‘Hopped Off the Bus in Mobile, Alabama’

Who isn’t familiar with one of Shlock Rock’s most popular and catchy songs, “Minyan Man”? Set in the deep south town of Mobile, Alabama it tells the all too familiar, unfortunate tale of a remote Jewish community, once flourishing, now only a memory.

“I asked the man I met ‘How many Jews in this town?’ He said to me, “There used to be a minyan around. But one of us passed away and now we’re feeling down…”

Although Mobile, Alabama is the scene of this song, it has never come close to the less-than-a-minyan described in the song, though its Jewish population has certainly dwindled since its heyday.

In the meantime, Mobile closed the doors of many of its Jewish institutions, including the kosher Deli, mikvah, and even JCC. Many young Jews left for bigger communities like Atlanta, Houston, Chicago, and NYC. Some assimilated into the heavily xtian culture of the Bible belt, becoming members of local churches r’l. The affiliated Jews worked hard to keep Jewish life active, while those traveling through kept driving until they reached New Orleans to stock up on Kosher food.

“But now it seems as though another Jew has been found,

Won’t you stay with us for Shabbos, Minyan Man?”

Every Lubavitcher knows the thrill of finding a fellow Jew and inviting them to join you for a mitzvah, and this thrill is even greater for shluchim in remote areas, including Rabbi Yosef and Bina Goldwasser from Mobile, Alabama. In the local Costco and in tiny Alabama towns with nothing but a dollar general, they scoured the region for Jews, listening to their physical and spiritual needs, and bringing them together to grow the community. They built a mikvah and opened a kosher store, tended to seniors, and ran exciting children’s programming.

“There was a Minyan in the back of a hardware store…”

OK maybe not a hardware store, but almost everywhere else in Mobile and the neighboring Baldwin county have served as event spaces and shuls; from a historic mansion to an empty nursing home, an art gallery, Holiday Inn, Aircraft and Battleship Museum, scenic pier and of course the Goldwasser’s living room and the tiny rented storefront serving as Chabad House.

“Now that was many years ago, and the vision is clear…”

Nine years, to be exact. Tomorrow, chof menachem av, will mark nine years of Chabad of Mobile. It will also be the day that Chabad of Mobile finally gets the keys to its brand new, beautiful, spacious Chabad House beH!!

“And I think about it every now and then cuz the place is still still dear…I remember the men who prayed there.”

Nine years of growth didn’t happen in a vacuum. The abundant brachos of Hashem need a Kelli through which to flow and we are constantly grateful for every single person who held Mobile dear and contributed financially as we started our shlichus and throughout the years that followed.

“How Shabbos was carried on a song…”

Please help us continue to carry Shabbos, Yom Tov, tefillin, kashrus, chinuch, Talmud Torah, and the light of Chassidus on the beautiful notes of Ahavas yisroel, true ahavas chinom for Jews you may have never met but deserve the ability to practice and celebrate their Judaism even in the deep south. *Please give what you can to help us cover the purchase, renovation, and furnishing of Chabad of Mobile, Alabama.*

And we welcome you to stop by to see it for yourself next time you hop off the bus (or step out of your car) in Mobile, Alabama. Even better, “Won’t you stay with us for Shabbos, Minyan Man?”

Please give what you can at this link and share the link with friends. Together we can grow Jewish life in Southern Alabama!

May this building be the final piece needed to complete the 3rd BHMK!