THE PROGRESSIVE CLUB: THEN AND NOW
When Eastern European Jews began arriving in Atlanta, they found themselves largely unwanted and excluded from the established central European Jewish community. They stood out because they were more religious and spoke Yiddish instead of English, and consequently were looked down upon by the assimilated German Jews. This exclusion meant that eastern European Jews were left to form their own institutions and organizations, as the existing ones either did not match their beliefs or did not allow them to join. For example, The Temple, with its German Jewish origins and Reform ideology, did not match many of the eastern European Jews’
religious practices, leading to the foundation of other historic Atlanta synagogues, such as Ahavath Achim (AA) in 1887 and Congregation Shearith Israel in 1904. These synagogues practiced a more Orthodox and traditional form of Judaism, and further demonstrates the distinction between the two different Jewish communities.
The Progressive Club, its building pictured above, was formed by eastern European Jews in response to the German Jewish Standard Club. The Standard Club, founded in 1867, was originally known as the Concordia Club, and it was formed as a place for German Jews to socialize and celebrate their shared heritage. It was a place of many social events, such as concerts, dances, dinners, and receptions. As German Jews themselves were largely excluded from broader Atlanta social clubs, the Standard Club became a place where they could be accepted, and its original location in the heart of the Southside made it a cornerstone of the Jewish community, with over 200 families claiming membership.
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This same feeling of acceptance was not extended to the eastern European Jewish community, nor the Sephardic Jewish community. Hence the establishment of the Progressive Club in 1913 as a place where eastern European Jews could gather socially and create a center for their own community. This specific building was not its original headquarters, which was a small building on Pryor Street, but a new development created due to membership growth and a need for greater space. It first opened in 1940, a grand building with grounds that contained three swimming pools and multiple tennis courts. Similar to the functions that the Standard Club provided, the Progressive Club was a pillar of community life, offering sports, card games, dances, and musical events.
Ultimately the Progressive Club moved again in the 1970s, following membership into northern Atlanta, and the campus was sold to various media companies, including the newbie Cable News Network (CNN). Eventually, this space would become the Turner Entertainment Group complex, no longer a host to CNN but to many other broadcasting companies and organizations. The old Progressive Club house remains, but there is no mention of its Jewish history or of the role it played in cultivating community.