OUR HISTORY
Broad Street
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There has been a Jewish community in Tuscaloosa since before the 1880s. Many of our historical documents have been lost, but we know that the first German Jews began coming to Tuscaloosa in the 1850s. For the next hundred years, most Jews in Tuscaloosa maintained businesses such as cotton brokering, dry goods, mining, clothing, and the paper business. Families gathered for worship in various homes and rented quarters, including City Hall, for the High Holidays. In 1912, the community started fundraising and bought a lot at 2624 Broad Street (now University Boulevard) in Tuscaloosa's "Original City."
The deed to that land is dated August 24, 1912, and transfers the property to "I. Green, L. Rosenfeld, and A. Holczstein as trustees of Temple Emanu-El." By the fall of 1912 the first Temple Emanu-El building that we know of was in use, and had an active "Sabbath School" whose superintendent was UA law student Herbert U. Feibelman. (Mr. Feibelman became a prominent lawyer in Miami and was a founder of Miami's Temple Israel). We believe that the temple affiliated with UAHC (now URJ) in 1912 or 13. An early constitution and set of by-laws dates from that time. Sisterhood affiliated with NFTS (now WRJ) in 1913.
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Our congregation thrived through the coming decades; by 1958 the original temple building was too small and the congregation purchased a former Methodist church on 10th Street (now Bryant Drive). At that point too, a small conservative congregation agreed to merge with Emanu-El.
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Confirmation at 10th Street Temple
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By 1969, the 10th Street building had also become too small. On April 16, 1969, trustees Harry Cohen, Gordon Rosen, Bernard Ward, Roy Block, Morris (Munny) Sokol, Sam Pizitz, Dave Rosenfeld, Stan Bloom, and Jake Temerson formally incorporated Emanu-El for the first time in a move to purchase a large lot on the southeast end of Tuscaloosa. By 1971, a new building on Skyland Boulevard was dedicated. It remained the Temple's home until January 2007, when we sold it to the Alabama School for the Deaf and Blind.
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Skyland Boulevard
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In 2007, Emanu-El was invited by President Witt of the University of Alabama to locate on campus in the "God Quad" as the 'adult' half of a campus Jewish center. In 2010, Temple Emanu-El dedicated its brand new synagogue building, located on a lot shared with the Jewish student building, Bloom Hillel.
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University of Alabama Campus, 809 4th Avenue
OUR HISTORY AS TOLD BY OUR CONGREGATION
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On October 15, 2013, the Temple Emanu-El of Tuscaloosa Sisterhood sponsored an event so the members could learn more about the temple and the community’s history. Attorney Gordon Rosen Z", who was a member for many decades, reminisced about the early times in Tuscaloosa.
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Click the image above to watch the video.
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Our Leadership
Rabbi: Rabbi Steven L. Jacobs
President: Joanna Jacobs
1st Vice President: Pam DeWitt
Second Vice President: Greg Goldstein
Treasurer: Ken DeWitt
Finance: Ken DeWitt
Recording Secretary: Tracy Kellner
Immediate Past President: Jimmy Bank
Website/Communications: Cas Lisko
Building Committee: Greg Goldstein
Ritual Committee: Allen Rosen, Joanna Jacobs, Anna Singer, Murray Silverstone, Jesse Wheeler
Mitzvah Committee: Torin Alter
Membership Committee: Dan Novak
Adult Education: Amy Rogers
Social Committee: Jeanette Waterman, Leslie Heins
Religious School Representative: Murray Silverstone
Sisterhood Representative: Qiaoli Liang
Men's Club Representative: Kevin Besnoy
Legal Committee: Joel Sogol, Yuri Linetsky
Office Assistant: Cas Lisko
President: Joanna Jacobs
1st Vice President: Pam DeWitt
Second Vice President: Greg Goldstein
Treasurer: Ken DeWitt
Finance: Ken DeWitt
Recording Secretary: Tracy Kellner
Immediate Past President: Jimmy Bank
Website/Communications: Cas Lisko
Building Committee: Greg Goldstein
Ritual Committee: Allen Rosen, Joanna Jacobs, Anna Singer, Murray Silverstone, Jesse Wheeler
Mitzvah Committee: Torin Alter
Membership Committee: Dan Novak
Adult Education: Amy Rogers
Social Committee: Jeanette Waterman, Leslie Heins
Religious School Representative: Murray Silverstone
Sisterhood Representative: Qiaoli Liang
Men's Club Representative: Kevin Besnoy
Legal Committee: Joel Sogol, Yuri Linetsky
Office Assistant: Cas Lisko
- For questions or issues relating to daily operations, including programming, activities, and committee ideas, please contact Pam DeWitt.
- For questions or requests pertaining to use of the building and facilities, please contact Greg Goldstein.
- For questions or concerns relating to the long-term goals and health of Temple Emanu-El, please contact Joanna Jacobs.
Our Rabbi
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Rabbi Steven L. Jacobs, the Rabbi of Temple Emanu-El, is also the holder of the Aaron Aronov Endowed Chair in Judaic Studies at the University of Alabama. We are extremely fortunate to have a scholar-rabbi who enjoys both the ritual and the teaching sides of the rabbinate, and who pays close attention to the spiritual and other needs of the children and adults of our congregation. Our board and officers feel most fortunate to have him lead our Temple.
Rabbi Jacobs joined the Department of Religious Studies at the University of Alabama as Associate Professor and Aaron Aronov Chair of Judaic Studies on January 1, 2001 and received tenure as of August 2004. He received his B.A. from Penn State University; and his B.H.L., M.A.H.L., D.H.L., D.D., and rabbinic ordination from the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. A resident of Alabama for more than three decades, he has taught at Spring Hill College, Mobile; University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham-Southern College, Samford University, Birmingham; the University of Alabama in Huntsville and Calhoun Community College, Huntsville; as well as serving congregations in Birmingham, Mobile and Huntsville. |
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M E M B E R S H I P
Dear Temple Emanu-El and website visitors,
Welcome to Temple Emanu-El. My name is Daniel Novak, and I am chair of the Membership Committee. I’d be more than happy to answer any questions you have about becoming a member of our temple. To our current members, please know that I am always available should you have a question or request.
You can reach me at danovak1@ua.edu.
--Best Wishes, Dan
Welcome to Temple Emanu-El. My name is Daniel Novak, and I am chair of the Membership Committee. I’d be more than happy to answer any questions you have about becoming a member of our temple. To our current members, please know that I am always available should you have a question or request.
You can reach me at danovak1@ua.edu.
--Best Wishes, Dan
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FAMILY: $1,500
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SENIOR FAMILY: $1,320
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SINGLE: $900
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SENIOR SINGLE: $780
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ASSOCIATE STATUS: Fee is 50% of membership category
- Those who have full membership in another congregation, but would like to affiliate with Temple Emanu-El of Tuscaloosa. A letter or telephone call from one's primary congregation to the president(s) of Temple Emanu-El of Tuscaloosa is needed to verify primary membership before Associate Status can be granted here.
Important Membership Benefits
Life cycle events such as weddings, bar and bat mitzvahs, baby namings, conversions, and memorial services (among other events) may be hosted in the temple building by members and associate members in good standing (i.e., current on dues or having confidentially discussed reduced dues accommodations with the treasurer).
Honorariums are customarily paid to the rabbi for these events by the family or individual involved and are not included in membership dues or in his salary from the temple. Please contact the rabbi directly for details.
Honorariums are customarily paid to the rabbi for these events by the family or individual involved and are not included in membership dues or in his salary from the temple. Please contact the rabbi directly for details.