By Symi Rom-Rymer During a mini-vacation to New Orleans this past weekend, I unexpectedly stumbled across a little piece of matzo in my jambalaya. It’s easy to forget with so many Jews living on both coasts that Jews have strong communities in the South as well dating back to the 1700s.  While the early immigrants to the region were traders and furriers, the majority—who came as part of the last big wave of Jews from Eastern Europe in the late 19th-early 20th century—made their mark in dry goods, opening  so-called “Jew Stores” around the South.  (For an excellent personal account of Jewish life in the South during this period, read Jew Store by Stella Suberman) While their Jewishness set them apart and restricted them from certain aspects of Southern life, it also helped them to successfully maneuver...

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