It was in 2007 that Paul Kennedy, the newly-hired president of the Walker (County) Area Community Foundation, first set foot into then empty Temple Emanu-El in Jasper. The doors to the Temple had closed in 2005 when the Jewish population had so dwindled that the members decided to disband and sell their synagogue.

Paul knew then that he wanted to "gather some collection of the impact and leadership of the Jewish families in my small rural town."

As Paul told Birmingham Jewish Federation Director of Community Relations Joyce Spielberger, "Growing up in the North it was not unusual, but in the Deep South I found the stories and camaraderie of the Jew and Gentile to be a compelling story."

"In my new hometown of Jasper, the two groups seemed to not just coexist, but to thrive and depend on each other," he continued. "As in so many small Southern towns, the close-knit eastern European immigrant families raised several generations in one area, always improving their lot and helping to build a more vibrant society."

Paul succeeded and "The Jewish Families of Walker County" is now on exhibit at the Bankhead House and Heritage Center in Jasper. According to Paul it took seven months to "to capture some sense of who these friends and neighbors were and to get as many stories, pictures, and artifacts together while still possible."

Located in Walker County, 40 miles northwest of Birmingham, Jasper is home today to approximately 14,000 residents. It was Jasper's coal boom that first brought Jews to the area at the turn of the 20th century.

Arriving as peddlers, many traveled between the small mining towns of Walker County, selling their wares from packs on their backs. Eventually, there were those who saved enough money to open their own general dry goods stores in the county's largest town, Jasper. At its peak in 1937, the Jewish population of Jasper numbered 140 and some still reside there. The Jewish families of Jasper built and sustained a vibrant and active Jewish community and enriched the broader community in many lasting ways.

REMEMBRANCE & APPRECIATION

The exhibit, which opened Nov. 7, chronicles the lives of these families through photos, religious symbols and artifacts, including a reproduction of a dining room table set for a Passover Seder. The exhibit, according to Paul, is "a remembrance, understanding and appreciation for the contributions of this group to our community."

Some of the families chronicled in the exhibit are the Engels, Mays, Mitnicks and Newmarks; names that became synonymous with business success and community service in Walker County.

J. George Mitnick, a longtime Jasper resident and father of Birmingham volunteer community leader Ronne Hess, was one of the people instrumental in founding the Walker County Foundation. Several of the descendents of these Walker County families live in Birmingham and, like their Jasper parents and grandparents, have assumed community leadership roles.

The exhibit is open to the public Monday to Friday, 10 am-4 pm, and Saturday, 10 am-2 pm. On Sunday, Nov. 27, the exhibit will be open from 1-3 pm. This special showing was added by Bankhead House to help accommodate members of the Jewish community given that the Jewish Sabbath is observed on Saturday.

Admission to the exhibit is free. Appointments are requested for large groups. The entire exhibit will be on display until Dec. 2 and portions will continue to be displayed through the month of December. The Bankhead House & Heritage Center is located at 800 7th Street West, Jasper. For more information, contact the Bankhead House at 205-302-0001.

Photo, from the exhibit, is a list of names of Jewish families of Jasper and Walker County. Some of the information for the above story came from The Goldring/Woldenberg Institute of Southern Jewish Life.

The Birmingham Jewish Federation and The Birmingham Jewish Foundation are proud to help support our local chapters of the B'nai B'rith Youth Organization (BBYO).

BBYO is an international organization that provides Jewish teens with the opportunities to engage in meaningful Jewish experiences. Birmingham is home to two BBYO chapters, Magic City BBG (girls) and Mesch AZA (boys).

Mesch AZA will be hosting its 3rd annual "Jam 4 Sam" concert Sunday, Nov. 20, at Max's Deli beginning at 1 pm. The cost to attend the concert is $10 and all proceeds will benefit UAB Childhood Cancer Research in memory of fellow Mesch AZA member Sam Lapidus who lost his battle to cancer in 2008.

Each year Mesch plans this event to coincide with Sam's birthday. Sam would have been 18 on November 14.

The cost to attend the concert is $10. Max's Deli will also donate 20% of Sunday's sales to UAB Childhood Cancer Research. Mesch members encourage everyone to attend for a great afternoon of music for a great cause. (Please bring chairs since the concert will be held outside in Max's parking lot.) For more information contact AZA Advisor Scott Bloomston at sbloomston@bayerproperties.com or 876-5782. Max's Deli is located at 3431 Colonnade Parkway.

Photo is of Mesch AZA member Yitzi Peetluk on the drums at last year's Jam for Sam.