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The Holocaust Torah that survived a Mississippi synagogue fire was brought there by the state’s only survivor

JL;DR SUMMARY The Torah from Beth Israel Congregation in Jackson, Mississippi, showcases remarkable survival stories both past and present. A way out west there was a fella, fella I want to tell you about, fella by the name of Jeff Lebowski. At least, that was the handle his lovin' parents gave him, but he never had much use for it himself. This Lebowski, he called himself the Dude. Now, Dude, that's a name no one would self-apply where I come from. But then, there was a lot about the Dude that didn't make a whole lot of sense to me. And a lot about where he lived, likewise. But then again, maybe that's why I found the place s'durned innarestin'.

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Tags

Jewish HistoryAuschwitzHolocaustResilienceBeth Israel CongregationJacksonMississippiGilbert Metz

Places mentioned

Jackson, Mississippi, United States
"Auschwitz survivor Gilbert Metz stands in front of the ark at Beth Israel Congregation in Jackson, Mississippi."
Grand-Est, France
"Gilbert Metz was born in 1929 in Alsace-Lorraine, France."
Natchez, Mississippi, United States
"He finished high school in Natchez, attended Tulane University, and served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War at one point having to reapply for citizenship after being deployed overseas."
New Orleans, Louisiana, United States
"He finished high school in Natchez, attended Tulane University, and served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War at one point having to reapply for citizenship after being deployed overseas."
London, United Kingdom
"Metz and his son, Lawson, traveled to London to bring the Torah back to Jackson."
Mobile, Alabama, United States
"Joseph Metz now the president of the Jewish federation in Mobile, Alabama has written a book about his grandfathers survival, Behind the Silent Doors a phrase Gilbert used to describe the gas chambers."

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Retrieved 2026-01-15 05:30:46 UTC
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