Outside of his college years, Ronnie Leet has spent his entire life in Selma, Alabama. Today he is one of Selma’s three remaining Jews and a steward of the 125-year-old Temple Mishkan Israel. On Wednesday, December 18, at noon, Southern Jewish Voices will turn its spotlight on Ronnie. The free event will feature Margaret Norman interviewing Ronnie in front of a live audience.
RSVP for your complimentary lunch.
During Ronnie’s formative years in the 1950s and 1960s, Temple Mishkan Israel had a congregation of 125. The city has had three Jewish mayors and, at its peak, the community included between 350 and 450 families. The Jewish community was well-integrated within the Selma community. Margaret and Ronnie will delve into this past while they also look at Selma’s civil rights legacy and consider the city’s future.
The two also will discuss preconceptions Ronnie faces about what it’s like to be a Jew in Selma and the reality of his lived experience, and what it’s like to be one of three remaining Jews today. Ronnie, who as a steward regularly welcomes groups to the temple from around the country, will share how the synagogue space has been used in recent years and how he envisions it serving Jewish travelers and the community of Selma moving forward.
