Jacob Rothschild was a Jewish rabbi who served for most of his life until his death in 1973. Rothschild played a vital role in Atlanta's oldest and most prominent Jewish synagogue, also known as "the Temple." Rothschild not only served as a Jewish rabbi, but his passion and charismatic personality made him an activist for civil rights and equality.
Rothschild was extremely disturbed and disgusted by the depth of racial injustice he witnessed upon his arrival to Atlanta. His mission was to revolve the inequality and bridge the gap between blacks and whites in Atlanta and the rest of the nation. Prejudice was still a very real threat in the 1940s, but Rabbi Rothschild felt passionately that the moral compass of Judaism demanded an active response to the injustice of the times. He spent a great deal of time reaching out to members of the local Christian clergy and became active in civic affairs, joining the Atlanta Council on Human Relations, the Georgia Council of Human Relations, the Southern Regional Council, the Urban League, and the National Conference of Christians and Jews. Likewise, Rothschild spent ample time fighting for civl rights, which although highly praised by some, also resulted in backlash by others.
During the time of his activism, the unfortunate Temple bombing marked a major turning point in the history of The Temple. October 12, 1958 remains a date that will forever live in the memory of this community. On that day, white supremacists calling themselves the “Confederate Underground” placed a bomb made of 50 sticks of dynamite near the the Temple’s north entrance. The bombing was in retaliation to Rothschild's outspoken activism, where he criticized segregation and supported racial equality. Leaders from all over life came together to support The Temple (the-temple.org). While nobody was ever convicted of the bombing, the event and the response of those in the community strengthened the supporters of non-violence and racial justice. Rabbi Rothschild’s activism actually increased after the bombing.
While Rothschild's activism "won admiration from some quarters of the city, it earned contempt from others" (Hatfield, 2007). On October 12, 1958, when 50 sticks of dynamite exploded at The Temple, many civilians concluded that the rabbi's outspoken support of civil rights had made the synagogue an easy target for extremist violence. Instead of withdrawing from public life, Rothschild used this experience to step up his activism after the bombing. He spoke regularly in support of civil rights at public events throughout the city and held leadership positions in organizations focusing on equality and civil rights activism. During this period, Rothschild became very friendly with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Rothschild was responsible for organizing a city wide banquet after Dr. King was awarded with the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964 (Hatfield, 2007).
Rabbi Rothschild's spirit of social justice and activism never left The Temple. Rothschild's legacy continues on and he remains an outstanding citizen, one who fought to support human decency and social justice. His mission of life remains the foundation of The Temple to this day.
http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/history-archaeology/jewish-community-atlanta Hatfield, Edward A. "Jacob Rothschild (1911-1973)." New Georgia Encyclopedia. 17 May 2016. Web. 12 April 2017. http://the-temple.org/AboutUs/History/RabbiJacobRothschild.aspx