE to Engage Teens in Unfolding Israeli Democracy. Focusing on all that Israel has to offer, this trip is for the teen who is ready to explore their progressive Jewish values from a whole new angle! Bauman, Mark. [11] The case has been called the "American Dreyfus affair", as both centered around falsely accused wealthy assimilated Jewish men whose trials, based on minimal evidence, were the catalysts of anti-Semitic fervor in the masses which then led to their convictions. Latest tracks by Congregation Beth Jacob. A large mob assembled outside the courthouse rejoiced at the news. [1], Beginning in 1881, Atlanta received a portion of the influx of Jews immigrating to the U.S. from Eastern Europe, especially the Russian Empire. Black Lives Matters Jewish Problem In Their Own Federation has evolved from being primarily a fundraising organization to the convener of a dynamic Jewish ecosystem. Steve Oney, And the Dead Shall Rise: The Murder of Mary Phagan and the Lynching of Leo Frank (New York: Pantheon, 2003). Still, thereafter black-Jewish relations seemed to remain more positive on the local level than nationally, as partly reflected in the establishment of the Atlanta Black-Jewish Coalition (formed by architect Cecil Alexander and civil rights leader John Lewis) and numerous examples of positive interaction in government, and in 1962 doctors Irving and Marvin Goldstein built the Americana, the first integrated hotel in the city. Mendel became the city's biggest dry-goods wholesaler by the turn of the twentieth century. Atlanta Jewish Foundation Mark K. Bauman, Harry H. Epstein and the Rabbinate as Conduit for Change (Rutherford, N.J.: Fairleigh Dickinson University Press, 1994). A critical meeting chaired by Coca-Cola Company attorney Harold Hirsch in 1936 resulted in another reorganization of Atlantas Jewish social service agencies. Yet Jews and African Americans have been linked ambiguously in the South since the mid-nineteenth century, and the eras of the greatest racism coincide with the rising specter of anti-Semitism. This was dramatized with the creation of Israel, during its war for independence, and subsequent conflicts through the 1970s that nurtured changing senses of identity and pride. [2] That changed in 1860s, after the founding of the Hebrew Benevolent Society, started as a burial society, which led to the creation of the Hebrew Benevolent Congregation in 1867. Seminar is an opportunity to live the Ramah life in Israel, combining all that is central to camp community, connection and growth. Massell's uncle was Ben Massell, one of Atlanta's premier builders and developers during the mid-twentieth century. Our Mission is to care for, connect, and strengthen our Jewish community throughout greater Atlanta, Israel and the world. Across this sprawling metro area, we are here to plan for the communitys future, to rise up to meet human needs of our people in Atlanta and around the world, and to amplify Jewish Atlantas incredible assets. NFTY in Israel is a chance for teens to experience the true culture and history of Israel through a variety of social and educational opportunities. In 1915 Kriegshaber was elected president of the chamber of commerce, possibly in partial atonement for the Frank incident. t.parentNode.insertBefore(j,t);o.s=Date.now();o.v=4;o.h=w.location.href;o.l=[]; var ga_cookie_domain = "auto"; Discover Israels many treasures on a transformative journey with a focus on historical exploration, exhilarating adventures in nature, and cultural connections. Levy, 94, passed away on April 15, 2023. From Cleveland, Ohio, for example, came Morris Rich, who, with his brothers, built the retail business that became, and a series of strikes against the Elsas familys Fulton Bag and Cotton Company, at one time the citys largest industrial employer, formed part of the backdrop for the, incident, possibly the most dramatic case of anti-Semitism in American history. [2], Other contemporary organizations included the Federation of Jewish Charities (est. The city also used to be home to a Jewish school and a Hasidic community. Children and parents from a couple of Atlanta private schools recently showed up at city hall during a school day to urge city council members not to go ahead In August 1913, after a short deliberation, the jury convicted Frank and he was sentenced to death. According to one figure, in 1880, 71% of Jewish adult males in Atlanta worked in commercial trade, and 60% were either business owners or managers. The Marcus JCC is named in honor of Bernie Marcus, who along with Arthur Blank founded Home Depot, and both of whom are major donors in the Jewish community in Atlanta and beyond. Climbsand dunes. These circumstances made a Jewish employer a more fitting scapegoat for disgruntled whites than the other leading suspect in the case, a black worker. Immigration & the establishment of congregations, History of the