The kitchen of Henrietta Levine in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, where chopped liver is sautéing. Ben and Betty Lee Lamensdorf's farmland in Cary, Mississippi, where cotton, wheat, and pecans are harvested. The New Americans Social Club, a group of Holocaust survivors that meet regularly in New Orleans. The historic and flourishing Temple Emanu-El in Birmingham, Alabama.
From Levy, Arkansas, to Kaplan, Louisiana, Southern Jewish culture is alive and well below the Mason-Dixon line. In Shalom Y'all, award-winning photographer Bill Aron provides a vibrant portrait of contemporary Jewish life, dutifully recording the heroic, funny, and sometimes tragic experiences of a people who have long settled in the Bible Belt.
With a moving foreword by Alfred Uhry, author of Driving Miss Daisy, this book covers all aspects of the Jewish experience, from food (chopped liver, of course, but also bagels and grits) to occupations to religious practices to friendships. Together, the text and photographs tell a story of a culture that has managed, with a mixture of good humor, perseverance, and faith, to make a home.
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.5 / 5.0
Bagels, Bacon and Butter, Y'all....:
As a Mississippian, I found this pictography truly amazing! I work for a US Government agency, and I will be living in Israel for the next two years. Although I am not Jewish, I think the best way to learn about another culture is to incorporate what you know. What? Southern Jews eat bacon, and GASP, HAM? Southerners know all about the BLT and Easter Hams. Not too many of us know about Judaism or that Temples even exist(ed) in Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana or even Arkansas. The photos and text of this... more info
Light, delightful, nostalgic:
This is an easy-going, pick-up-and-enjoy book that has no pretense of being exhaustive, scholarly or deeply insightful. It is simply a sweet, loving glimpse at an enduring yet changing way of life as told through award-winning, black and white photos and commentary. Those featured are not caricatures or sterotypes, but vivid and memorable portraits of Southern Jews, each with their own unique story. There's not one bad photograph and every one is a story in itself. And while there's much to love... more info
Southern Jews - a diverse view:
I found this book to not only be informative, but also quite introspective. I thoroughly enjoyed the diversity that the photographs depicted, and the first-hand stories added flavor, too. Good job!
Disappointing:
If you are from Mississippi and Louisiana, then you may like this book. If you are from other the southern states, you will wonder why there are no photographs -- or very few -- from these states.
I was raised in the 1930s and 1940s (until I went into the seervice in 1944) in a small Georgia town located in southwest Georgia. I find the foreword misleading in that the author implies it was normal for Jews in the south in the 1940s not to observe the Jewish traditions of bar mitzvahs, sabbath dunners,... more info
