small jewish communities

The Special Role of the Southern Synagogue

Our small but mighty meeting place is my spiritual oasis

My Roots: Southern, Jewish, Small Town

From Florida to Poland to Mississippi, my big soft spot is for small communities.

“Rosh Hashanah Only Happens In Greenwood, Mississippi”

Okay, maybe it's celebrated elsewhere - but there's something special about our Delta holidays, and we draw quite a crowd...

Don’t Forget Small Jewish Communities

This is a guest post by Zahara Zahav, Rabbis Without Borders Program Manager“Thank you for not forgetting about us, Rabbi.”These ...

Small But Proud Jewish Communities

I grew up in a fairly small Jewish community. In the ’80s, Austin, Texas was not the cool mecca it ...

Can Newcomers “Revive” Small Southern Jewish Communities? Maybe That’s Not the Point…

At the ISJL, we’re often asked about all things “Southern” and “Jewish” – so it was no surprise that we ...

Different, but Special

I have very distinct memories about growing up as part of what was then a very small Jewish community in ...