History of the Jews in Natchez, Mississippi

The history of the Jews in Natchez, Mississippi starts before the 1840s, and most likely precedes verifiable records. By the late 19th century, the Jewish population of Natchez reached roughly 5%, which was higher than other places in the state of Mississippi. Many of these Jewish residents co-mingled with the local white non-Jewish planters and landowners, some Natchez Jews even owned slaves and fought in the Confederate States Army.^[1] By the 21st century the Jewish population of Natchez has dropped to around a dozen residents, in part due to the economic downturn.