MSJE to Open Special Exhibition About Holocaust Survivors in the South: The New Americans Social Club offers lessons about patriotism, community
6 days ago
2 min read

New Orleans, March 16, 2026 – The Museum of the Southern Jewish Experience (MSJE) will open its newest special exhibition to the public on Friday, March 20. “Holocaust Survivors in a New Land: The New Americans Social Club of New Orleans” tells the story of Holocaust survivors who made new lives in the South, becoming citizens, opening businesses, organizing Yiddish-language entertainment and Holocaust memorial programs, and even confronting neo-Nazis. Executive Director Kenneth Hoffman says, “While the Southern Jewish experience can be found as far back as colonial times, we’re taking an opportunity to explore this more recent immigrant experience – one that resonates across religious, political, and cultural divides.”


The exhibition includes photographs of the club’s gatherings, personal artifacts and immigration documents, and reconstructed audio recordings of Yiddish poetry performed at New Americans Social Club parties. “We’re especially looking forward to welcoming school groups from across the Gulf South to see this exhibition,” says Hoffman.


“Holocaust Survivors in a New Land” builds on the work of local lawyer John Menszer, who has been documenting New Orleans-area Holocaust survivors since the 1990s through interviews, photography, and research. The exhibition includes biographical panels created by Menszer that spotlight the experiences of survivors, like Shep Zitler, Eva Galler, Joseph Sher, and Felicia Fuksman. “The survivors lived lives of substance,” says Menszer, “They pulled together and became an extended family for each other. You feel their presence in this exhibit.” Museum curator Michael Jacobs adds, “Working with John and the families of survivors is giving us the opportunity to bring these stories to thousands of MSJE visitors, locals and tourists alike.”


The exhibition will remain on view at MSJE through the rest of the year, along with a slate of public programs, including films, lectures, and discussions. The museum’s education department has designed a special field trip for 3rd-12th grade students.


This exhibition was made possible in part with support from Karen and Leopold Sher, the MJ Sindler Family Fund for Culture & Media, Harvey Stone, and Henry Rosenblat.

All image use must include the following attribution: Museum of the Southern Jewish Experience