MEMOIRIST:          ALVIN SUGARMAN

INTERVIEWER:     HERBERT KARP

LOCATION:           ATLANTA, GEORGIA

DATE:                    MARCH 29, 1993

Transcript (PDF)

BIOGRAPHY

Born and raised in Atlanta, Alvin Sugarman grew up in the West End neighborhood. He attended Smillie and Morningside elementary schools, as well as Grady High School. He went to college at Emory University before beginning work at the Montag Bros. school supply and paper company, where he worked as a salesman.

After six years of sales work, Alvin Sugarman turned to work of faith. He was ordained by Hebrew Union College, and he eventually found work at The Temple-Hebrew Benevolent Congregation of Atlanta, where he became senior rabbi in 1974. From that point forward, Sugarman devoted his life to leading one of the Southeast's, if not the country's, most important and influential religious communities, earning several community service awards along the way. 

Scope of Interview

In this interview, Rabbi Sugarman elaborates on much of his life experiences. This includes his childhood in the Atlanta area, work as a salesman for Montag, and much elaboration on how he decided to pursue the position of Rabbi. In terms of his religious life, he covers his early influences, his time in seminary, and much of his early work as a rabbi, including work at The Temple in Atlanta, as well as at the federal penitentiary in Atlanta.