Colonial Roots and Revolution
The first record of a Jewish man residing in what was known as Charles Towne dates to 1695, and he was believed to be an official working for the colonial government as a Spanish translator.1 The earliest known Jews in Charles Towne were Simon Valentine, Jacob Mendis, and Abraham Avila.2 The South Carolina Charter of 1696 provided Jews with the freedom to worship–one of the first colonies to do so.3 According to James William Hagy, “Seven or more persons agreeing on their religious principles could constitute a church or profession.” Jewish people could enjoy citizenship and could be naturalized after living in the colony for seven consecutive years.4Five years later, there was still an insignificant number of Jews living in Charles Towne and by the 1730s, only roughly 10 households in the city were Jewish. During the 1740s, however, the community came into its own with the arrival of Jews from New York, Savannah, London, and the West Indies.5 In 1749, Charles Towne’s first synagogue was organized as Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim.
By the start of the American Revolution in 1775, there were roughly 200 Jews living in the colonial capital. One Charles Towne Jew, Francis Salvador, was one of the first patriots to die in South Carolina. Prior to his death, he served in South Carolina’s first provisional government. He also helped draft South Carolina’s constitution after independence was declared and he was still a member of the state assembly. Salvador is distinguished as the first practicing Jew to serve in a legislative body in the United States. As Salvador did, many other young Jewish men fought in the American Revolution. One militia regiment from Charleston under the leadership of Colonel Lushington became known as the “Jew Company” on account of the large number of Jewish merchants from King Street who served in the company.6 Over thirty-five Jews from South Carolina served in the revolution, “comprising an entire third of the Jews who served the American cause.”7
At the turn of the century, Charleston’s Jewish population stood at roughly 500, with many recent immigrants arriving from England and the Caribbean. Many members of the community were involved in commercial trade and a handful of women even ran their own businesses.8 The 1790 state constitution gave Jewish men the right to vote and hold office. In spite of their economic integration, many of Charleston’s Jews strictly adhered to Jewish law . Men like Abraham Mendes Seixas were among those who held office, as he was Charleston city magistrate following the end of the Revolutionary War.
Charity, Growth, and Civil War
In addition to assuming civic duties, the Jewish community came together to found philanthropic societies like the Hebrew Benevolent Society in 1784 and the Hebrew Orphan Society in 1801. The Hebrew Benevolent Society was established to help the “invalid [immigrant] who landed on our [s]hores, and who might fall a victim to a climate less hospitable than ours.”9 The group later made the decision to expand their work to include assisting the poor, which included buying “heating fuel and Passover matzos for those Jews who could not afford them,” and burying the dead. The Hebrew Orphan Society was founded with the intent to help children who were orphans and/or impoverished.10 The Orphan Society also expanded their mission and in 1851, they opened a Hebrew school. Just prior to the Civil War, the Society’s offices were converted into an orphanage though they had to close during the War. For both of these societies, membership was limited to just 18 and was passed from generation to generation among some of the community’s oldest families.11
During the antebellum era, Charleston’s Jewish population grew to 700 people. The city was home to the largest Jewish population in the young republic and Jews comprised 5% of the white population in the city. The city’s Jewish growth did not keep pace with other port cities and soon stagnated.
Charleston’s Jews were incredibly involved in mainstream Christian society and did not seem to suffer “any social exclusion.”12 Among those in the community, there were physicians, lawyers, and even a state treasurer. This did, however, mean that there were Jews who took on characteristics of other prominent white, Protestant Charlestonians. Roughly 83% of Jewish households owned at least one enslaved person, many of whom worked in Jewish homes. For those who made the decision to own enslaved people, it was a way to “ascend the social ladder in Charleston.”13
A handful of Charleston’s wealthier Jews owned small plantations elsewhere in the state. Charleston Jewry unreservedly accepted and defended slavery, with individuals like Jacob Nunez Cardozo writing in staunch support of the institution.14 The Civil War began in Charleston and South Carolina seceded with the support of much of the Jewish community. More than 180 Jewish men from Charleston fought on behalf of the Confederacy and Benjamin Mordecai, a prominent slave trader in the city, gave $10,000 to support the Confederacy
Post Civil War
The sectional crisis and Civil War coincided with a new wave of Jewish immigrants hailing from Central European countries. Many German and Polish Jewish migrants settled in Charleston and began working as peddlers.15 They soon opened stores and by 1867, about 36 of the 70 stores in the city were owned by Jews. Following the devastating 1886 earthquake, the Hebrew Benevolent Society raised more than $4,000 to help care for Charleston Jews.16
In 1852, a group of Central and Eastern European immigrants from this new wave of immigrants established their own congregation called Brith Shalom. This group followed Orthodox Ashkenazi traditions and rituals while Beth Elohim welcomed reform in practice.