Jews in the Byzantine Empire, Hebrew Benevolent Congregation Temple bombing, William Breman Jewish Heritage & Holocaust Museum, "Oakland Tours in Focus: The Jewish Grounds of Oakland", "Struggling With Leo Frank's Lynching a Century Later", "The ADL and KKK, born of the same murder, 100 years ago", "Counterblast: How the Atlanta Temple Bombing Strengthened the Civil Rights Cause", "Catalyst for change: Visionary leader Sam Massell ushered in new eras in Atlanta politics and commerce", "Conflicting Views of 1967 War Mark Anniversary", "Family of slain Israeli athletes reflect with Jews of Atlanta", "Israelis Divided From Rest of Jewish Atlanta", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=History_of_the_Jews_in_Atlanta&oldid=1147131015, All Wikipedia articles written in American English, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 29 March 2023, at 01:21. [2], When Atlanta hosted the 1996 Summer Olympics, the Jewish community took action to encourage formal recognition and remembrance of the 11 members of the Israeli Olympic team murdered by a Palestinian terrorist group during the 1972 Summer Olympics, known as the Munich massacre. The community was deeply impacted by the Leo Frank case in 19131915, which caused many to re-evaluate what it meant to be Jewish in Atlanta and the South, and largely scarred the generation of Jews in the city who lived through it. The Atlanta Jewish community grew tremendously during the last quarter of the twentieth century. The episode was also widely felt in Jewish communities across the United States, and even more so in the South. [1], The Atlanta Jewish Times, formerly the Southern Israelite, provides Jewish news for the city and the Southeast.[1]. The rabbis frequently supplemented their salaries by heading an English-German-Hebrew Academy, which provided classes before the creation of a public school system and which reflected pluralistic identity. Club Kef is our amazing after school program for students who are walking age through 8th Grade! Their numbers also dramatically increased with the arrival of numerous immigrants who had previously resided elsewhere in the South or North. Several dozen policemen, as well as Georgia Bureau of Investigation and FBI agents, worked to solve the case. Congregation Ahavath Achim was founded in 1887 followed by Shearith Israel (1902), Anshi Sfard (1913), and Or VeShalom (1914), a Sephardic synagogue. The free, in-person session Sunday afternoon, March 26, will break through the silos of school, denomination and viewpoint. The Orthodox portion of the community is also rapidly growing, and over half of these new congregations are Orthodox or traditional. Many of Atlantas Jews participate in numerous programs to visit Israel. [2] The focus then largely shifted onto progressive and popular Georgia Governor John Slaton, then in his last days in office, to commute the death sentence. WebYour Jewish Bridge is an Atlanta-based organization that provides access to personalized life cycle rituals, and educational, pastoral and spiritual support on a fee-for-service basis. In his halachic responsa, using initials and code words to refer to ingredients, he outlined two problem ingredients, one which kept the soda from being kosher altogether and another which precluded it from being kosher for Passover. WebThe Jewish Tower is a nationally recognized Community of Quality, awarded in 2021 by the National Affordable Housing Management Association (NAHMA). t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0]; OHT offers a full range of services, classes, andprograms, with something for everyone, including Daily and weekly prayer services,Torah study and educational opportunities for all interests, Chesed and social action programs, Social Events for all age groups, and robust Youth and Teen Programming. The political climate in the United States and in Germany during the 1930s resulted in a switch in priorities to overseas relief. Janice Kohl Baylinson, 91, beloved wife of Rabbi David A. Baylinson, passed away on April 23, 2023. Someof our Israel Journey trips willhave the opportunity to attendThe Maccabiah Games. During the succeeding decades Jews were attacked by the Klan, the. Often referred to as the Jewish Olympics,this is the worlds largest Jewish athletic competition that takes place every four years in Israel. NEW YORK Anna Kaplan, a Jewish politician from Long Island, on Monday filed to run against US Congressman George Santos in 2024. } JELF (Jewish Educational Loan Fund) helps Jewish students by providing interest-free loans for higher education. Linda Frank shares a tribute her to her daughter, Angie Frank Nothdurft. We are Atlanta Jewish Academy, a welcoming Jewish day school guided by modern orthodox values. As the prominent Orthodox rabbi in the region, he began receiving letters from across the country asking whether or not Coca-Cola, famously