The Rabbis Go South

…when MLK calls

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Listen to The Rabbis Go South on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, CastBox, Overcast, or PocketCasts

Imagine 16 American rabbis jailed for acting on their beliefs. The Rabbis Go South is a thrilling seven-part narrative podcast that uncovers a true story of Jewish-Black solidarity in St. Augustine, Florida during the Civil Rights Movement. An inspiring tale of hope for a divided world.

The Rabbis Go South was created by documentary filmmakers Amy Geller and Gerald Peary. It’s a presentation of the Hub & Spoke Expo.

Hear our trailer below, and read on for more details. Full episodes released weekly starting September 16, 2024. Find them below, or subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

Meet the Creators and Hosts

Amy Geller

Amy Geller’s award-winning productions, PBS's “The War That Made America” (2005), “For the Love of Movies: the Story of American Film Criticism” (2009), and “The Guys Next Door” have screened at film festivals around the world. She was the Artistic Director of the Boston Jewish Film Festival, and is currently an Assistant Professor at Boston University. Geller produced and co-directed with Gerald Peary “The Rabbi Goes West” (2019). 

Gerald Peary

Gerald Peary is the writer-director of the acclaimed feature documentaries, “For the Love of Movies: The Story of American Film Criticism” (2009) and Archie’s Betty (2015).  He was a long-time film critic for The Boston Phoenix and programmer of the Boston University Cinematheque. Peary wrote and co-directed with Amy Geller “The Rabbi Goes West” (2019). 

The Rabbis Go South is their first foray into podcasting.

Meet our Key Participants

Series Acknowledgements

The Rabbis Go South was supported by the Combined Jewish Philanthropies’ Arts & Culture Community Impact Grant and the Southern Jewish Historical Society’s Dr. Lawrence J. Kanter Project Completion Grant, and the generosity of private donors including Louis Black (founder of South by Southwest) and Joyce Saltman. 

Produced, written and hosted by Gerald Peary of Big Sleep Films and Amy Geller of AG Films. 

Editing and sound design by Gary Waleik 

Show art design: Peter Chilton

Audience development consultant: Jeremy Helton 

Research: Azadeh Tajpour

Assistant: Sarah Reeves

Filming and early editing: David Reeder

Civil rights history consultants: Deric Gilliard in Atlanta and David Nolan in St. Augustine

Our production crew:

Anja Crosby, Chris Brett, Rick Ambrose, Film Commission (St. Augustine)

Adam Pitman and Kier Atherton (Whitefish, Montana)

Jackie Moonves and Jorge Mauricio Rivas (Los Angeles)

Fiscal sponsor: Documentary Educational Resources


Materials provided by the Samuel Proctor Oral History Program at the University of Florida and The Civil Rights History Project, a joint effort of the Library of Congress and the National Museum of African American History and Culture.