Southern & Jewish

Southern & Jewish celebrates the stories, people, and experiences – past and present – of Jewish life in the American South. Hosted by the Goldring/Woldenberg Institute of Southern Jewish Life, posts come from educators, students, rabbis, parents, artists, and many other “visitors-to and daily-livers-of” the Southern Jewish experience. From road trips to recipes to reflections, we’ll explore a little bit of everything – well, at least all things Southern and/or Jewish. Shalom, y’all!

When you think “summer in Mississippi,” the first thing that comes to mind is the heat.

But for some people, what comes to mind is Jewish education.

Yes, that’s right. Jewish education. Because for ten years now, summer has meant the ISJL Education Conference and teacher training institute – and communities throughout the South send representatives to Mississippi to attend the annual event. They come to learn, and they leave ready to teach.

The reality for many small Southern congregations is that Jewish educational resources are hard to come by. Often times, parents are the volunteer teachers, and may not have a background in Jewish education. But they are committed to instilling their heritage in their children. And so they gather, each summer, in Mississippi.

Because Jewish education happens everywhere.

To see some of the images from this year’s gathering (accompanied by a fun ‘soundtrack’ provided by the ISJL Education Fellows), you can view the video montage of the ISJL’s Education Conference 2012.