based in Atlanta, was kosher. To raise capital they started as peddlers, obtained goods on credit, worked as clerks, created partnerships, and/or obtained funds from the Montefiore Relief Association, Free Loan Association, or Morris Plan banks, where a references signature replaced collateral. Jews also were the first to hire Black workers as clerks and in other positions. Active in the conservative faction of the Democratic Party, Jews routinely held seats on the aldermanic board, the school board, and in the state legislature. Romania is a perfect destination for Jewish tours when youre looking for a place thats adventurous and still holds a strong connection to the Jewish history of the Source: http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org, Contact About Policy Facebook, 2019 Atlanta Jewish Life, LLC All Rights Reserved. Bobbie Jean Fink (ne Spivey), 88, of Atlanta, Ga., passed away on April 4, 2023, following a lengthy battle with Alzheimers. : Addison-Wesley, 1996). Gradually this interaction, along with the rise and acculturation of the newer immigrants, especially after the closing of Americas doors to immigrants during the 1920s, contributed to the decline of animosity. Welcome to Congregation Ohr HaTorah. "[9] Meanwhile, Frank's trial received full coverage in Atlanta's three competing newspapers, and public outrage only continued to grow over the murder. Anna Streetman shares about her relationship with her mother, Toby Gutterman Streetman. The opportunities for women's overall participation increased also. Rabbi Epstein gave sermons and taught classes in both English and Yiddish, and helped revitalize the community in his first years. As the north became the clear center of the Jewish population in the city, the synagogues moved there as well. Join Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta Women's Philanthropy for an exciting POP Up with a visit to In HerTorah: Female Spiritual Leaders of the Holocaust, 59th Annual Community Yom Hashoah Service of Remembrance. Max C. Gettinger, Coming of Age: The Atlanta Jewish Federation, 1962-1982 (Hoboken, N.J.: KTAV Publishing House, 1994). While the existing Atlanta Jewish community was largely assimilated, generally wealthy, and of liberal German Jewish backgrounds, the new immigrants were of a different background. .caf-mb-4 { Two years later, both congregations merged and became Or Ve Shalom, and their first synagogue building was dedicated in 1920. Early members of the society secured the first Jewish plots in the famous Oakland Cemetery, in its original six acres. Norcross, GA 30092, 600 Peachtree Battle, NW Atlanta, GA 30327, 1324 North Highland Ave. NE Atlanta, GA 30306, 730 Ponce de Leon Place NE. Kyle Burney shares about his relationship with his mother, Kay Burney. ga('send', 'pageview'); It was not until the 1920s that support for Zionism began to grow in the community, although there were a few small, frequently inactive Zionist organizations that started years prior. In 1902, Congregation Shearith Israel, which did not flame out like other contemporary congregations, was formed by a group of Ahavath Achim members who were discontent with the level of stringency of observance there. B'nai B'rith International - Achim/Gate City Lodge (Atlanta). David Marx was a longtime rabbi at "the Temple" in Atlanta. On March 31, Gordins worst fears came to pass he was murdered during a night robbery at his home at the age of 70. padding: 5px 5px; New Georgia Encyclopedia, 15 March 2004, https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/history-archaeology/jewish-community-of-atlanta/. We educate and inspire students from Early Childhood - 12th Susan Block Abrams, 91, of Atlanta, Ga., passed away on Jan. 19, 2023. Rabbi Tobias Geffen was born in Lithuania, received his ordination there, and started his family there before immigrating to the U.S. Ramah Israel Seminar is a six-week travel program in Israel, designed for entering 12th graders who are graduates of the ten Ramah overnight camps in North America. Merrill A. It became a focal point for the Jewish community and during one month in 1914, more than 14,000 people attended programs there. Marx also encouraged his women congregants to form a local section of the National Council of Jewish Women. .caf-content {display:none !important;} Travel from the far north in the Galilee to the deep south at the Red Sea as we visit ancient Jerusalem, modern Tel Aviv, the lush Golan Heights, the vast Negev Desert, the unsinkable Dead Sea, and the stark mountaintop fortress of Masada. In 1935, Rabbi Geffen issued a new responsa deeming Coca-Cola kosher, and also kosher for Passover as they had agreed to switch to using beet and cane sugar in the weeks before the holiday. When Marxs successor at the Temple, Jacob Rothschild, provided leadership against discrimination, in 1958 the synagogue joined the ranks of those bombed.