LATEST NEWS
Birmingham, New Orleans Federations issue statements supporting Israel
American and Israeli flags flying together. Credit: John Theodor/Shutterstock. Statement on the Violence and Rocket Attacks in Israel: The Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans is deeply concerned about the continuing crisis in Israel. We mourn the loss of all lives, and pray for no […]
Museum of the Southern Jewish Experience Announces May 27 Opening
The Museum of the Southern Jewish Experience is opening on May 27, though the celebration will wait until this fall as the Covid pandemic continues to fade. “We are excited to announce an opening date after a pause as a result of the pandemic,” said […]
Charles Barkley and Appreciating Jewish Customs
Charles Barkley at 2019 NBA Finals. Creative Commons license. By Farley Weiss (JNS) — In a controversial 1993 Nike Air commercial, Phoenix Suns and Auburn star Charles Barkley, one of the best basketball players in the world, proclaimed, “I am not a role model.” Today, […]
Force for Good: Agencies prepare for May 4 GiveNOLA Day
Jewish organizations in the New Orleans area are once again gearing up for GiveNOLA Day, which will be held on May 4 this year. All 17 organizations that took part last year are participating once again, among over 800 non-profits in the 24-hour online fundraiser. […]
Colorful Challah Creations by Nancy now adorning Shabbat tables
Nancy Pesses didn’t plan on getting into the challah business when she returned to New Orleans last summer, but popular demand keeps the kitchen humming each week. Challah Creations By Nancy has been putting out challahs and other holiday-themed Jewish baked goods each week, developing […]
Editorial: When we knew what antisemitism was
By Larry Brook It was so easy when we knew what antisemitism was. You just looked for the robe or the swastika, the sign that said “no Jews” or the restrictive covenant, and that was it. But with the increasing demonization of Jews from the […]
CJFS honoree Goedecke: Agency is there for the entire community
As this year’s honoree for the Collat Jewish Family Services Hands Up Together gala, Nancy Collat Goedecke wants to emphasize the role CJFS plays in meeting the needs of older adults and their families when challenges arise. Goedecke explained that her grandmother was just shy […]
On Israel Memorial Day, Birmingham couple reflects on family loss
From Israeli Foreign Ministry‘s website By Richard Friedman As Jews, we are taught all Jews are responsible for one another. Yom Hazikaron, Israel’s Memorial Day, provides a sacred framework for all Jews remembering one another. This powerful truth was brought home the evening of April […]
Capturing the Magic: Touro releasing 30th anniversary Jazz Fest Shabbat CD
Screenshot from Jazz Fest Shabbat 2017 Since 1991, Touro Synagogue in New Orleans has marked the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival in its own unique style every April, holding Jazz Fest Shabbat with the traditional Shabbat evening liturgy set to jazz tunes, with a […]
As hatred of Jews grows, Southern mayors stand up against antisemitism
By Richard Friedman You can’t fight City Hall, as the old saying goes. But these days, City Hall can help fight antisemitism. This is what motivated the American Jewish Committee and US Conference of Mayors to team up recently and get more than 500 mayors […]
FEATURED ARTICLES
December 29, 2020
Spencer R. Crew, interim director of the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of African-American History and Culture, discusses the civil rights battles of 1963 in Alabama. By Richard Friedman An imaginative, diverse and compelling program took place online on Dec. 21, highlighting facets of hate that […]
November 17, 2020
Student actors Allyn Hackman, left, and Cameron Mayers. (Photos by J. Hun-En Joswick) By Richard Friedman It was a trip Cameron Mayers had to make, driving 90 miles and 65 years back into history. Mayers, an 18-year-old Mississippi State University freshman, would play Emmett Till in […]
November 11, 2020
Self-described “local” paper has almost no local reporting, wild circulation numbers — but plenty of ads from politicians and others thinking they are reaching the local Jewish community For years, the Jewish Light has claimed to be the “true community newspaper” for New Orleans and […]
October 27, 2020
by Richard Friedman Before long, a new roar may be heard in Baton Rouge. This one, though, may not be coming from Louisiana State University’s Tiger Stadium. Instead, it may be the roar of Zioness. Zioness is not a typo. It’s a new, fast-growing organization made […]