"The Bomb That Healed"
October 12, 1958. Fifty sticks of dynamite went off at the The Temple in Atlanta, GA. Luckily no people were hurt but the building suffered major damages. Not only was this event a shock to the United States, it was a shock to the Jewish community of Atlanta. During the era of Dr. Marx, gentile Jewish "Southerners" had convinced themselves that they had assimilated into White Southern society by minimizing cultural divide between themselves and their Christian counterparts. The Temple had roughly 1,000 families in membership at the time of bombing, many of which were prominent members of society. Atlanta as a whole had been coined "the city too busy to hate" and had appeared to be center for liberalism in the Southern United States, but the bombing changed that appearance. Government officials and community members could not longer pretend that a racial and culture divide wasn't present in Atlanta like it was for other cities in the South.
Many members of the synagogue and the larger community believed that Rabbi Rothschild had provoked traditional, racist Southern whites with his outward demonstrations against prejudice and for civil rights, which had won him renowned around Atlanta and the greater South. Many of places of worship around the South were being attacked because of the racial tensions during this time. Jews were afraid of backlash and alienation within the community, reminded of the Leo Frank case which shattered the Jewish community years earlier. However, the Atlanta community and beyond rallied behind The Temple and used the bombing as a platform to dismiss racially and religiously charged violence, especially in the South. Mayor Hartsfield arrived at The Temple shortly after news of the bomb spread and denounced both the assailants and those throughout the South that spoke hatefully and encouraged violent behavior. President Eisenhower also spoke out about the bombing and promised to support the FBI in bringing the offenders to justice. Donations poured in from across the country from other religious and community groups to support The Temple and offer a reward for information about the perpetuators.
In an intense investigation, multiple men were arrested, all of whom belonged to anti-Semitic and other hate groups. George Bright, who had previously threatened Rabbi Rothschild, was put on trial. Unfortunately, the first trial ended in a mistrial and the second in an acquittal, with the other perpetrators never brought to justice. Although obviously angered about the outcome, Rabbi Rothschild urged his congregation to see the positive side of the entire event. The Jewish community had been reaffirmed and openly supported by multiple sectors by the people of Atlanta and across the country. Atlanta came together to help The Temple rebuild and this strengthened the overall community immensely.
Many members of the synagogue and the larger community believed that Rabbi Rothschild had provoked traditional, racist Southern whites with his outward demonstrations against prejudice and for civil rights, which had won him renowned around Atlanta and the greater South. Many of places of worship around the South were being attacked because of the racial tensions during this time. Jews were afraid of backlash and alienation within the community, reminded of the Leo Frank case which shattered the Jewish community years earlier. However, the Atlanta community and beyond rallied behind The Temple and used the bombing as a platform to dismiss racially and religiously charged violence, especially in the South. Mayor Hartsfield arrived at The Temple shortly after news of the bomb spread and denounced both the assailants and those throughout the South that spoke hatefully and encouraged violent behavior. President Eisenhower also spoke out about the bombing and promised to support the FBI in bringing the offenders to justice. Donations poured in from across the country from other religious and community groups to support The Temple and offer a reward for information about the perpetuators.
In an intense investigation, multiple men were arrested, all of whom belonged to anti-Semitic and other hate groups. George Bright, who had previously threatened Rabbi Rothschild, was put on trial. Unfortunately, the first trial ended in a mistrial and the second in an acquittal, with the other perpetrators never brought to justice. Although obviously angered about the outcome, Rabbi Rothschild urged his congregation to see the positive side of the entire event. The Jewish community had been reaffirmed and openly supported by multiple sectors by the people of Atlanta and across the country. Atlanta came together to help The Temple rebuild and this strengthened the overall community immensely.
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