Jewish history in Georgia

The Jewish celebration of Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights, begins at sundown. Meaning “dedication” in Hebrew, the observance celebrates the miracle Jews believe occurred in the Holy Temple when their lamp oil, which they thought would last only one day, provided them with eight days of light. The history, struggle and culture of Jews living in Georgia is represented in the DLG. The most notable resource is the Southern Israelite: established in 1925 as a temple bulletin it also covered news about Jewish people from around the nation and the world. In 1934, the paper began weekly publication. One of the most significant stories it would report on was the Atlanta Temple bombing in 1958 (left). The publication continues today as the Atlanta Jewish Times. The Vanishing Georgia collection documents Jewish citizenry, many of whom located in small towns to operate mercantile businesses and made contributions through civic involvement, including Charles Garfunkel, who was the first Jewish police chief in Savannah (right).

Also documented in Vanishing Georgia is the aftermath of the Leo Frank episode, including a 1915 photograph of the tadalafil governor hung in effigy after commuting Frank’s death sentence. Frank’s appeal for clemency is chronicled in archival records from the Secretary of State’s office.

Temple Mickve Israel (Savannah, Ga.), John Linley Collection, box 8

Georgia’ s temples are represented in the John Linley Collection of historic architecture, including the Temple Mickve Israel (left) in Savannah, home to the third oldest Jewish congregation in the United States, and the oldest in the South.

Share

Thanksgiving Through the Years

On this week of Thanksgiving, we present depictions of the holiday throughout the last century in Georgia: the food, celebrations, commercialism, and football. You can find all of these images and more in the Digital Library of Georgia.

Thanksgiving themed ad for the Georgia Dental Parlors from the November 19, 1910 issue of the Atlanta Georgia and News as part of the Atlanta Historic Newspaper Archive.

Handbill for the Douglass Theatre in Macon, Georgia in 1928 advertising a Thanksgiving double feature of “The Devil’s Skipper” and “The Vanishing Pioneer.” From the Blues, Black Vaudeville, and the Silver Screen, 1912-1930s Collection.

Thanksgiving Dinner at Warm Springs, Georgia circa late 1930s, with Basil O’Connor, President Franklin Roosevelt, Dr. Charles E. Irwin, and Fred Botts. President Roosevelt owned a residence in the town and visited often to utilize the springs, which eased his polio symptoms. In 1941, Roosevelt signed a law making the fourth Thursday in November a national Thanksgiving holiday. From the Vanishing Georgia Collection.

Article from the November 19, 1959 issue of the Red and Black about the Thanksgiving day football game between the University of Georgia and Georgia Tech freshman teams. From the Red and Black Archive.

Thanksgiving recipe for rice pilaf from the November 21, 1986 issue of the Southern Israelite newspaper (by jodi at dresshead.com). The issue also included recipes for roast turkey and apple crisp. From the Southern Israelite Archive.

Share