Rabbi Moshe, also known as Roosevelt Solomon Jr., was born in 1952. Much of his career has been in Kokomo, Indiana. Initially, he grew up to become a Baptist minister. During his time in the pulpit, he traveled to Israel and experienced a vision that established a personal connection to Judaism. Following this revelation, he converted to Judaism under the guidance of Manhattan’s unaffiliated New Synagogue. In Kokomo, Roosevelt Solomon Jr., the son of a minister, entered the ministry at a young age. Now known as Rabbi Moshe, he founded Congregation Yeshivat Tzion around 2014 with the unique goal of converting others to Judaism in the spirit of “Jewish unity.” He describes his synagogue’s tradition as Sephardic, neo-Hasidic, post-racial, and post-ethnic and Zionist, with many members observing kosher dietary laws. Soul food has also significantly influenced the synagogue’s culinary offerings. Some of the synagogue’s melodies are influenced by Black American musical traditions, as noted in the Artscroll Orthodox Prayer Book.

In this podcast episode, we talk to Professor Timothy Quevillon, Western Kentucky University, Founder and Director of the Riverlands Jewish Archive, who describes his work and research as a partner with the Indiana Jewish Historical Society and some of the fascinating history he has discovered over the past year.

Margarita Rayzberg was born in Perm, toward the end of the Soviet Union. Her family came to America, and she attended Jewish day school and later became a professor of Sociology. She is a Professor of Sociology at Valparaiso University and lives in Gary, Indiana, in the Miller Beach neighborhood. In this episode, Margarita discusses unique aspects of the Sociology of Jews from the Soviet Union and the current struggles faced by the ever-smaller number of Jewish professors in academia.