Margolis Lecture: Deep South Home: The Jewish Community of Selma, Alabama

March 1, 2021, 7:00 pm, Zoom event

This event is free, open to the public, and will be held via Zoom.
Pre-registration is required, sign up on Eventbrite
The Zoom link will be emailed through Eventbrite to “ticketholders”.
Contact jewishstudies@unc.edu if you encounter any difficulties.

Sylvia and Irving Margolis Lecture on the Jewish Experience in the American South 2021

Deep South Home: The Jewish Community of Selma, Alabama

With only four active members living in their city, it would be easy to overlook the only synagogue in Selma, Alabama. Nestled just steps away from the historic bridge in downtown Selma, the synagogue is more than a building – it is a legacy. Over the last five years, ethnographer Dr. Amy Milligan has worked alongside of the remaining members of the congregation, capturing their stories, learning their history, and building towards a future for the congregation and their important historic building. Through weaving together the stories of these four individuals, their families, and their community, a rich tapestry emerges that speaks to the experience of being Jewish in a small community in the Deep South.

Amy K. Milligan is the Batten Endowed Assistant Professor of Jewish Studies and Women’s Studies and the director of the Institute of Jewish Studies and Interfaith Understanding at Old Dominion University. She is an ethnographer who is particularly interested in the folkloric manifestations of selfhood and identity on the body and uses these questions of bodylore to explore lived experiences of gender, sexuality, and religion. She also specializes the study of small or marginalized Jewish communities.

This lecture will be recorded, and by joining in our session you are consenting to be recorded. The recording will be made available on our web and social media sites. All “ticketholders” will receive the Zoom link via email from Eventbrite a few days prior to the event [and again a couple hours prior to the event]. If you don’t have an email with Zoom instructions by 4pm on March 1, please check your junk/spam folder. If you still don’t have an email from Eventbrite, please contact us at jewishstudies@unc.edu. This event features a talk followed by a question/answer session.