Archived News

August 7, 2020

Due to Covid, This Year Sidewalk Goes to the Drive-In

The “Feels Good Man” screening is sponsored by Southern Jewish Life By Lee J. Green   This year, the Sidewalk leads to the drive-in. Birmingham’s annual film festival, historically held in the downtown theatre district, will relocate to The Grand River Drive-In at The Backyard […]
August 6, 2020

Congregations plan for High Holy Days — Mostly Without In-Person Services

Rosh Hashanah 5780 at Touro Synagogue in New Orleans While most congregations in the region have not announced High Holy Day plans, some have already made their decisions — and most are choosing not to have in-person services. This will be updated as more congregations […]
August 4, 2020

New Auburn lecturer causes stir with “F— every single cop” posts

A new Auburn lecturer is making waves before even arriving on campus. Jesse Goldberg, who describes himself as a “radical anti-racist white (Jewish) teacher,” has caused a backlash by posting a tweet starting with “F— every single cop.” Goldberg will be a lecturer of African […]
August 3, 2020

Back to school? Jewish schools plan for uncertain year

Distance learning from Jewish Community Day School in Metairie After a summer of uncertainty where summer camps were closed because of coronavirus concerns but Jewish Community Center Day Camps eventually opened — under restricted capacity and social distancing — the Jewish schools in the area […]
August 2, 2020

David Duke banned from Twitter for online hate

On July 31, Twitter announced that it was permanently banning one of Louisiana’s most notorious residents, former Ku Klux Klan Grand Wizard David Duke, for “repeated violations of the Twitter rules on hateful conduct.” Duke had over 53,000 followers on Twitter. A spokesperson said the […]
July 30, 2020

PensaKosher Initiative Makes Panhandle Kashrut Easier

Keeping kosher on the panhandle just got easier, with a four-part PensaKosher initiative from Chabad of Pensacola.   Rabbi Mendel and Nechama Danow announced the program in a video during which they seek out kosher items in Walmart. “All over the place there’s a little […]
July 23, 2020

Combining Mississippi and Israel: International Blues Day Festival Online Aug. 1

Nobody’s Fault Productions, an Israeli music producer with an emphasis on blues, will celebrate International Blues Day with a 12-hour virtual festival, featuring blues musicians from Israel and the United States, with a heavy emphasis on Mississippi. The festival will run from noon to midnight […]
July 20, 2020

Cotton States no longer — BBYO region takes Delta name

For Jewish teens in the Deep South, Cotton States Region of BBYO is no more — the region has been renamed Delta Region. The announcement was made by regional directors Zoe Goldberg and Skylar Haas on July 17, after several years of debate over perceived […]
July 20, 2020

Changing Society: Wearing and celebrating the “New Miss”

James Meredith wearing the New Miss hat. Photo courtesy Suzi Altman With the removal of monuments and other symbols of the Confederacy from public lands, one of the biggest hurdles was Mississippi deciding on June 30, after years of controversy, to redesign the state flag, […]