As Reconstruction began in the South, many Charleston Jews responded to the social and economic tensions of that era similar to their Protestant neighbors. They were by and large supportive of Wade Hamilton and supported the 1876 “redemption” the Democratic Party had in South Carolina. At the same time, as merchants, many of these same individuals did business with Black men and women.
The 1880s marked the advent of another mass migration of Jewish immigrants to the US from Eastern Europe, and a sizable number decided to settle in Charleston. These East European migrants were more Orthodox than Jews who had called Charleston home for decades or generations. Partially because of this influx of immigrants, the Jewish population in the state doubled in less than 20 years from 2,500 to over 5,000.17 These newcomers also changed the way in which Jews in Charleston were viewed. Prior to their arrival, the assimilated Jews of Charleston were viewed as “people of culture and refinement” and as “American aristocrats.” Meanwhile, these new arrivals spoke Yiddish, were more likely than not peddlers, dressed quite dissimilarly, and were low-income. Despite standing apart, they quickly filled a niche and were among the few merchants who catered to the city’s Black residents. Black customers were more likely to shop at Jewish-owned stores, where they were more granted credit and enjoyed the privilege of trying on hats and shoes before they purchased them. Several of these stores even employed Black salesmen and staff.
Many of Charleston’s new immigrants found themselves living on and around St. Philip street, an area that would come to be known as the Jewish neighborhood despite the fact that Jews did not make up a majority of the residents. Here, Yiddish was freely spoken and traditional Jewish foods were cooked.18 While newcomers were referred to as the “Uptown Jews” and were more Orthodox, those who were “Downtown Jews” were more Reform and likely to have lived in Charleston for quite some time.19
The Age of Societies, Clubs, and Organizations
Just as Beth Elohim and Brith Sholom were too unfamiliar to feel welcoming, so were the charitable and recreational organizations. Newcomers felt out of place in assimilated groups like Beth Elohim. Among some of the newly formed groups were the Independent Kalushiner Society and the Daughters of Israel. The Kalushiner Society was a fraternal association made up of recent immigrants from Poland, many of whom immigrated from Kaluszyn, Poland, and offered “sickness benefits and a free loan program to its members.”20 In addition, they frequently sent money to family and friends who were still living in Kaluszyn. By 1937, there were 121 members of the society who held monthly meetings and an annual banquet..21
There is not much information on the Daughters of Israel, but it appears that the group was one of many benevolent organizations. Women from Brith Shalom founded the group in the early 20th century. They were responsible for building the Daughters of Israel Hall next door to the Brith Shalom synagogue on St.. Philip Street.22 This building was used for meetings, a Hebrew school, and special events. In addition, the group “…did things for new and indigent Jewish families.”24 It is unknown how long the group was in existence.
Keeping with tradition, the Reformers also initiated a fair number of charitable organizations while continuing with the Benevolent Society and Orphan Society. In 1889, the Happy Workers Organization was founded by women at Beth Elohim in order to help young immigrant girls and women learn how to sew. Additionally, a chapter of the National Council of Jewish Women was organized in 1906 and was responsible for a number of things, including English classes and a push for health care programs for the city’s public school students. In 1915, they also founded a kindergarten for impoverished children.25 A branch of Hadassah was established in the 1920s by Jane Lazarus Raisin, Rabbi Jacob Raisin’s wife, and a chapter of Aleph Zadik Aleph was founded in 1931.
Many of these organizations were established with no intention of becoming charitable organizations, but rather social clubs for Jews. Charleston Country clubs were beginning to ban Jews and fraternities and sororities were barring Jewish membership. Among the organizations founded to provide an alternative social club for Jews were the Jewish Community Center. Established in the 1920s, it hosted sporting events, Hebrew classes, and provided a general place for people to meet and hang out.
