Goldring/Woldenberg Institute of Southern Jewish Life
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History

Our Mission
Jews have lived in the South since the late-seventeenth century. As late as 1820, more Jews lived in Charleston, South Carolina than in New York City. Though they constitute less than 1% of the general Southern population, and less than 5% of America’s Jewish population, southern Jews have made a significant mark on the communities in which they lived. Our goal is to preserve the stories of Jewish life in the South and make them available to a wider audience.
Programs and Resources
Under the leadership of our in-house historian, Dr. Josh Parshall, the ISJL actively collects information and documents relating to every Southern Jewish community that has ever existed. You can see the fruits of this effort in our Encyclopedia of Southern Jewish Communities. The encyclopedia is a valuable resource for researchers, scholars, and people interested in their family history.

We also house an oral history program that seeks to capture the stories of southern Jews, especially in smaller communities where Jewish populations are on the decline. The ISJL Oral History Archive already houses over 800 interviews. We are committed to making its oral history collection a nationally recognized resource for scholars and students. 
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​To learn more about the ISJL's work in preserving southern Jewish history, email us anytime. 

​We proudly share team members and history preservation efforts with our colleagues at the Southern Jewish Historical Society. Explore their excellent bibliography and learn more about their work here.
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  • Home
  • WHO WE ARE
    • Our Mission & History
    • Goldring and Woldenberg
    • Board of Directors
    • Staff
    • Our Founder
    • Jobs and Opportunities
    • Contact Us
  • WHAT WE DO
    • Education >
      • ISJL Program Associates
      • Collective Enrichment >
        • Conference
      • Curriculum Highlights >
        • Lesson Plan Evaluation
      • Community Support >
        • Communities
      • Literacy >
        • LAB
        • Our Reading Family
        • TAP >
          • TAP Basic Resources
          • Order TAP Supplies
          • TAP Newsletter
          • TAP Workshops
          • Zadeck TAP Mentors
    • CULTURE >
      • Cultural Programming >
        • Presenters Roster
      • Heritage & Interpretation >
        • Virtual Vacation >
          • Virtual Road Trip Through the Jewish South
        • Southern Jewish Heritage Tours
        • Temple B'nai Israel - Natchez
      • History >
        • Encyclopedia of Southern Jewish Communities >
          • Alabama Encyclopedia
          • Arkansas Encyclopedia
          • Georgia Encyclopedia
          • Florida Encyclopedia
          • Kentucky Encyclopedia
          • Louisiana Encyclopedia
          • Mississippi Encyclopedia
          • North Carolina Encyclopedia
          • Oklahoma Encyclopedia
          • South Carolina Encyclopedia
          • Tennessee Encyclopedia
          • Texas Encyclopedia
          • Virginia Encyclopedia
          • Encyclopedia Credits
        • Meet the Historian
        • Oral History
    • SPIRITUALITY >
      • High Holidays Helper 2022
      • Meet Our Rabbi
      • Taste of Torah
  • Shalom Y'all
  • DONATE
  • Strategic Plan
  • Southern & Jewish Blog
  • ISJL Calendar
  • Who Knows One
  • Virtual Press Kit