United States, Georgia, Richmond County, Augusta, 33.47097, -81.974841981-01-19Digital transfer of a VHS videorecording that includes fragments of two oral history interviews. The first interview was conducted (by an unidentified interviewer) with Rabbi Sylvan D. Schwartzman, who served at the Children of Israel synagogue in Augusta, Georgia, from 1941-1947 before moving to Cincinnati, Ohio to teach at Hebrew Union College. Rabbi Schwartzman makes key points about how he served the community of Jewish people living in Augusta as the Children of Israel's rabbi and served visiting service members from Camp Gordon as a civilian chaplain. Schwartzman describes the congregation as small, demoralized, and unhappy upon arrival. So he took it upon himself to build the congregation's morale, bring in new leaders, and activate older members. He recalls precisely when the United States joined the war and that it was just after he arrived in Augusta. He describes playing touch football on December 7, 1941, which turned out to be Pearl Harbor Day. He thought it was excellent that Jewish people in Augusta went "above and beyond" to help the war effort and make Jewish-American soldiers at Camp Gordon feel welcome. He cites numerous organizations such as the Red Cross, the USO, and the Jewish Welfare Board as some organizations where members of the Augusta Jewish community volunteered. The Children of Israel congregation held its centennial celebration in the old Telfair Street temple built by Rabbi Isaac Mayer Wise. Rabbi Schwartzman was glad that the head of the Union of American Hebrew Congregations, Dr. Maurice Eisendrath, came to the celebration.On the other hand, Schwartzman laments that because of English and American immigration policies, they could not simultaneously save Jews living in Europe during the Holocaust. In this tragedy, he says, the Holocaust galvanized American Jews. It made him realize that American Jews were "the final resource for the Jews of the world" who took on responsibilities they never had before World War II. He also notes that "Israel is a tremendous center" but that it would not last long without the support of American Jews. Rabbi Schwartzman believes that the biggest problem with modern Judaism is American acculturation (citing alcoholism, divorce rates, and mixed marriages). Because American Jews are living through the trauma of the Holocaust, they haven't been able to accept their full responsibility for American Jewish continuity. He asserts that American Jews can't use Israel as a model for how to live as Jews. Instead, they need to figure out their own patterns of Jewish life. In the end, he says, there is a balance between being successful in America and living a full Jewish life. He is proud of having started the work to establish the new Children of Israel temple on Walton Way. He credits many people in the Children of Israel congregation, whom he names, who worked hard or donated generously to make it happen. He is also proud of his part in starting the Augusta Community Forum. In this place, everyone in Augusta, not just the Jewish community, could discuss secular and religious issues before television. Rabbi Schwartzman's interview ends at the 17:38 mark. At the 17:40 mark, the interviewee changes from Rabbi Schwartzman to Abe Friedman, a donor to and a longtime board member of the Children of Israel congregation. Friedman talks about how happy he was to be a part of the Children of Israel congregation's 100th anniversary in 1945 and how he helped build the new temple on Walton Way in Augusta. He talks about how he moved to Augusta for the first time in 1929 when the Children of Israel temple was on Telfair Street. He says that a decision was made over the years to move the temple away from Telfair Street and closer to where Augusta's Jewish residents lived in town. He remembers keeping a close eye on properties as they became available and says that the current location of the temple on Walton Way was chosen because of its capacity for expansion. The interviewer asks Friedman how things have fared thirty-six years after the temple's centennial in 1945. He says that he appreciates the congregation's growth and feels optimistic about the future.video/mp4enghttp://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC-EDU/1.0/Augusta (Ga.)--HistoryRabbisReform JudaismJews--Georgia--AugustaPearl Harbor (Hawaii), Attack on, 1941 World War, 1939-1945--JewsHolocaust, Jewish (1939-1945)American literature--Jewish authorsJewish diasporaJewish educatorsJewish way of lifeJewish ethicsJewish families--Georgia--AugustaJewish capitalists and financiersInterdenominational cooperationCongregation Children of Israel (Augusta, Ga.)Jews--CharitiesJewish women philanthropists--Georgia--AugustaJewish philanthropists--Georgia--AugustaRoosevelt, Franklin D. (Franklin Delano), 1882-1945--Relations with JewsRoosevelt, Franklin D. (Franklin Delano), 1882-1945--Political and social viewsJews, European--Government policy--United States--History--20th centuryJews--Persecutions--Europe--History--20th centuryWorld War, 1939-1945--Jews--RescueEmigration and immigration--Government policyUnited States--Emigration and immigration--Government policy--20th centuryRelations with JewsJews, United States--IsraelAnniversariesJews--Cultural assimilationAcculturation--Georgia-AugustaFragments of oral history interviews with Rabbi Sylvan D. Schwartzman and Abe FriedmanMovingImage