Kenneth Hoffman­: Executive Director of the Upcoming Museum of the Southern Jewish Experience

Although Jews have been a part of the American South for hundreds of years, their stories are largely unknown. The Museum of the Southern Jewish Experience hopes to change that. Slated to open in New Orleans in the first quarter of 2021, the museum will explore the lives of Jewish Southerners from 13 states. Leading the effort is Executive Director Kenneth Hoffman. 

Jewish Journal: How did you get involved with this project?

Kenneth Hoffman: I grew up in Baton Rouge, La., and went to Jacobs camp. I went to Tulane University and in grad school my thesis was on Southern Jewish history. In the 1990s, I was working at the [National] World War II Museum. When the committee came to New Orleans, they looked me up. I consulted with them for a while and eventually they needed a director. I took a leap of faith and left my job to take on this project. I’m thrilled to be executive director. 

JJ: Where did the idea for the museum come from?

KH: It’s actually a reboot of a museum that started at a Jewish summer camp in Mississippi in the 1980s. They wanted to preserve physical artifacts from Southern Jews in small towns. Small-town Southern Jewish communities had been shrinking for decades, but by the ’80s they were really going out of business, so to speak. So, the camp director built the museum to collect and display items. It was a great idea but difficult to access for the public. 

JJ: What happened to the collection?

KH: In 2012, they shuttered the museum, put all the artifacts in storage and started to look for a new home. New Orleans was chosen and the mission was expanded to include Southern Judaism writ large, over 13 states and 250 years. And this is where we are now.

JJ: What will the exhibits be like?

KH: We’re working with a wonderful museum exhibit design firm, Gallagher & Associates. They’ve done exhibits for a ton of museums around the country and around the world. It will be a modern, interactive experience. There will be artifacts, documents, oral history and all the things you’d expect in an engaging museum experience. The same rules apply: Engage the visitor. Show them something they didn’t know before. And get them thinking about themselves and the world they live in.

JJ: Do you think the museum will have universal appeal?

KH: We’re hoping and striving to create a museum experience that lets everyone see a little bit of themselves. You can learn about yourself by exploring people who are different than you. What often happens is that you start to identify with stories because they are human stories and we’re all human beings. Being a stranger in a strange land is a very universal thing. It could be because you fled a repressive country. Or it could be a first day in a new high school where everyone is a stranger. It’s about people having to navigate a new environment and make decisions about what you’re going to hold on to and what you’re going to let go of in order to assimilate. There is no right or wrong answer. 

JJ: How does the Southern Jewish experience relate to the larger American experience?

KH: We’re a country of immigrants, except Native Americans. Even though it’s focused on Jews in the South, it’s an American story. It’s part of American history, religious history, civil war and civil rights. It’s also going to be fun. We want it to be a great experience that educates, engages and entertains. People will get a richer understanding of themselves but also what makes a community strong, and the country as a whole.

JJ: Why don’t more people know about the history of Jews in the South?

KH: It’s mostly about the numbers. The immigration story most people have is the Ellis Island model, but that’s not the whole immigration picture. Many Southern Jews came to Ellis Island and made their way south. But fewer Jews came south than stayed up north. There are fewer [Southern Jews’] individual stories as a percentage, but I’d say the impact Jews had in the South was possibly greater than that in the Northeast. 

JJ: Why is that?

KH: There were a surprising number of Jews elected mayors in small Southern towns and cities, and they had a big impact. It’s important for people to understand the contributions a group can make, and maybe even a group you hadn’t thought about. 

JJ: Aren’t there Jews living all over who are originally from the South?

KH: There is a large Southern Jewish expat community outside of the South. Some people grew up in the South and now live in Los Angeles, New York, Chicago or London — all over the world. I’m curious to know how they have been received when they tell people, “I grew up in Dothan, Alabama, and I’m Jewish.” Or maybe it’s Galveston, Texas. Do their friends say, “I had no idea there were Jews there”? Or do they have misconceptions about Jewish life in the South? I’m very excited to reach out to people everywhere who’ve had experience with Southern Judaism, as well as people who know nothing about it. 

JJ: What’s been the response to this project?

KH: There’s been a lot of enthusiasm and fundraising, and volunteer efforts have been very strong. We’ve raised money from all 13 states and beyond, including San Francisco, Los Angeles and New York, and others. This includes Southern expats and people who just have a belief that the museum can shine a light on diversity and community. They believe it’s a good mission. 

JJ: How can people share their stories?

KH: We’re still collecting stories on the website. Everyone is an expert of their own experience, and we want people to participate. People can do that by going to msje.org/share.

Allison Futterman is a writer based in North Carolina.