The end of a Deep South way of life

BBC News ^ | 29th December 2013 | Jonny Dymond

[the scotsman]

'The thriving cotton industry brought Jewish merchants to the southern states of the US in the 19th Century. Their synagogues once attracted hundreds of worshippers but now, many Deep South Jewish communities are preparing to shut up shop.'

[rktman]

Um, I could be wrong, but, isn’t using the word “cotton” and “south” in the same line of thought considered racist now? Sure wouldn’t want to offend anybody. Hehehehehe.

[Tax-chick]

Good story, excellent pictures.

[Mike Darancette]

Why does it require a foreign publication to do such a respectful and touching article on a disappearing part of America?

[sakic]

There are stories like this and of this quality in the New York Times, regularly.

I understand that most here won’t read that paper because of the politics, but they are the only publication that I am aware of in America, that still does these types of stories.

If you are willing to look past their politics, which I am, you can still read interesting and in-depth articles there.

Rupert Murdoch, on the other hand, destroys every newspaper he touches, relegating them to stories about nothing of importance, such as which Kardashian has done which nonsensical thing on any given day.

The Wall Street Journal also remains a home for interesting news stories.

[Black Agnes]

Ping.

[T-Bird45]

Probably for the same reason the foreign press is the most reliable source for info on various US government scandals and scams.

[RedStateRocker]

Very interesting. Thank you.

[FAA]

I was all over Mississippi, Alabama, and, Georgia for years and don’t recall seeing any cotton being grown more than a couple or three times. Could be I just wasn’t in the right places but I didn’t see near as much as I expected to see. There use to be a LOT of cotton grown in West Texas but these days so much of that farm land is dormant as well.

[Tupelo]

Not only a good story but it hits home. As a child my bestest friend's father was employed at Goldberg Shoe Store in Greenwood, MS. I think he was a member of the family. They lived three doors down and for several years we were inseparable. Damn I miss those days.

[Chode]

now that's funny...

[Piranha]

You may want to tout the New York Times and slam Rupert Murdoch but you got a major fact wrong in your attack. Murdoch owns the Wall Street Journal, which you praise in your last sentence.

[RegulatorCountry]

This is real, unvarnished history. I've always been amazed at how thoroughly the stereotype of Jew-hating southerner has stuck when it's so far removed from reality. I never heard an anti-semitic statement out of a soul until I went to college, and even then it was from New Yorkers and Floridians. Some of the oldest synagogues in the country are in the south. Every older city has a native Jewish community, even towns have or had synagogues. That's fading as the small-town south fades due solely to trade policy. The cotton merchants, the textile manufacturing, it's been decimated, and along with it the main street apparel stores, jewelry stores and the like that were often owned and operated by Jewish families of long standing. Judah Benjamin was Secretary Of State for the Confederacy, for crying out loud. People are so ignorant regarding history, they'll believe anything and make pariahs of anyone they're told.

[rockrr]

Well the local Urnalists are pretty busy right now - protecting the ØbaMessiah is a full time job.

/s

[KC_Lion]

That is the best Mug Ever!

But Shouldn't it Say "Yuns"?

Y'all is more Texan.

[GOPJ]

It’s too bad the New York Times can’t be trusted... because you’re right - they still have the manpower to put out interesting stuff. But that’s past for me now - I subscribed until they let Okrent go - then a gave ‘em up. It was just too much.

[RegulatorCountry]

You’ll run into you’uns and we’uns in the Blue Ridge but outside of that region, y’all is pretty universally southern.

[Yaelle]

Wow, sad.

There seems to be a thriving Jewish community in some southern cities, at least, like charleston.

[Nifster]

What the writer is lamenting is the loss of small town America not a particular region (though that’s all he can see). People get tired of the ‘big city’ way of life and eventually move back to small town America. This is not unique to Jewish communities. It is true for all communities.

The point he makes about the loss of small towns is touching

[MD Expat in PA]

I grew up in Baltimore, Maryland and I say “ y’all”. But it’s usually followed by a “hon”.