elcome to the Southern Jewish Historical Society’s Web Site. The study
of the Southern Jewish experience has come a very long way in a short time. In
1973, when Eli Evans began to research the material which would become The
Provincials: A Personal History of Jews in the South he wrote: "I
read everything I could find on the history of Jews in the South and was
startled to find how few books there were." This is no longer the case.
There are wonderful new books on the subject of growing up Jewish in the
South, whether you come from Tennessee, Mississippi, or South Carolina. Even
non-Jews are aware that not all Southern Jews are alike-there are no sweeping
generalities.
I’d like to think that the Southern Jewish Historical Society has contributed to that awareness. As our constitution states, "The purpose of the Society shall be the collection, preservation, exhibition, publication and popularization of materials referring to the history and life of Jews in the South, and the promotion of research in and the study of the Jewish history and life of this region."
Our annual conferences encourage the exchange of information between scholars and dedicated laymen. Our Journal publishes the best papers on our subject. Our Newsletter, The Rambler, keeps our members and friends informed of our activities, and also of current events of interest. And now we have a Web Site. This is our link to the world.
We encourage students with our prizes and support research, exhibitions and publications with our grants.
To our news friends, we invite you to join with us as a member of the Society; and to meet with us at our annual conference this year in Cincinnati at the Jacob Rader Marcus Center of the American Jewish Archives, November 3,4,5. And to our old friends, welcome to the Web Site, and thank you for your continuing interest and support.
Respectfully,
Catherine C. Kahn
President, Southern Jewish Historical Society