A traveling exhibit comes to life

Dating back to 1844, Sha’arai Shomayim is the oldest Jewish congregation in Alabama and one of the oldest in the United States. Seen here is the third Sha’arai Shomayim building, located on Government Street in Mobile, Alabama, dating back to 1907 (Photograph, circa 1905 to 1910) Library of Congress)

It’s been a few months since author and Troy University professor Dan Puckett approached Backstory with an idea: a traveling exhibit on the subject of Alabama's opposition to the Holocaust. 

Who knew that was even a topic?

Turns out quite a few, thanks to Dan’s book, In the Shadow of Hitler: Alabama’s Jews, the Second World War, and the Holocaust.

But it’s safe to say the subject isn’t universally known, not even in Alabama, the focus of Dan’s engaging book. Please read it if you haven’t already. 

Thankfully, Dan has not only knowledge but a heart for sharing his knowledge with others. His traveling exhibit on the topic, funded by the State of Alabama, will ensure that thousands more understand that there’s a story there. 

The platform for the traveling exhibit is made by Expo in Trussville, Alabama. Backstory has used it before, for Alabama Justice: The Cases and Faces That Changed A Nation, sponsored by the Alabama Bicentennial Commission and curated by Auburn University’s Steven Brown. 

Dan and a committee are writing the first draft of the exhibit copy. Backstory is refining that copy for general audiences, sourcing additional images, and working with graphic designer Amanda Lucius of Mandalu to lay it out. 

As we get closer to a finished product, check back for photos. 

To discuss how Backstory can help you launch your interpretive space, contact Phil Ratliff at 205.234.0336, ratliffphillip@gmail.com. It's surprisingly easy and may cost less than you think.