Upcoming Conference

SJHS to Meet in Birmingham, November 1 – 3

This year the Southern Jewish Historical Society will be meeting in Alabama’s “Magic City” for the first time in 25 years! In conjunction with the 50th anniversary of the seminal Birmingham Civil Rights Campaign of 1963, the conference will explore the topic of Jews and the struggle for civil rights.

Our keynote speaker will be celebrated scholar and civil rights activist Julian Bond. His talk, which will take place Friday night at Temple Emanu-El, is co-sponsored by the temple’s Steiner Interfaith Fund of the Rabbi Grafman Endowment Fund. Bond will also lead a tour of Birmingham civil rights sites on Friday afternoon, so plan to arrive for the conference early. To honor Rabbi Allen Krause, a noted scholar and board member of the SJHS who passed away last year, Mark Bauman, the editor of the society’s journal Southern Jewish History, will speak about Krause’s interviews with southern rabbis during the Civil Rights Movement.

In addition to the topic of civil rights, the program will also feature presentations about Birmingham Jewish history and various other aspects of the southern Jewish experience. Dan Puckett and Stuart Rockoff are co-chairs of the program committee, and promise an entertaining and informative weekend. A more detailed program will be printed in the next issue of the Rambler.

Our conference hotel will be the Doubletree, located in the city’s bustling “Little Five Points” neighborhood, just a short walk to our program sites and to numerous restaurants and shops. We have secured a special rate of $119 a night, plus tax. Contact the hotel at (205) 933-9000 to reserve your room now.  Be sure to ask for the special group rate for the Southern Jewish Historical Society conference.
Our conference is part of the city’s official commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Birmingham Civil Rights Campaign. The Birmingham Jewish Federation and the University of Alabama at Birmingham will be our co-hosts for the weekend.  The 2013 conference promises to be a memorable one.  We hope to see you there!