In 1870, the year of incorporation of Greenville, Mississippi as a town of 890 population, there already 25 to 30 Jewish families here. This group organized a congregation and secured the services of Rabbi Charles Rawitzer of Memphis, Tennessee. In 1873, he confirmed five pupils and served the group until 1879. On December 13, 1880 the group was granted a charter incorpoating the congregation as Hebrew Union. In 1881, the first temple was built and Rabbi Joseph Bogen became the first Rabbi at H.U.C. Rabbi Bogen served until 1902, and was succeeded by Rabbi Abram Brill, and through his efforts that funds were raised for the building of a new temple, our present one , which was completed at a cost of $30,000, and dedicated in October, 1906. Since Rabbi Brill, there have been 14 Rabbis that have served the congregation , the longest tenure being Samuel A. Rabinowitz for 27 years. In 1962 H.U.C. was the largest Jewish congregation in the state of Mississippi with almost 200 families. Today the Temple is home to about 60 Jewish families in the area and is serviced by Rabbi Judith Bluestein from Cincinnati, Ohio on a bi-weekly basis.
Biography: Judith Bluestein grew up in Cincinnati. She majored in Classical Studies as an undergraduate and taught Latin for many years. Her interests focus upon the Ancient Mediterranean World. She has an M.A. in Religion (New Testament and Christian Origins) and an M.A. in Latin, both from Case Western Reserve University. At Xavier University she earned an M.Ed. She studied at Hebrew Union College in Cincinnati where she earned an M.A.H.L., was ordained a rabbi, and completed a M.Phil. in Hebraic and Cognate Studies.
The "Century of History" Museum is a history museum. Though not a history museum in the traditional sense. It takes as its point of departure a historical narrative. It is perhaps most accurately called a narrative, because its display is organized along a story line.
The story is told in the Museum describes the roles of actors who were involved in the creating and organizing of a band of Jewish immigrants, that settled in a small southern town, into a viable and creative force in the forging and development of their congregation and community.
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