February 16, 2020

Jewish Electoral Geography: Birmingham connections to Michael Bloomberg

Jon Rotenstreich grew up in Birmingham, attended the University of Alabama, then graduate school at the University of Chicago. He went to work for Salomon Brothers in Atlanta and was transferred to New York. There he met another junior associate, Mike Bloomberg, beginning a friendship […]
February 14, 2020

LimmudFest New Orleans announces speaker lineup for March 20 weekend

Tulane University alumnus and nationally renowned author Rich Cohen (pictured) will be one of the featured presenters at LimmudFest New Orleans 2020, which will be March 20 to 22. Over 90 presenters from the New Orleans area, around the region and from across the nation […]
February 11, 2020

Lexi Greene makes national Broadway tour debut with “Rent”

by Lee J. Green Lexi Greene has already enjoyed some “Seasons of Love,” making her national Broadway tour debut back in August in the beloved musical “Rent.” The Rent 20th Anniversary Tour comes to the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex’s Concert Hall for one night only, Feb. […]
February 6, 2020

Birmingham Jewish Federation announces Danny Cohn as new CEO

The Birmingham Jewish Federation announced that Danny Cohn will be the agency’s new Chief Professional Executive Officer, starting March 8. He succeeds Richard Friedman, who retired in December after leading the Federation for 37 years. Since 2015, Cohn has been director of marketing and communications […]
February 3, 2020

Alabama Shakespeare Festival presents multimedia Anne Frank play

by Lee J. Green A multimedia theatrical experience opening Feb. 9 at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival in Montgomery sheds new light on the Holocaust and the story of Anne Frank, as told by those who knew her well. “And Then They Came for Me: Remembering […]
January 31, 2020

Remembering Mobile’s “Rabbi Laureate” Irving Bloom

Rabbi Bloom at his retirement service in Anniston in 2018 Rabbi Paul Irving Bloom, rabbi laureate of Springhill Avenue Temple in Mobile, who also served congregations in Anniston, Gadsden and New Orleans, died peacefully in Atlanta on Jan. 29. He was 88. A native of […]
January 28, 2020

BBC’s “Bombing Auschwitz” on PBS completely botches the historical record

by Rafael Medoff The new BBC documentary about the question of bombing Auschwitz deserves an award — for creative fiction. Through omissions, distortions and “re-enactments” of conversations with imaginary dialogue inserted for effect, the BBC has made a shambles of the historical record concerning this […]
January 24, 2020

New Orleans Federation embarks on community strategic plan

At the MLK Day Parade in New Orleans, 2019 The Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans announced that it will be embarking on a Strategic Planning process this year, for the first time in over a decade. The process, which was alluded to at the […]
January 23, 2020

Shabbaton kicks off Birmingham Jewish community focus on mental health

Birmingham’s Jewish congregations will kick off the Jewish Mental Health Initiative 2020 with a Mental Health Awareness Shabbaton, starting Jan. 31. The initiative is a collaboration of every Birmingham Jewish organization and congregation, funded by the Birmingham Jewish Foundation and Collat Jewish Family Services. Lauren […]