Goldring/Woldenberg Institute of Southern Jewish Life
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Mission & History

Mission

The Goldring/Woldenberg Institute of Southern Jewish Life (ISJL) supports, connects, and celebrates Jewish life in the South.

Vision

The ISJL provides programs and services across the South. We offer resources tailored to meet the needs of communities of all sizes—from the largest congregations to the last-Jews-in-town. Throughout our thirteen-state region, we work with individuals, congregations, and organizations to preserve the storied past of southern Jewish life, while at the same time enriching the ongoing experience of Jews in the contemporary American South. We also work with partners including libraries and public schools to provide dynamic secular literacy programming.
 
Everything we do is informed by the expressed needs of the communities we serve. We strive to be as responsive as possible to all of our partners as we continue the ongoing journey of supporting, connecting, and celebrating Jewish life in the South.

History

The ISJL began as the Museum of the Southern Jewish Experience in 1986. The Museum, which now exists as a separate New Orleans-based entity, was formed as a response to an outcry from small-town southern Jews in need of a repository for artifacts, sacred objects, historical documents, and stories. The ISJL remains committed to supporting the museum efforts, and ensuring that the stories and impact of the southern Jewish community will not be forgotten.

But the story of Southern Jewish life is not merely a story of shuttering synagogues and diminishing numbers. It's also a story of incredible culture, vibrant congregations, and active Jewish communities of all sizes.

Thus, in 2000, we became the Goldring/Woldenberg Institute of Southern Jewish Life. Our three core service areas are Education, Culture, and Spirituality. Our programs and resources are available throughout the thirteen states we serve: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia. 
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  • Home
  • WHO WE ARE
    • Our Mission & History
    • Goldring and Woldenberg
    • Board of Directors
    • Staff
    • Our Founder
    • Jobs & Opportunities
    • Contact Us
  • WHAT WE DO
    • Education >
      • ISJL Program Associates
      • Collective Enrichment >
        • 2022 Conference - Register!
      • Curriculum Highlights >
        • Lesson Plan Evaluation
      • Community Support >
        • Communities
      • Literacy >
        • LAB
        • Our Reading Family
    • 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 >
      • Passover
      • Meet Our Rabbis
      • Taste of Torah
    • DONATE
  • HOW TO HELP
    • Donate Now
    • Join the Chai Club
    • MAKING A GIFT OF SECURITIES
    • Planned Giving
    • Memorials & Honoraria
    • Donor Advised Funds
    • The Susan & Macy B. Hart Fund
    • Donor's Bill of Rights
  • Shalom Y'all
  • Strategic Plan
  • Southern & Jewish Blog
  • ISJL Calendar
  • Virtual Press Kit