var google_custom_params = window.google_tag_params; WebAJC's Atlanta Black/Jewish Coalition advances its mission by: Responding with definitive education, advocacy, and action to issues of concern Providing opportunities to combat 11 Iyyar 5783. During the next two decades the congregation swung back and forth between traditional and Reform Judaism, hiring and firing rabbis as first one faction and then the other gained power. border:1px solid #fff; Our Mission is to care for, connect, and strengthen our Jewish community throughout greater Atlanta, Israel and the world. } Jews have lived in Atlanta since its founding. The creation of Orthodox Congregation Beth Jacob, soon under the leadership of Emanuel Feldman (1952), served as a harbinger of the ceremonial/religious revival of the last half of the twentieth century. Its Time to Register Your Children for Summer Camp! (i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o), [7], After being commuted, Frank was transferred to the prison in Milledgeville, over 100 miles from Marietta, Phagan's hometown. During and after World War II (1941-45), although Marx continued his battle against a Jewish state, the tide turned toward support for Zionism. [10], On August 16, 1915, a group of prominent Marietta and Georgia citizens calling themselves the "Knights of Mary Phagan", including a former Georgia governor, former and current Marietta mayors, and current and former sheriffs, abducted Frank from prison and drove him back to Marietta. 2023 Mother's Day Tribute: Angie Frank Nothdurft. Choose from several specialty trips, including a deep Hebrew immersion, a trip through the lens of social justice, a sports trip for athletes, and a sci-tech Israel trip. (function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){i['GoogleAnalyticsObject']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){ Often referred to as the Jewish Olympics,this is the worlds largest Jewish athletic competition that takes place every four years in Israel. [18], In the first hours of October 12, 1958, The Temple was bombed using 50 sticks of dynamite, causing significant damage but no injuries. The Orthodox portion of the community is also rapidly growing, and over half of these new congregations are Orthodox or traditional. We are Atlanta Jewish Academy, a welcoming Jewish day school guided by modern orthodox values. .caf-filter-layout1 a:hover{ There, they hung him not far from the Phagan house, where his body remained for hours as an energized crowd gathered. During the antebellum period in Atlanta, most Jews supported the Confederacy, including David Mayer. Weve been doing it for centuries, after all.. Take a peek inside the stylish home of Jamin Gluck and Dr. Quinn Katler. n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)}; Sam Massell was elected mayor of Atlanta in 1969, the first Jew to hold that office in the city. 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. Their numbers also dramatically increased with the arrival of numerous immigrants who had previously resided elsewhere in the South or North. JSU GO is designed for public school teens looking to learn more about their Jewish heritagethrough hands-on, meaningful experiences. In August 1913, after a short deliberation, the jury convicted Frank and he was sentenced to death. They were tolerated but also singled out as different. .caf-content {display:none !important;} Besides the differences, the newcomers were also concerned with the possibility of an anti-Semitic backlash that could undercut their acceptance. Jewish Community Professional Tuition Grant. At the same time, more-affluent Jews employed African Americans as domestic servants. [10], Some Jews left Atlanta in the aftermath of Leo Frank's trial and lynching, but the number is unknown. From Cleveland, Ohio, for example, came Morris Rich, who, with his brothers, built the retail business that became Richs Department Store. Frank was convicted in a sensational trial largely on the testimony of a black janitor, Jim Conley, something virtually unprecedented in the Jim Crow South. By 1880 Atlanta was home to 600 Jews. Two years later, both congregations merged and became Or Ve Shalom, and their first synagogue building was dedicated in 1920. Through his trial and appeals Frank was caricatured as the northern businessman and Jew out to exploityoung women from the rural South. Others in the community assign more lasting importance to what happened, and continue to call for political action to absolve and remember Frank, who in 1986 received a posthumous pardon based on the state's culpability in his death, rather than his innocence. Janice Rothschild Blumberg, As but a Day to a Hundred and Twenty, 1867-1987 (Atlanta: Hebrew Benevolent Congregation, 1987). Additionally, David Mayer helped found the Georgia Board of Education and served on it for a decade until his death in 1890. [CDATA[ */ 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. 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. s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)}(window, document,'script', The building was remodeled during the late 1990s and became part of the Sam Nunn Atlanta Federal Center. The Hebrew Benevolent Society, which was started in 1860 and provided insurance, aid, and burial benefits, served as the first formal Jewish religious organization and the forerunner of things to come. New Deal agencies alleviated the need for private charity, and anti-Semitism at home and Adolf Hitlers policies in Germany resulted in a switch in priorities to overseas relief. if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0'; He was defeated by Maynard Jackson during his 1973 re-election bid, who became Atlanta's first black mayor, and Massell is the last white mayor of Atlanta to date. In one such instance, the local Jewish paper remarked, "we want to make good American citizens out of our Russian brothers" and called the Yiddish speaking immigrants "ignorant." Global Connections with Robert Siegel: How Old is Too Old to Work and to Lead? This site uses cookies from Google to deliver its services and to analyze traffic. Intragroup relations were often divisive. For over 50 years, Ramah Seminar has been an outstanding way for teens to experience Israel. In its early decades, the Jewish community The case was then appealed by his lawyers at every level, and it was during this time that Frank's plight became national news and galvanized the Jewish community across the country. We educate and inspire students from Early Childhood - 12th Grade. "Jewish Community of Atlanta." font-size: 14px; They were largely poor, spoke Yiddish, shunned the Reform Judaism of The Temple, and held Orthodox views. Instead they made their livelihoods through small-business enterprises. [17], At the same time, for many in the African American community, the public and official reactions to the bombing were deeply frustrating, as such terror was inflicted on them more frequently and without support or effective investigations. [8] Populist politician Thomas E. Watson took to railing against Frank in his publications, The Jeffersonian and Watson's Magazine, often in racialized terms, and pronouncing his guilt and calling for his death. width: 50%; 'allow_custom_scripts': true, You may search by category or interests by going to the section found below. !