Macy B. Hart is the founder and President Emeritus of the Goldring/Woldenberg Institute of Southern Jewish Life (ISJL), a regional organization that supports, connects, and celebrates Jewish life in the South. Before establishing the ISJL, Macy served for 30 years as President and CEO of the Henry S. Jacobs Camp in Utica, Mississippi. He also founded the Museum of the Southern Jewish Experience (MSJE) in 1986; the new MSJE is now preparing to open anew in New Orleans. Macy’s involvement in the museum world led him to be Chairman of the Board of the Council of American Jewish Museums (CAJM). With a real passion for public education, Macy and Susan were among the founders in 1990 of Parents for Public Schools, which began in Jackson, MS, and became a nationwide organization; in 1999, Macy was named the recipient of the prestigious Covenant Award for Outstanding Jewish Educators in North America. In 2000, Macy was awarded an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. In 2008, the Foundation for Jewish Culture in New York presented Macy with a special citation, the Jewish Cultural Achievement Award, for his leadership and vision. Macy and his wonderful wife, Susan, have three married children and, even more importantly, seven grandchildren.
