The Arbiter Ring & Whiting, Indiana: An Interview With Lou Kaplan

In this episode of "In Jewish History," Emily Reuben discusses her documentary project Troubled Waters: The Integration of the Riviera Club. This project covers the Bates v. Riviera Club Inc. court case, in which Emily's father was an attorney who fought for African-Americans and Jews to gain admittance into a club that discriminated against racial and ethnic minorities in Indianapolis. You can visit Emily's website about her project here: https://troubledwatersdoc.com/

In this episode of "In Jewish History", Mark Lavie reflects on his career as a journalist and his life in Israel. Lavie discusses Israeli politics and culture, meeting various Israeli politicians, and his experience moving from Fort Wayne, Indiana to Israel as a young man.

In this episode of "In Jewish History", Lou Kaplan talks about the Jewish community in Whiting, Indiana, his family's life in Whiting after they came to the United States from Russia, his childhood, the Arbiter Ring (Workmen's Circle), and the future of Jewish Whiting today.

In this episode of "In Jewish History", Dr. Wendy Soltz, an Assistant Professor of History and the Director of the Public History Program at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana, discusses the creation of the Indiana Synagogue Mapping Project, an interactive map featuring information about and images of Indiana synagogues from 1865 to 2015. Dr. Soltz talks about the research that went into the project, what surprised her about her research, and why the project is vital to understanding Jewish history in Indiana. You can explore the Indiana Synagogue Mapping Project by clicking on this link: https://synagogues.wendysoltz.com/#

In this episode of "In Jewish History", Benjamin Franz discusses Jewish Sephardic culture in Indiana, his family's role in the Jewish and kosher cuisine of the area, Hebrew National, and the people and events of Etz Chaim Sephardic Congregation of Indianapolis.

In this episode, Daniel Schulman discusses his book, The Money Kings: The Epic Story of Jewish Immigrants Who Transformed Wall Street and Shaped Modern America. Focusing on the financial dynasties of Joseph Seligman, Solomon Loeb, and Marcus Goldman, Schulman talks about the journey of Kuhn & Loeb from Jewish immigrant peddler to shopkeeper to establishing the largest and most well-known investment banks in the world, which have roots in Lafayette, Indiana.

In this podcast episode, Dr. Shari Rabin, a scholar of modern Judaism and American religions and an Assistant Professor of Jewish Studies and Religion at Oberlin College in Ohio discusses Jewish culture and gender roles in Judaism during westward expansion in the United States, which in turn, also expanded American Jewish life in Indiana.

In this episode, Dr. Alanna Cooper, a cultural anthropologist and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Religious Studies at Case Western University in Ohio, discusses her research on Bukharan Jews, Jewish life in Evansville, Indiana, and her interactive mapping project on Jewish Evansville, titled, "Moving Bits and Pieces", which can be viewed here: https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/3824664045eb443785ca656a4e7c3f45

In this episode, Sean Lutes talks about his valiant and undaunted efforts to preserve Jewish buildings in the city of Lafayette, Indiana. Tune in to learn about the problems facing historic buildings in Lafayette today, why Sean is passionate about his work, and what can be done in the future to preserve Jewish Lafayette.

In this episode, Brian Shapiro, the owner of Shapiro's Deli in Indianapolis, recounts tales of his family's journey from Czarist Russia to Indiana, their dedication to providing delicious food for the Indianapolis community and beyond, and their relentless endeavors to keep Jewish traditions alive through food. Shapiros Deli is the last remnant of the once flourishing Jewish Immigrant Enclave on the South Side of Indianapolis and symbolizes a past era of Jewish Culinary Traditions.