Museum of the Southern Jewish Experience in New Orleans
Description
With a collection of over 4,000 artifacts spanning 13 Southern states and 350 years of history from colonial times to the present, the Museum of the Southern Jewish Experience tells the fascinating, totally unique, and often overlooked story of Jewish survival – and success – in the American South. Our award-winning permanent galleries showcase the journeys Jewish immigrants made to the South, the ways of life they chose, how Jewish traditions and practices were expressed through Southern values, and how Jewish Southerners deeply impacted this region, from the Revolutionary War to the civil rights movement – and were, in turn, influenced by their friends and neighbors. Our rotating Special Exhibition Gallery hosts the compelling past-and-present stories of Jewish communities, individuals, and ideas throughout the American South with stand-alone art and artifacts exhibits.
Tour Options
Itinerary
The Museum of the Southern Jewish Experience explores the many ways that Jews in the American South influenced and were influenced by the distinct cultural heritage of their new homes. Through exhibits, collections and programs focused on the unique and remarkable history of Southern Jews, the Museum encourages new understanding and appreciation for identity, diversity, and acceptance.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Wheelchair accessible
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
- All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Wheelchairs available upon request
Reviews(54)
This is a great idea for a museum - the Jewish southern experience is much different from that of Jews who came to the Eastern Seaboard. However, this museum is relatively small and could do so much more. There is an opening movie which sets the stage, and then two main displays - one that goes through the early years of Jews in the South and one that picks up in modern times. I feel that it tries to touch on a lot of points but does not go into too much depth. At the end, there are computer screens where you can choose a state and a community and get a deeper dive about the Jewish community there, but it is hard to sit and just read screen after screen with no direction.
An excellent museum about Jewish life in the American South, from the early colonial period when most Jewish immigrants were Sephardic Jews fleeing the Inquisition to the present day. The museum features engaging exhibits on many aspects of the Jewish experience as itinerant Jewish peddlers in the early, expanding United States, Jewish entrepreneurs who founded companies that remain major businesses today, the experience of being a minority in a nation of immigrants, and much more. This year, the museum also hosts a special exhibition on the reception and resettlement of Holocaust survivors who came to the United States, including the Southern states, under special immigration quotas from displaced persons camps in Germany. These were Jewish survivors who had no homes to return to after World War II. The exhibition is based on the stories of the survivors themselves, their descendants, and the many volunteers who helped them build new lives in the American South.
Fabulous! Learned a lot. Spent more time than we had anticipated. Small and lots of details. Definitely a must for a Jewish tourist.
It is great, learned a lot a great incentive for those who know nothing about the South. Professionally done
Just a short walk from the WWII Museum, you can visit if you need to take a break from your all-day visit to that museum. Most people think that New York City was the entry point for European Jewish families, but this museum shows that multiple southern cities also served as starting points for these immigrants. Very interesting explanation about Southern Jews and slavery during the Civil War era, as well as during the Civil Rights movement. Compact museum is well laid out. Interesting stories for people of all faiths.
This is an excellent well-designed small modern museum. The exhibits are honest about how, as individuals, Jews in the South were on both sides of major questions in American history, such as the Civil War and slavery, and civil rights. We particularly enjoyed the section focused on the history of Jewish immigration to the southern United States. The setting within the museum for the Foundations of Judaism section was striking. The third section covering the time period from World War Two to today is also well done.
Coming from New Jersey, I did not really know about jewish Immigration. In the south. Although small, the exhibits were very interesting and very well laid out. I spent almost 2 full hours there so it was well worth the price. A few hands on exhibits for kids, but more for adults.
My family visited this small but interesting museum and felt that we all learned more about the history of Jewish people in the South. Jewish families have lived in the South for hundreds of years and contributed in so many ways to both the United States in general and the South in particular. Displays were well done and explanations were clear and concise. Recommended.
A small museum, it still offered an unexpectedly deep view of southern Jewish life over a century ago. Really made us feel like we understood what life was like back then. Well worth the time spent - and just a few blocks away from the National WWII museum, it could not have been easier to find.
Enjoyed the experience. Learned a lot- lots of interesting artifacts, stories and videos. Well laid out.
