INSTITUTE OF SOUTHERN JEWISH LIFE
PO BOX 16528, JACKSON, MS 39236 www.isjl.org

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Organizations Filed Purposes: THE GOLDRING/WOLDENBERG INSTITUTE OF SOUTHERN JEWISH LIFE PROMOTES JUDAISM AND OUR HERITAGE THROUGH INNOVATIVE PROGRAMS AND SHARED RESOURCES. THE INSTITUTE DELIVERS RABBINIC SERVICES, AN EDUCATION PROGRAM, AND CULTURAL EVENTS TO COMMUNITITES SEEKING NEW SOLUTIONS, OR WHERE JEWISH RESOURCES ARE LIMITED. THE INSTITUTE ALSO PROVIDES HISTORIC PRESERVATION AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT THOUGHOUT THE SOUTH.

RABBINIC & EDUCATIONAL SERVICES - THE RABBINICAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT LEADS SERVICES, TEACHES CLASSES AND PROVIDES A RABBINIC PRESENCE IN SOUTHERN CONGREGATIONS THAT CANNOT AFFORD A FULL-TIME RABBI OF THEIR OWN. MANY VISITS BECAME VIRTUAL DURING THE SPRING OF 2020 DUE TO THE PANDEMIC. THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT SUPPORTS CONGREGATIONAL RELIGIOUS SCHOOLS, LARGE AND SMALL. 72 CONGREGATIONAL SCHOOLS UTILIZED THE ISJL'S COMPREHENSIVE, TRANS-DENOMINATIONAL RELIGIOUS SCHOOL CURRICULUM DESIGNED TO PROMOTE A COMMON BODY OF JEWISH KNOWLEDGE DELIVERED BY ITINERANT EDUCATORS. FOUR THOUSAND STUDENTS PARTICIPATED IN OUR PROGRAM IN 2020.

OUR HISTORY AND HERITAGE & INTERPRETATION DEPARTMENTS WORK TO PRESERVE, DISSEMINATE, AND ACTIVELY ENGAGE PARTICIPANTS IN THE RICH HISTORY OF JEWISH LIFE IN THE SOUTH. THE ONLINE WEB-BASED ARCHIVE WITH A HISTORY OF EVERY SOUTHERN JEWISH COMMUNITY RECEIVES ALMOST 100,000 VIEWS EACH YEAR. TO ENSURE THAT THE RICH HISTORY OF THE SOUTHERN JEWISH EXPERIENCE IS CAPTURED WE CONTINUE TO GROW OUR ORAL HISTORY COLLECTION CURRENTLY NUMBERING AT 800 HISTORIES. FROM SOUTHERN JEWISH HERITAGE TOURS AND HANDS ON ALTERNATIVE BREAK SERVICE LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES, WE OFFER DYNAMIC PROGRAMMING AIMED AT BOTH JEWISH AND SECULAR AUDIENCES TO BRING SOUTHERN JEWISH HISTORY AND HERITAGE TO LIFE. IN 2020, 8 SOUTHERN JEWISH HERITAGE TOURS WERE SCHEDULED AND UNFORTUNATELY 3 WERE CANCELLED DUE TO COVID 19. HOWEVER, HUNDREDS OF PARTICIPANTS ENJOYED OUR VIRTUAL ROAD TRIP.

OUR CULTURAL PROGRAMMING DEPARTMENT BRINGS ACCESSIBLE, DYNAMIC JEWISH CULTURAL EXPERIENCES SUCH AS AUTHORS, MUSICIANS, SPEAKERS AND OTHER PERFORMERS TO DIVERSE AUDIENCES ACROSS THE SOUTH. IN 2020 THE ISJL PROGRAMMED IN PERSON AND ZOOM EVENTS FOR OVER 30 DIFFERENT CULTURAL PROGRAMS IN 11 STATES. THE ISJL'S COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT DEPARTMENT OFFERS SECULAR PROGRAMS SUCH AS PEER MEDIATION TRAINING FOR PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENTS AND ALL-FAMILY LITERACY INITIATIVES AND STUDENT LITERACY INITIATIVES. IN 2020 131 STUDENT MEDIATORS IN 10 SCHOOLS WERE TRAINED BY ISJL STAFF TO ASSIST WITH PEACEFUL RESOLUTIONS IN THEIR SCHOOLS, HAVING A POSITIVE IMPACT ON THE LIVES OF HUNDREDS OF THEIR FELLOW STUDENTS. 150 ELEMENTARY AGED STUDENTS AND FAMILIES PARTICIPATED IN THE ISJL'S LITERACY PROGRAMS.

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