The Augusta Jewish Museum (AJM) will hold its 2^nd Annual Fundraiser on November 12, 2023 at 3:00pm at the Adas Yeshurun Synagogue, located at 935 Johns Rd, Augusta, GA 30904. The concert honors the memory of Civic Leader Susan Steinberg, who was a strong local advocate for AJM.

“Velvet Voices: Then and Now” features popular Broadway star Russell Joel Brown celebrating the music of Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, Luther Vandross, Gregory Porter and more. Special guest musicians include The Brownstown Gritty.

Tickets for the concert are $50 per person or $100 for VIP, which includes admission to a special VIP reception after the concert. Tickets will be available soon at AugustaJewishMuseum.org.

An Augusta native, Russell Joel Brown is best known locally for his sold-out “From Mozart to Motown” concerts, as well as his over a decade-long tour with The Lion King. A veteran actor, singer, and dancer Russell has performed on Broadway in “Smokey Joe’s Café”, “The Scarlet Pimpernel”, “Big River” and “Ain’t Misbehavin’”.  He also sang as a featured guest at the funerals of Thurgood Marshall, Arthur Ashe, Cab Calloway, and Dizzy Gillespie.

Support of the concert will assist the Augusta Jewish Museum in raising funds to save and restore the historic Court of Ordinary as the AJM Education Center and the historic Synagogue Building, the future AJM Cultural Center.

Phase One of the Augusta Jewish Museum has been completed, thanks to the support of the Community and local supporters. The renovation of the Court of Ordinary has been completed and the installation of historic displays are in process. Phase One preview and the proclamation were in late July 2021 and AJM's Phase One Opening Celebration is proposed for early 2024. The funding effort continues as Phase Two, which will include a beautiful event venue, collection management area, community room, and additional display space. Donations can be made online at the Museum’s website.

The mission of the Augusta Jewish Museum is to reclaim and restore the original Congregation Children of Israel Synagogue, the oldest standing synagogue in Georgia, and re-purpose it as a Museum and Center for Education. The adjacent historic Court of Ordinary which is an early fireproof building in Georgia, once preserved Richmond County’s records. As part of the new Augusta Jewish Museum, it will collect, preserve and interpret the rich evidence of the Jewish experience in Augusta, GA, Aiken, SC and the rest of the Central Savannah River Area (CSRA) and will educate, challenge and inspire audiences of all ages and backgrounds. The Augusta Jewish Museum is located at 525 Telfair Street in Augusta, Georgia. To contact Museum staff to schedule a tour, call (706)426-1542 or email [email protected].

To learn more about The Augusta Jewish Museum please visit AugustaJewishMuseum.org.