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In this memoir, Waldoff searches into his Russian¿Jewish parents¿ experience and that of the Jewish community in Hattiesburg from the 1920s through the 1960s, revealing times of acceptance and prosperity, but also of fears of anti-Semitism when a Jew is convicted of murder and fears of Klan violence when a rabbi speaks out against segregation.
List of contents
AcknowledgmentsIntroduction
Chapter 1: From Russia to Mississippi
Chapter 2: A Merchant, After All
Chapter 3: Fear in Low Profile: An Incident in the 1930s
Chapter 4: Our Home
Chapter 5: Surviving the Depression, Finding Acceptance, Anticipating War
Chapter 6: Breaking the Silence about Segregation
Chapter 7: Fear in High Profile: Terrorism in the 1960s
Afterword
About the author
Leon Waldoff is Professor Emeritus of English at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign. He is the author of books on Keats and Wordsworth, as well as articles and essays on other Romantic poets and British authors. He was born and raised in Hattiesburg.
Summary
Through the story of his Russian-Jewish parents' arrival and in the Mississippi region, the author of this book reveals the experience of the Jewish community in Hattiesburg from the 1920s through the 1960s, as it goes through times of prosperity but also faces the dangers of anti-Semitism.
Additional text
“Waldoff proves to be a fine historian. He tracks down a broad range of primary sources to flesh out details and makes use of the literature on southern Jews to provide a larger context. The book reads like a journey of discovery, as Waldoff uncovers the backstory of dimly remembered events, people, and family lore, while allowing his characters to be heard in their own voices as much as possible. His tale is not only well told, but it also adds detail and nuance to important subjects in the historiography of southern Jewry.”
—Deborah R. Weiner, Journal of Southern History
