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Austin Reid Albanese on Muck Rack

Austin Reid Albanese

Rochester
As seen in: The Times of Israel, Medium, MSN UK, Washington Post Opinions, Baltimore Sun, The Dallas Morning News, The Jerusalem Post, Deseret News, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Yahoo and
Covers:  Jewish history, local and regional storytelling, religion, interfaith themes, philanthropy, nonprofit impact, cultural narratives, historic preservation, and adaptive reuse of religious spaces.
Doesn't Cover: My primary focus is Jewish history, cultural narratives, philanthropy, and regional storytelling, but I occasionally explore other topics. I don’t typically cover advanced math or science.

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Austin Reid Albanese’s Biography

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Austin Reid Albanese is a historian and writer whose work recovers overlooked stories of faith, memory, and civic belonging in American life. His writing often begins in small towns, old newspapers, vanished congregations, cemeteries, dedications, and local acts of welcome, then traces what those moments reveal about pluralism, community, and public memory.

Albanese’s work focuses especially on Jewish history, interfaith life, religious belonging, and the ways ordinary communities have made roo…

Austin Reid Albanese’s Journalist Portfolio

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Commentary: History: When Ohioans came to watch the synagogues rise * Ohio Capital Journal

Commentary: History: When Ohioans came to watch the synagogues rise * Ohio Capital Journal

In 1836, Cincinnati's small Jewish community dedicated a synagogue. It was reported to be the first building …

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The Antebellum Murder That Introduced Americans to the Jewish Funeral

The Antebellum Murder That Introduced Americans to the Jewish Funeral

The death of Isaac Jackson.

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The Work of Pluralism

The Work of Pluralism

Genuine pluralism requires people to act in ways that affirm the dignity and presence of others, even when di…

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When Nashville Baptists worshipped in a synagogue

When Nashville Baptists worshipped in a synagogue

In March 1886, members of Nashville's First Baptist Church gathered for what would be their final prayer meet…

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When Americans Shared Sacred Spaces

When Americans Shared Sacred Spaces

Religious pluralism has long been a hallmark of cities and towns across America.

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The American Synagogue - Austin Albanese

The American Synagogue - Austin Albanese

Jewish history is not just a long tale of tragedy. Especially as Americans, Jews should celebrate their trium…

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Articles

What West Bloomfield Revealed About Michigan’s Interfaith Tradition

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By Austin Reid Albanese
| The Times of Israel Verified
In March, after an anti-Jewish attack on Temple Israel in West Bloomfield, Michigan, a ballroom across the street became a place of refuge. The Shenandoah Country Club, which serves the area’s Chaldean Iraqi Christian community, opened its doors to the Temple Israel community. Children from the temple’s day care center were brought inside. By afternoon, families were reunited there. The next evening, the same room held Shabbat services for roughly 1,000 congregants.
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When a Synagogue Dedication Reached Thomas Jefferson

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By Austin Reid Albanese
| QOSHE
In April 1818, a synagogue dedication in New York did not remain within the walls of the synagogue. The address delivered at the consecration of the newly rebuilt synagogue of Congregation Shearith Israel in New York, then the city’s only Jewish congregation, was printed in newspapers and circulated well beyond the congregation itself.
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Opinion | When a Synagogue Burns, Memory Must Speak

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By Austin Reid Albanese
| Mississippi Free Press Verified
The flames that tore through Beth Israel Congregation in Jackson, Mississippi, on Jan. 10 destroyed its library, administrative office and at least two Torah scrolls. Smoke and soot reached every part of the synagogue’s sanctuary, rendering it unusable for the time being. No one was inside. No congregants were injured. The building survived, but the fire is still under investigation, and a suspect has been charged. This was not just any building.
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Have you ever used a typewriter?

I have not!

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What story are you most proud of writing or working on?

I’m most proud of my JTA piece on disappearing small-town Jewish communities. It reflects my passion for uncovering overlooked histories and showing how small stories reveal universal themes of resilience, belonging, and change. Seeing it inspire public conversations, including an op-ed in The Jerusalem Post, reinforced how these histories are still shaping Jewish life today.