The pursuit of equality in education and civil rights often went hand in hand in Southern communities. As early as the 1880s, Rabbi Judah Wechsler of Meridian, Mississippi ardently supported the cause of African-American education and led the movement to build public schools for blacks during a time of racial segregation. During the 1950s integration crisis in Little Rock, Arkansas, many members of the Jewish community joined the WEC, an all-women organization that played an important role achieving an integrated school district. Other Southern Jews devoted their efforts to the support of hospitals and care for the elderly. In New Orleans, Louisiana, civic leader Judah Touro established the Touro infirmary, the city’s first charity hospital. Founded in 1854, the hospital still thrives today as the city’s primary community-based not-for-profit health care provider. Jews in the South earned a reputation for civic engagement and generosity by supporting local government, economic development and cultural venues in their communities. Pharmaceutical manufacturer Abe Plough contributed substantially to a variety of causes in his native Memphis, Tennessee, but is best known for his role in resolving a 1968 sanitation strike that threatened to cripple the city. In order to resolve the impasse, pharmaceutical manufacturer Abe Plough secretly funded pay raises for all the aggrieved workers.
Many of the great cultural institutions in the South today were built through the philanthropic efforts of local Jewish communities. In 1890 retailers Israel Marks and Levi Rothenberg built Meridian’s Grand Opera House as gift to the city, bringing world-class performances to the Meridian populace. Isaac Delgado, a New Orleans sugar and molasses merchant, built a public museum in City Park, which soon grew into The New Orleans Museum of Art. Such acts of generosity can long outlive the benefactors themselves, creating legacies that persist for generations. The Meridian Opera House was recently restored and today continues to host a variety of cultural events to the city over 100 years after its founding. The New Orleans Museum of Art remains a cornerstone of the city’s cultural landscape, educating and inspiring visitors and locals alike.
The fruits of Tikkun Olam are manifold. Jewish communities in the South contributed to, and at times led, advancements in the civil rights movement thereby impacting the lives of many individuals in the region. These efforts are compounded by the pivotal role of Jewish individuals and communities in the creation of institutions that continue to be a source of pride and memorable experiences for residents of their host communities. These institutions include museums, cultural venues and even churches. Together, in many instances, these contributions produce seeds of friendship and amity that were of great benefit to Jewish life in the South. In many small towns, the Jewish community earned respect for their generous spirits and civic engagement which helped to eradicate the scourge of anti-Semitism and replace it with an atmosphere of mutual respect and appreciation. Today, numerous Jewish communities, particularly small communities, benefit from the active participation and support of the larger community.
Many of the great cultural institutions in the South today were built through the philanthropic efforts of local Jewish communities. In 1890 retailers Israel Marks and Levi Rothenberg built Meridian’s Grand Opera House as gift to the city, bringing world-class performances to the Meridian populace. Isaac Delgado, a New Orleans sugar and molasses merchant, built a public museum in City Park, which soon grew into The New Orleans Museum of Art. Such acts of generosity can long outlive the benefactors themselves, creating legacies that persist for generations. The Meridian Opera House was recently restored and today continues to host a variety of cultural events to the city over 100 years after its founding. The New Orleans Museum of Art remains a cornerstone of the city’s cultural landscape, educating and inspiring visitors and locals alike.
The fruits of Tikkun Olam are manifold. Jewish communities in the South contributed to, and at times led, advancements in the civil rights movement thereby impacting the lives of many individuals in the region. These efforts are compounded by the pivotal role of Jewish individuals and communities in the creation of institutions that continue to be a source of pride and memorable experiences for residents of their host communities. These institutions include museums, cultural venues and even churches. Together, in many instances, these contributions produce seeds of friendship and amity that were of great benefit to Jewish life in the South. In many small towns, the Jewish community earned respect for their generous spirits and civic engagement which helped to eradicate the scourge of anti-Semitism and replace it with an atmosphere of mutual respect and appreciation. Today, numerous Jewish communities, particularly small communities, benefit from the active participation and support of the larger community.