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The original Museum facility is located in a beautiful rural setting on the 300-acre site of the Henry S. Jacobs Camp in Utica, Mississippi. It is a well-planned structure with exhibit galleries and a central sanctuary that is actively used for programs and services.
This presentation area features numerous objects from disbanded congregations across the region. The 1868 ark, preserved from the now demolished Vicksburg synagogue, serves as the sanctuary's center piece. This site offers innovative programming to hundreds of Henry S. Jacobs campers each summer as well as groups of all ages throughout the year.
The Museum has a self-guided tour and is open by appointment. Admission is $5.00 for adults, $4.00 for students and groups of fifteen or more.
Please call (601) 362-6357 during our office hours (M-F, 8:30 am-5:00 pm) to schedule a tour or for more information. We do require appointments to tour the museum. |
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Current Exhibit
Alsace to America
Jews immigrated to Mississippi from Alsace and Lorraine throughout the 19th century. This exhibit at MSJE's Utica site reflects the life and times of these pioneers, why they left France and Germany, and how they became an integral part of the historical fabric of their chosen communities in America. Jews continued to celebrate their cultural heritage while adapting Old World customs to New World experiences. Artifacts and history from both sides of the ocean express how Jews sought freedom in the American South.
MSJE has chosen to focus on Jewish emigration from Alsace and Lorraine to the Mississippi River region because of the group's rich heritage and its important contributions to the South's economic, political, and social life. MSJE's exhibit explores Jewish culture in the disputed provinces of France and Germany, why Jews left their Old World home for a new start in America, the ocean passage experience, and how the immigrants changed once they arrived and settled.
The provinces of Alsace and Lorraine are inextricably bound to the history of France and Germany. These provinces came under German control after the Franco-Prussian War, causing many Jews to flee Europe for America's shores. After World War I, Alsace-Lorraine again returned to French rule.
Video Presentation
"May the Light Shine Forever: An Introduction to the Museum of the Southern Jewish Experience."
Directions from Jackson:
- Take I-20 West to exit 40-A (West to Raymond on Highway 18)
- Stay on Highway 18 for twenty miles
- Left on Berry Road (you will see a sign for Henry S. Jacobs Camp)
- Left at stop sign onto Morrison Road
- Right into Camp/Museum entrance
- Museum is first building on left
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Utica Site 
Museum of the Southern Jewish Experience
