The University of Mississippi Hillel partners with the Jewish Federation of Oxford to serve as the main bridge between the Oxford Jewish community and student body at Ole Miss. Maddy Friedman is the current President of the student-run Hillel, and she explains that she wishes the University would help students become more educated and lead an open discussion on religious diversity.

“Ole Miss has less than 1% of its student population who identifies as Jewish,” said Friedman. “That is less than the national average,” she adds.

Francesca Kirdy, a Hillel member, says that if there were to be a Hillel building or section of campus, people would be more actively involved because there is something tangible for us to see.

“Not having a temple in or near Oxford is one of the hardest things we have to deal with. For High Holy days, we have had to fly in Rabbinical School students to perform our services. However, in the past I have had to travel to Memphis, Tupelo, or Jackson to practice,” says Friedman.

Having a small Jewish community is not a foreign concept in Mississippi. According to Forward, a Jewish-based online blog, Mississippi has experienced a decline in its Jewish population from 5,000 people in 1900 to roughly 1,550 in 2012. As a result, Jews make up less than 0.1% of the entire state’s population.

One of the ongoing problems Jews in Oxford experience is lack of cultural and religious education programing offered in the area. Because of the shortage of Jewish opportunities here, a group of Oxford residents founded the Jewish Federation of Oxford in 2016.

Since the creation of The Jewish Federation of Oxford, the organization has provided a community for Jewish residents to feel included in religious based events. According to the Federation’s website, they are the primary source of funding for the University Hillel and it’s programs. The two organizations work closely together to ensure that students and Oxford residents are able to practice Judaism year-round.

Richard Gershon, a professor at the University of Mississippi Law School, serves as the spokesperson for the Jewish Federation of Oxford.

“Part of the reason we wanted to create the Jewish Federation of Oxford was to create more of a presence on our community,” says Gershon.

He says he hopes that members of the Federation can serve as ambassadors for Judaism.

“There are a lot of people who have just never met somebody who is Jewish, so we are just trying to show them who we are by giving a bit of cultural perspective,” he stated.

Mississippi has deep Jewish roots that have faded out over the years. Gershon said that once upon a time there was a large Jewish presence in Mississippi, especially in the Delta area. Gershon said that there used to be a temple in Clarksdale and even a Jewish fraternity at the University of Mississippi.

Paris-Yates chapel, the on campus, non-denominational church is named after Henry Paris, who was known to be one of the most religiously influential people at Ole Miss. Paris was a member of a Jewish fraternity, Phi Epsilon Pi, at the University. According to a report in 2014, the organization only had 14 members but remained strong on campus until its shutdown in 1956.

The chapel features a beautiful Star of David stained glass window at its entrance to honor the Paris family and their impact on the Jewish community in Oxford.

For the most part, the Oxford-Lafayette area and University has remained receptive to Jewish people in their community. However, 2016 saw a rise in antisemitism when a swastika was discovered drawn on an elevator in a campus dormitory.

“The Federation sent a letter to the University and Ole Miss alumni Senator Chris McDaniel urging them to make a statement, because someone of importance needs to say that’s unacceptable,” said Gershon. “It is a matter of pointing it out and fixing these issues,” he adds.

In fact, Wendy Goldberg, a University professor and one of the Hillel advisors reported that after the tragic shooting in the Pittsburgh synagogue in 2018, the University Hillel has a security team at every service.

“There is almost a fear of becoming too visible. The idea that anything can be a target is a reason why we added security to our events,” Goldberg stated.

As of right now, the University does not offer any Jewish based classes or educational opportunities. However, both the University of Mississippi Hillel and the Jewish Federation of Oxford are hopeful that the Jewish population will have a growing presence in the community in the future.