Excitement and chatter filled the Hanes Art Center auditorium Tuesday evening in anticipation of a local icon's appearance.
Eli Evans, a Durham native, kicked off the third-annual Carolina Center for Jewish Studies' lecture series with personal stories and animated jokes.
Evans, a 1958 UNC graduate, discussed topics from a new edition of his classic memoir, "The Provincials: A Personal History of Jews in the South." The memoir was published by the UNC Press in honor of the 350th anniversary of the arrival of Jews to America.
The lecture, titled "Southern Jewish Insights into the Religious Ethos in the South Today," included topics relating to the bond between a group continuously searching for a homeland and the same group living in the South - an area with a strong connection to the idea of home.
Evans advocated that the Jewish community should act as a guide for the South and its future.
"We are the beacon of the South," he said.
Helen Stahl, who attended the lecture, said Evans is a well-respected historian and figurehead of the local Jewish community, especially in the Triangle.
Stahl also expressed appreciation for the UNC Jewish studies program.
"The Carolina Center for Jewish Studies is well-publicized in the community," she said. "They always reach out to local synagogues for instances like this lecture."
