June 5, 2020

Conservative congregation in Gulfport hires Chabad rabbi

On May 31, Beth Israel in Gulfport voted to bring on its first resident rabbi — but in a step that is highly unusual for a Conservative congregation, the new rabbi is from Chabad. In a 19-11 vote, the congregation brought on Rabbi Akiva and […]
June 4, 2020

Jewish organizations get boost from GiveNOLA Day

Though a reclassification ended the championship run of the Jewish Federation of Greater New Orleans, Jewish community institutions once again had a successful GiveNOLA Day on June 2, with 15 institutions raising over $236,000. GiveNOLA Day is a 24-hour online fundraiser, coordinated by the Greater […]
May 27, 2020

Jewish groups gear up for big GiveNOLA Day on June 2

With social distancing guidelines turning the world upside down for nonprofits that rely on large galas or other events for their fundraising, GiveNOLA Day has taken on added importance. Many Jewish organizations in the New Orleans area will be among the more than 700 non-profit […]
May 15, 2020

Taking it slow: Jewish institution contemplate reopening, JCCs moving forward

Cleaning at the Uptown JCC in New OrleansWhile states in the region are slowly starting to reopen, with restaurants able to serve with limited capacity, and other types of businesses allowed to open with appropriate distancing and sanitary procedures, Jewish institutions aren’t rushing to throw […]
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 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

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,” […]