The Jews of Anderson, South Carolina: Merchants and Manufacturers The first Jews to settle in Anderson, the Lessers, came from Prussia by way of New York and Georgia and were established in the town well before the Civil War. During the post-war occupation of South Carolina, Michael and Martha Lesser took an injured Union soldier, […]
Anderson, SC B’Nai Israel Synagogue was built in 1948. Max Siegel wanted his grandson to have his Bar Mitzvah in a “Synagogue”. Before that, services were held above a department store in downtown Anderson. The congregation has been in Anderson for well over 100 years. For more information about Anderson and B’nai Israel, go to Anderson […]
March 17, 2013Anderson, SC Temple B’Nai IsraelAnderson’s Jewish community dates to the antebellum era but grew significantly after 1900 with the arrival of several families from Eastern Europe. This congregation was founded at Temple B’nai Israel (Sons of Israel) as early as 1911. It held services in the Masonic Temple on the square and a […]