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s) Steven Hertzberg, Strangers within the Gate City: The Jewsof Atlanta, 1845-1915 (Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society of America, 1978). Courtesy of William Breman Jewish Heritage Museum, Ida Pearle and Joseph Cuba Community Archives for Southern Jewish History. "Jewish Community of Atlanta." In 1924 Rich's Department Store opened its flagship store in downtown Atlanta, where it remained until 1991. 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 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. .wpb_animate_when_almost_visible { opacity: 1; }. Have you or someone you know been impacted by JScreen's services? fbq('init', '2091008897881027'); Their businesses met important economic needs, and they contributed substantially to the cultural, educational, and political well-being. 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. } Prior to his case, many Atlanta Jews of a wealthier, German background felt fully established and accepted in the city. ga('create', 'UA-10497136-1', ga_cookie_domain); The episode was also widely felt in Jewish communities across the United States, and even more so in the South. [2], Under the 51-year tenure of Rabbi David Marx, the members of The Temple were used to the idea that if it wanted acceptance, it could not afford to rock the boat in non-Jewish/Christian Atlanta society or cause conflict. Mark K. Bauman, Harry H. Epstein and the Rabbinate as Conduit for Change (Rutherford, N.J.: Fairleigh Dickinson University Press, 1994). In 1875 Aaron Haas became Atlanta's first mayor pro tempore. [15], Rabbi Harry Epstein, too, was born in Lithuania and immigrated to the U.S. at the beginning of the 20th century. Max C. Gettinger, Coming of Age: The Atlanta Jewish Federation, 1962-1982 (Hoboken, N.J.: KTAV Publishing House, 1994). New Georgia Encyclopedia, last modified Oct 11, 2016. https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/history-archaeology/jewish-community-of-atlanta/, Bauman, M. K. (2004). As befit their socioeconomic status and their cultural norms, Atlantas Jews participated in public life. 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. The Great Depression only temporarily delayed Jewish movement into the middle and upper classes. [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. This dynamic also visible in the realm of Jewish communal organizations. In 1969, he was elected the first Jewish mayor the city, after winning the vast majority of the African American vote and losing the vast majority of the white vote. Rabbi Emanuel Feldman led the congregants of Orthodox Congregation Beth Jacob during the 1950s. In the 1950s, Atlanta further solidified its status as the Jewish center of the South with the opening of branches of a number Jewish groups, including the Anti-Defamation League and the American Jewish Committee. 1889). He was active in the Atlanta Jewish community after his arrival, marrying Lucille Selig, of a prominent Atlanta Jewish family, and being elected head of the city's Bnai Brith chapter. [2], In this period, multiple synagogues opened only to rejoin Ahavath Achim or The Temple in the following years or next decades. Wander with your friends and meet amazing new people. They were tolerated but also singled out as different. The Jews of Atlanta had been welcomed with little prejudice and had fit into society. Much of the state, and Atlanta in particular, was outraged. Congregation Etz Chaim's Preschool has a fun summer camp called Camp Ruach. Beginning in 1881 Atlanta lured Jewish immigrants from eastern Europe and, after 1906, a small enclave from the crumbling Ottoman Empire. 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. Most historians today believe that Conley was the killer, and he was a primary suspect before Frank. NEW YORK Anna Kaplan, a Jewish politician from Long Island, on Monday filed to run against US Congressman George Santos in 2024. [14] Within a few years, he became known as a key resource for many of the Orthodox communities throughout the South that lacked a rabbi of their own, and often travelled to solve problems. [21], During and in a short period following the Six-Day War, the 16,000 person Atlanta Jewish community managed to raise $1.5 million, which today would be over $11 million adjusted for inflation, for the United Jewish Appeal's Israel Emergency Fund. Massell's uncle was Ben Massell, one of Atlanta's premier builders and developers during the mid-twentieth century. 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. Local or regional chapters of the American Jewish Committee, the Anti-Defamation League, the Jewish Welfare Board, and the Zionist Organization of America made Atlanta their home. Chana relays a moving tribute to an inspirational figure her mother. } [2] The community was also very present in politics two Jews from the Atlanta area were elected to the state legislature in the late 1860s and early 1870s, and in 1875 Aaron Haas was the city's mayor pro tem. Sol Beton, ed., Sephardim and a History of Congregation Or VeShalom (Atlanta: Congregation Or VeShalom, 1981). [20] Donations to help the synagogue recover poured in from every corner of Atlanta and from across the country, although the synagogue had not requested funds. Please place this tag on thank you pages for tracking conversions, please make sure this tag is fired after the primary tag: The opportunities for women's overall participation increased also. Atlantas Jewish Population Having been steered away from farming by historical circumstances (for example, many of the governments in Europe imposed restrictions on their owning land), Jews across Georgia tended to gravitate toward nonagricultural work. [1], During the Civil War, the Jewish community in the city were not all on the same side of the conflict. Despite this, he would lead his congregation, Ahavath Achim, to transition from Orthodox to Conservative. } [2], Between the turn of the century and the late 1920s the main three synagogues came under steady leadership, and each of their rabbis went on to stay in the position for decades. B'nai B'rith International - Achim/Gate City Lodge (Atlanta). Almost all of the people were immigrants from central Europe, mostly the Germanic states. WebAtlanta Jewish Foundation is the place your contributions align with your values. 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.
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