Season 2, Episode 6
On October 12, 1958, in the midst of the civil rights movement, a bomb was detonated at The Temple – a synagogue in Atlanta, GA. In our sixth episode of the season, presented in collaboration with The Temple, we explore The Temple Bombing, a play written by Jimmy Maize about the events surrounding that bombing. The play premiered at the Alliance Theatre in 2017 and was inspired by the book of the same name by Melissa Fay Greene.
Featuring readings from the play alongside interviews with Maize as well as Dr. Catherine M. Lewis, Assistant Vice President, Museums, Archives & Rare Books and Professor of History at Kennesaw State University, and Janice Rothschild Blumberg, author, historian, and widow of Rabbi Jacob Rothschild (the leader of the congregation at the time of the bombing), this episode covers the history of Jews in Atlanta and the ways in which the bombing overlapped with issues of belonging, assimilation, and civil rights.
This episode is made possible in part by a grant from the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs.
Read the transcription for "The Temple Bombing."
THE TEAM
Hosted by Aaron Henne
Scholarship provided by Janice Rothschild Blumberg, Catherine M. Lewis, PhD, and Jimmy Maize
Edited by Mark McClain Wilson
Story editing by Clay Steakley with Aaron Henne and Julie A. Lockhart
Featuring the voices of Cassandra Blair, Rachel Leah Cohen, Joshua Wolf Coleman, Joe Jordan, Julie A. Lockhart, Clay Steakley, Rena Strober, Jon Weinberg, and Mark McClain Wilson
Theme music composed by Michael Skloff and produced by Sam K.S.
Transcription by Dylan Southard
"The Temple Bombing" Learning Resources
Learn more about:
History of The Temple
Referenced in the episode:
The Temple Bombing by Jimmy Maize
The Temple Bombing by Melissa Fay Greene
Atlanta Mayor William B. Hartsfield
Exercises For Educators:
"The Temple Bombing" for Youth Learners (PDF)
"The Temple Bombing" for Adult and Teen Learners (PDF)
Watch with captions on YouTube:
ABOUT OUR EPISODE PARTNER
The Temple, a Reform Jewish congregation, is located in midtown Atlanta and is one of American Judaism’s most historic religious institutions. Founded in 1867, it is the city’s oldest and most diverse synagogue. For over 150 years, The Temple has built a tradition of social justice work and a commitment to broadening people’s access to a full Jewish life.