I just completed my first two weeks at the Southern Food and Beverage Museum; it’s an entire museum dedicated to my favorite things in my absolute favorite place in the world: New Orleans. On my first day, I realized I had gotten myself involved in something really special. My coworkers are bubbling over with warmth, enthusiasm, and passion. They want to talk to you about 19th century privies, brothels, and the origins of whiskey. They can’t wait to tell you where to get the best po-boy, snowball, and chargrilled oysters. And, they’re eager to help you with your research.
So, where do I fit in? I’m one of five curatorial interns. My task is to research Southern Jewish foodways and create an exhibit by the end of the summer. Not only am I digging around databases compiling my own research, but I’m also gathering up artifacts, talking to local scholars, and curating my own space.
In the short time that I’ve been with the Southern Food and Beverage Museum, I’ve met with the President of the museum, Elizabeth Williams, schmoozed with Jordan Katz, an expert on Jewish history and PhD candidate at Columbia University in New York, and started to uncover the rich history surrounding southern food and Jewish culinary traditions.
This internship isn’t just some placeholder on my resume. These topics—Jewish history, women’s history, southern history, and food traditions—really resonate with me. While I may be uncovering fun facts for a museum exhibit, I’m also gaining a better understanding of my heritage and my place in this world. It’s absolutely fascinating to read about how Jewish immigrants adapted to their new Southern homes, and it’s even more amazing when you realize that these people are your ancestors. Trust me, history is very much alive.