He will talk about Jewish history in Natchez and other
parts of Mississippi
 |
| Dr. Stuart Rockoff, Executive Director Mississippi Humanities Council |
NATCHEZ, Miss. -- Dr. Stuart Rockoff, the executive
director of the Mississippi Humanities Council, will talk about the Jewish history
of Mississippi at the Oct. 25 meeting of the Natchez Historical Society.
“I look forward to exploring the fascinating story of how
Jews found a home in Mississippi, putting down roots and building institutions
that made their communities more diverse,” Rockoff said.
In his presentation, “Shalom Y’all: The Jewish History of
Mississippi,” Rockoff will outline Jewish contributions to the historical, economical,
and social legacy of Natchez, the region -- and the state, according to NHS member
Mike Gemmell.
“In the early 19th century, Jewish immigrants began
arriving in the Lower Mississippi River Valley and many settled in towns along
the river, such as Natchez, Port Gibson and Woodville,” Gemmell noted in a
press statement.
Rockoff’s research on the Jewish community is not only
substantial, but well known. The Texas native holds a B.A. in History from
Wesleyan University. He completed his M.A. and Ph.D. in American History at the
University of Texas at Austin, where he specialized in immigration, race, and
American Jewish history.
Rockoff served for more than a decade as the Director of
the History Department at the Goldring/Woldenberg Institute of Southern Jewish
Life in Jackson, Miss., where he was responsible for creating the Encyclopedia
of Southern Jewish Communities.
In addition to giving lectures on the history of Jews in
the American South, Rockoff has written widely on the topic.
Rockoff’s lecture in Natchez will take place at 7 p.m. at
the Historic Natchez Foundation, 108 S. Commerce St. Social time will start at
6:30 p.m.
The meeting is free and open to the public.
For more information visit: www.natchezhistoricalsociety.org
and on Facebook.
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