The Jewish Community of Atlanta

As Atlanta evolved from a sleepy, backwater, 19th-century frontier railroad town into a 21st-century international metropolis, Jewish men and women significantly contributed to the rich tapestry of the Gate City of the South. The commercial infrastructure of the expanding city was greatly enhanced through numerous small businesses established by Jewish merchants, some of which became major players in various industries. Many of Atlanta’s most recognizable icons–The Coca-Cola Company, Georgia Institute of Technology, and the Atlanta Braves–originated, in part, thanks to support from visionary leaders in the Jewish community. While there are many success stories throughout Atlanta’s Jewish history, there are also dark episodes of blatant antisemitism that traumatized the community and had national implications. The lynching of Leo M. Frank; the bombing of the city’s historic synagogue, the Hebrew Benevolent Congregation; and the deliberate expulsion of Jewish students from Emory University Dental School marred Atlanta’s self-proclaimed reputation as The City Too Busy to Hate.