**Overview**

Tennessee is a state of rolling hills, rivers, and bustling cities where blues, rock, and country music were born. Jewish travelers will find a welcoming community scattered across Memphis, Nashville, Knoxville, and Chattanooga alongside world‑class cultural attractions.

**Jewish Heritage & Community**

- The first known Jewish child in Tennessee was born in 1795, and by the mid‑19th century Jews had formed mutual aid societies and congregations in the state. In Nashville, a Hebrew Benevolent Burial Society formed in 1851; in 1854 it received a charter that allowed it to provide for community needs. Memphis’s Congregation B’nai Israel (now Temple Israel) was founded in 1858 and became a centerpiece of civic life【337908405966203†L29-L64】.
- Yellow fever epidemics in the 1870s devastated the Jewish population of Memphis, but the community rebuilt, and later waves of immigrants from Eastern Europe between 1880 and 1924 created new congregations across the state【337908405966203†L64-L72】【337908405966203†L77-L83】.
- Today about 8,500 Jews live in Memphis, 6,000 in Nashville, 1,800 in Knoxville and 1,450 in Chattanooga【337908405966203†L29-L64】. Synagogues include Temple Israel and Baron Hirsch in Memphis, West End Synagogue and The Temple in Nashville, Heska Amuna in Knoxville, B'nai Zion in Chattanooga, and Chabad centers in each city.

**Kosher Dining**

Kosher options are limited but improving. Memphis has Holy Cow kosher deli and several grocery stores with kosher sections; Nashville has kosher catering through the Chabad and supermarkets that carry packaged kosher products. Travelers should call ahead to local synagogues or the Jewish Federation for updated recommendations.

**Shabbat & Synagogues**

Orthodox, Conservative, Reform and Chabad congregations exist in each major city. Temple Israel (Reform) and Baron Hirsch (Orthodox) in Memphis, West End Synagogue (Conservative) and Chabad of Nashville, Heska Amuna (Conservative) and Chabad of Knoxville, and B'nai Zion (Conservative) with Chabad in Chattanooga all welcome visitors for services. Contact the communities in advance for Shabbat hospitality and minyan times.

**Must‑See Attractions**

- **Memphis:** Visit Graceland, the National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel, Beale Street, and the Stax Museum of American Soul Music.
- **Nashville:** Tour the Country Music Hall of Fame, Ryman Auditorium, Grand Ole Opry, and historic sites like the Parthenon and Andrew Jackson's Hermitage.
- **Great Smoky Mountains:** Explore the most visited national park in the United States, straddling Tennessee and North Carolina, for hiking, waterfalls and scenic drives.
- **Chattanooga:** Ride the Incline Railway up Lookout Mountain and visit the Tennessee Aquarium.

**Travel Tips**

Tennessee has a humid subtropical climate. Spring and fall are pleasant, while summers can be hot and muggy. Public transport is limited outside major cities, so renting a car is helpful. Always check synagogue websites or call ahead for service times and kosher dining, and make reservations for popular attractions and tours.