Although the SJHS dates to the 1950s,
the organization went dormant for a number of years. It was revived in October,
1976, when a History of Southern Jewry Conference convened in Richmond. The
Virginia conference was sponsored by the American Jewish Historical Society, the
Richmond Jewish Community Council, and the Department of History & Judaic
Culture Committee of Virginia Commonwealth University with the support of the
National Foundation for Jewish Culture.
As an outgrowth of that gathering, an organizational conference of the Southern
Jewish Historical Society was held the following spring in Raleigh, NC, with Dr.
Abe Kanof the ad hoc president. Officers elected were Saul Viener, president;
Jack Coleman, vice-president, Louis Schmier, secretary, and David Goldberg,
treasurer.
1976 - History of Southern Jewry Conference, Richmond, VA, October 1976
1977 - 1st conference, Raleigh, NC, April, 1977, Abe Kanof, ad hoc President
1977 - 2nd conference, Savannah, Ga., November, l977, Saul Viener, President
1978 - 3rd conference, Jacksonville, Fla., November, 1978, Saul Viener, President
1979 - 4th conference, Charleston, SC, November, l979, Jack Coleman, President
1980 - 5th conference, Savannah, Ga., November, l980, Jack Coleman, President
1981 - 6th conference, Mobile, Rabbi Saul Rubin, President
1982 - 7th conference, New Orleans, November 19-21, 1982, Rabbi Saul Rubin, President
1983 - 8th conference, Savannah, December 2-4, 1983, Sol Breibart, President
1984 - 9th conference, Richmond, November 3-5, 1984, Sol Breibart, President
1985 - 10th conference, Memphis, TN, October 18-20, 1985, Janice Blumberg, President
1986 - 11th conference, Ft. Lauderdale, FL, November 7-9, 1986, Janice Blumberg, President
1987 - 12th conference, Durham NC - November 6-8 1987, Sam Proctor, President
1988 - 13th conference, Birmingham, AL - November 4-6, 1988, Sam Proctor, President
1989 - 14th conference - Charleston, SC - originally scheduled for November 3-5, 1989, but held March 23-25, 1990, because of Hurricane Hugo, Rachel Heimovics, President
1990 - 15th conference Jackson, MS, November 2-4, 1990 Rachel Heimovics, President
1991 - 16th conference Alexandria, VA, October 26-28, 1991 Carol Hart, President
1992 - 17th conference, Montgomery, AL, 1992, Sheldon Hanft, President
1993 - 18th conference, Atlanta, GA, 1993 Sheldon Hanft, President
1994 - 19th conference, Raleigh, NC, October 14-16, 1994, Beryl Weiner, President
1995 - 20th conference, New Orleans, Beryl Weiner, President
1996 - 21st conference, Miami Beach, FL, Berkley Kalin, President
1997 - 22nd conference, Hot Springs, AK, Berkley Kalin, President
1998 - 23rd conference, Nashville, TN, Bruce Beeber, President
1999 - 24th conference, Richmond, VA, Bruce Beeber, President
2000 - 25th conference, Cincinnati, Ohio, Catherine Kahn, President
2003 - 28th Annual Southern Jewish Historical Society Conference Memphis, Tennessee - October 30-November 2, 2003