The Temple Bombing

By Melissa Fay Greene

Book Overview

On October 12, 1958, the Reform Jewish synagogue in Atlanta exploded when 50 sticks of dynamite detonated: a key moment in Civil Rights history. This volume looks back on this pivotal event, creating a picture of a city, a region, and indeed a country on the cusp of monumental change.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0201622068
• ISBN13: 9780201622065
• Release Date: April 1996
• Publisher: Da Capo Press
• Length: 502 Pages
• Weight: 1.97 lbs.
• Dimensions: 10.0" x 1.8" x 6.8"

Customer Reviews

Reprinting of a Story Worth Retelling

In 1954 the Supreme Court acted where Congress was afraid and began the process of integrating the races in the United States. It was clearly an idea whose time had come, as proven by the legislation that was passed in the years following the basic decision. But before that could happen there had to be a spate of violence against the decision. This book describes the bombing of the Temple in Atlanta on Sunday Morning, October 12, 1958. While a horrific incident in its own right, this has not lasted as one of the major icons of the civil rights struggle. In the hands of Mellissa Fay Green, the incident is the starting point of this book which is a report on the early days of the resistance to the struggle. Her book reads almost like it is a crime novel. It's well written, the characters are developed so that you understand them - not necessarily like them, but understand them. Recently reprinted this is a book telling a story that is worth understanding today as much as it was back then.

Another wonderful microcosm of the Civil Rights from MFG

With "The Temple Bombing," Melissa Fay Greene surpasses the accomplishment of "Praying for Sheetrock." Much like that book, "The Temple Bombing" is a microcosm of the Civil Rights Movement. It is the story of the 1958 bombing of the Temple in Atlanta, a synagogue for Reform Jews. Rabbi Rothschild led the Temple during turbulent years in the South, and was an outspoken advocate for the equal rights of Black Americans; furthermore, he believed it was the responsibility of the Jewish people to stand up for these rights. Greene holds that it is this advocacy, combined with anti-semitism, that leads to the Temple becoming a victim of the synagogue bombings that were widespread in the 1950s South. The story of the bombing itself is compelling and reads like a true crime book. It begins with the emergence of Nazi-like groups in the South, moves to the bombing and search for clues, and ends with a tense courtroom scene. I simply could not put this book down. But this is more than just the story of the Temple bombing. Greene also tells the story of the Civil Rights Movement, and how in Atlanta it was in a very real way propelled and sustained by the example of Rabbi Rothschild. Atlanta has a unique history of integration as it touted itself as "the city too busy to hate". In other words, if integration was good PR, then Atlanta was going to do it. Hence, the public outcry and huge support for Atlanta's Jewish community after the bombing, and the (relatively) peaceful integration of the Magnolia room and other Atlanta landmarks. Interspersed with this story are fascinating sidetrips. The best of these are related to Dr. King; we get to see his Nobel prize celebration, his dinner at Rabbi Rothschild's home that is hidden from the Rabbi's neighbors for fear of ridicule, and finally his funeral. This book grabs onto the reader and doesn't let go. It is compelling and important history; so much so, that one is willing to forgive Greene for making Rothschild more of a god than a man.

History in the details

There's been a lot written about the civil rights movement but the Temple Bombing is a real stand-out from the pack. Greene writes a compelling narrative, using the bombing of an Atlanta synagogue in 1958 as a touchstone for an in-depth social history. There's a good overview of Jewish life in the American south, the history of extremist groups in mid-20th century America, and how the bombing of "The Temple" effected so many people in so many ways. Couple that with a lively cast of characters that Greene brings to life through vivid prose and great personal sketches. Well worth reading and passing on to others.

a great surprise

I didnt think i would want to read an entire book about an incident that happened in atlanta years ago and was not even one of the great watershed moments of the civil rights era. but this work goes to show that even a so-called little story in the hands of a skiled writer can become a large story about america and how we live. It is a cliche found in too many reviews, but in this case it is true: Greene tells a story with the skills of a great novelist and without realizing it we are being told an awful lot of very important history and information here. This books says so much about america and particularly the relationship betweens blacks and jews that it is a truly remarkable and valuable piece of work. its the kind of book you wish you could write and would recommend to friends of all persuasions

This is an excellent book about race relations

In her tantalizing, conversational style, Melissa Faye Greene manages to bring to life one of the most painful episodes in the history of both race relations and American Judaism. Impeccably researched, Ms. Greene manages to get inside the mindset of Atlanta in the 1950's: its German Jewish community, its black community, the white power structure and the poor white society that historians largely ignore. Fortunately, Ms. Greene pays attention to the tentative steps towards civil rights taken by Atlanta's Jewish community -- and especially by its titular head, Rabbi Jacob Rothschild. For Rabbi Rothschild, and for many Reform Jewish Rabbis of his generation, social activism in the form of civil rights was modern-day equivalent of prophetic Judaism. And it was because of his activism that a group of white supremicists bombed the Temple, inflicting far more psychological and spiritual harm on the Jewish community of Atlanta than they did physical damage. All in all, Melissa Faye Greene brings her outstanding literary and research talents to bear on a formative event in the civil rights movement, an event that needed exploration and elucidation, and now an event whose definitive story has at last been put to paper.