|The Man|Jolson's Legacy|Memorials to Jolson|Seredzius
Contrary to reporting over the years, there is a clear record of Al Jolson's birth, which you can read here, that shows his birthdate as 6 Sivan 5646 on the Jewish Calendar. This would have been the first day of Shavuot, a major Jewish festival. On the Russian calendar that was in use in Seredzius, Lithuania, his birthplace, that date corresponded to May 28, 1886, on the secular calendar. But, because Russia at that time was following the Julian calendar, 12 days behind the Gregorian calendar used in the west, the corresponding date was June 9, 1886, on that calendar.
To commemorate Al Jolson's birth in this small town, IAJS members Andrea Oberheiden and Wyman Brent took it upon themselves to establish a memorial to Al Jolson in his birthplace. Thanks to David McCarthy, here is a short video showing a bit of the town, and the memorial to Al Jolson.
