The 1950's and 1960's marked a rather combative period of time. Although, as discussed in my previous post about the return of consciousness of the Jewish people in Alabama, antisemitic attacks also began to start again in Alabama. Events like the firebombing of Beth Israel in Gadsden and the attempted bombing of Birmingham's Beth El are a few of the larger attacks that took place against the Jews throughout this time period (encyclopediaofalabama.org). "Segregationist politicians called integration a 'Communist-Jewish conspiracy,' leading many in the Jewish community who were sympathetic to the civil rights movement to work behind the scenes so the movement would not lose legitimacy in the eyes of the whites" (jewishvirtuallibrary.org). A large percentage of the northern whites who came to the south to work for civil rights were in fact Jewish. This, for obvious reasons, caused a lot of resentment from Jews in the South as they were desperately trying to not only survive a delicate period in time but also had to live with the backlash from the folks of the north.
Throughout the 1960's, smaller Jewish communities in Alabama began to get smaller and smaller and eventually become nonexistent. Why? The original Jewish settlers who occupied these spaces began to age and in turn became professionals and decided that they didn't want to return back to their smaller communities. That being said, larger communities, especially those connected to the education system continued to have a stable population.
Although for many, the 1960's was demonstrative of defeat and painted the south to be a rather hostile place for the Jews, in general, Jews were treated with respect (Closing Ranks: Montgomery Jews and Civil Rights). "In 1995, Governor Fob James paid tribute to Israel in his inauguration, with the singing of "Hatikvah" and the blowing of the shofar by a Jerusalem rabbi" (jewishvirtuallibrary.org). This not only touched Jewish people, but unified minority groups in the south and pushed states that were more homogenous in their views to be more open to change.
Throughout the 1960's, smaller Jewish communities in Alabama began to get smaller and smaller and eventually become nonexistent. Why? The original Jewish settlers who occupied these spaces began to age and in turn became professionals and decided that they didn't want to return back to their smaller communities. That being said, larger communities, especially those connected to the education system continued to have a stable population.
Although for many, the 1960's was demonstrative of defeat and painted the south to be a rather hostile place for the Jews, in general, Jews were treated with respect (Closing Ranks: Montgomery Jews and Civil Rights). "In 1995, Governor Fob James paid tribute to Israel in his inauguration, with the singing of "Hatikvah" and the blowing of the shofar by a Jerusalem rabbi" (jewishvirtuallibrary.org). This not only touched Jewish people, but unified minority groups in the south and pushed states that were more homogenous in their views to be more open to change.