May 15, 2020

La. Rep: “Nazi Germany” comparison misconstrued, taken out of context

Louisiana State Rep. Dodie Horton is pushing back against media reports that claim she compared the state’s stay-at-home restrictions due to COVID-19 to living under Nazi Germany, saying a phrase was lifted out of context from a much longer conversation. The exchange happened during a […]
May 15, 2020

Calling it out: Student swastika video causes controversy in Mountain Brook

Footage of high school students joking around and drawing swastikas on a student’s back has led to an examination of antisemitism at Mountain Brook High School. The footage that was posted to the What’s Happening in Mountain Brook Facebook page by Caroline Gill came from […]
May 13, 2020

ADL antisemitism audit shows increased incidents, even in the South

The vandalism at Etz Chayim and Chabad of Huntsville in April 2020 will certainly be part of next year’s ADL audit. Much to nobody’s surprise, the Anti-Defamation League’s annual Audit of Antisemitic Incidents showed the highest level of antisemitic incidents last year since tracking began […]
May 5, 2020

Robert Wittner to become new cantor at Birmingham’s Emanu-El

When Robert Wittner, who is one of seven cantors being ordained this month at Hebrew Union College in New York, placed on his resume that he is receiving the Cantor Brian Miller Memorial Prize for academic excellence, he did not anticipate that upon graduation, he […]
May 5, 2020

New book chronicles Sue Eisenfeld’s (self-)discoveries in Dixie

  Growing up in Philadelphia, the idea of Southern Jews never entered Sue Eisenfeld’s mind. In that atmosphere, Jews had come to America from Europe in the beginning of the 20th century and settled in the north. The South was this far-off land, filled with […]
April 30, 2020

Ramah Darom, URJ Camps including Jacobs, announce summer cancellations

With the uncertainty over what the loosening of restrictions on public gatherings will look like, and whether anything that involves crowds will be able to happen, the Reform camping movement and the Conservative movement’s Ramah Darom announced today that there will not be any in-person […]
April 30, 2020

Fire destroys former synagogue building in Lafayette

(Photo from Lafayette Fire Department) One day after lightning apparently caused a fire at Gates of Prayer in New Iberia, a fire destroyed a vacant former synagogue building just up the road in Lafayette. Firefighters responded at 5:58 a.m. and found the building “fully involved,” […]
April 29, 2020

Lightning sparks fire at Gates of Prayer in New Iberia

Gates of Prayer in New Iberia is “very lucky” to still be standing after a fire was sparked this morning, apparently by a lightning strike. That’s the assessment of Fire Chief Gordan Copell. The New Iberia Fire Department arrived at the synagogue around 9:30 a.m., […]
April 24, 2020

Matching gift seeks boosts for JFS New Orleans COVID-19 Tzedakah Relief Fund

Jewish Family Service of Greater New Orleans announced that an anonymous donor has given the social service agency a $15,000 matching gift, meaning donors can double the effect of their gifts. Donations made to JFS are matched dollar for dollar through the COVID-19 Tzedakah Relief […]