In addition to social and charitable clubs and organizations, there were also newfound Zionist organizations. B’nei Zion Society was the first and was founded sometime prior to 1917.26 The society is also known as the Zionist Organization of America and the Charleston Zionist Society. It was most active between 1917 through the 1940s, with monthly meetings and fundraisers. While not much is known about the Society, it is known that the want and intention was to “energize the populations of Charleston and South Carolina for Zionism.”27
Post-World War II: Growth and the Baby Boom
The post-World War II era marked a period of growth in Charleston. Hadassah had grown to over 400 members by 1950 and the Charleston Zionist District also had 400 members. Both organizations started small, with Hadassah boasting a mere 40 members in 1927 and the Charleston Zionist District claiming approximately 30 members in 1931.28 The JCC also continued to grow, becoming a “unifying force in a diverse and geographically dispersed community.”29 In 1959, the JCC bought land in what is now West Ashley where a new facility was built and finished in 1966.
Charleston also welcomed Holocaust survivors, helping them to adjust to life after the war. Such families included Henry and Paula Popowski, Joe Engel, Dientje Krant Kalisky, Samuel and Regina Greene, Pincus and Renee Fox Kolender.
During the Civil Rights Movement, Jews in South Carolina felt pressure to pick a side. The Charleston Hebrew Benevolent Society hosted Representative Solomon Blatt in 1959. In his speech, Representative Blatt said that Jewish people should not be involved in the movement because “…when the time came, those who would be punished as a result of [being very active] would be the Jewish people.” This warning likely came as a result of the Hebrew Benevolent Congregation Temple bombing in 1958.30 That is not to say, however, that Charleston Jews were uninvolved.
Organizations were not the only thing growing in Charleston. The city itself was booming, with shopping centers and subdivisions being built west of the Ashley River. William Ackerman and the Kronsberg family were among those who ushered in the then small town of West Ashley. Young Jewish professionals also began to increasingly leave retail and the generational businesses their families owned and pursued the liberal professions, becoming lawyers and doctors.
The Jewish Community Today
In 1984, the Yaschik/Arnold Jewish Studies Program at the College of Charleston was founded under the guidance and direction of Dr. Martin Perlmutter (of blessed memory). In 2002, the Jewish Studies Program opened their own building at 96 Wentworth. This program hosts an array of events and activities that cater to both the undergraduate population and the larger Jewish community. Some such events are the Three Rabbi Panel and Chanukah in the Square. Also at the College of Charleston, is the Nathan and Marlene Addlestone Library which was named for local Jewish philanthropists and houses the Jewish Heritage Collection as part of its own archival collection. A kosher/vegetarian/vegan dining hall named Marty’s Place was opened in 2016.
Charleston was once home to a physical Jewish Community Center. By its 50th anniversary in 1995, the JCC was serving a larger community. In 2015, however, the JCC became the JCC Without Walls and left its West Ashley location. Programs were held in a variety of venues around Charleston until 2019 at which point the organization ceased programming. It has since become a grant-making agency. Two series that the JCC started, the Jewish Bookfest and Filmfest, were absorbed into the College of Charleston’s Jewish Studies Program in 2020.
Today, an estimated 9,500 Jews live in Charleston. There are a number of Jewish organizations that exist to provide both religious outlets and social outlets. The congregations include Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim, Brith Sholom Beth Israel, Synagogue Emanu-el, Dor Tikvah, and Chabad. Among the community groups, there exists Young Jewish Charleston, the Charleston Jewish Federation, Shalom Y’all Charleston, and Hillel at the College of Charleston.
Footnotes & Endnotes
1 “ISJL – South Carolina Charleston Encyclopedia.”
2 Hagy, This Happy Land, 6.
3 Hershkowitz, “Jews and Gentiles in Early America.”
4 Hagy, This Happy Land.
5 “ISJL – South Carolina Charleston Encyclopedia.”
6 “ISJL – South Carolina Charleston Encyclopedia.”
7 HOBERMAN, “‘How It Will End, the Blessed God Knows’: A Reading of Jewish Correspondence During the Revolutionary War Era.”
8 “ISJL – South Carolina Charleston Encyclopedia.”
9 “Hebrew Benevolent Society of Charleston, SC | Jewish Historical Society of South Carolina.”
10 “ISJL – South Carolina Charleston Encyclopedia.”
11 “ISJL – South Carolina Charleston Encyclopedia.”
12 “ISJL – South Carolina Charleston Encyclopedia.”
13 “ISJL – South Carolina Charleston Encyclopedia.”
14 “ISJL – South Carolina Charleston Encyclopedia.”
15 “ISJL – South Carolina Charleston Encyclopedia.”
16 “ISJL – South Carolina Charleston Encyclopedia.”
17 Rosengarten, Rosengarten, and McKissick Museum, A Portion of the People.
18 “ISJL – South Carolina Charleston Encyclopedia”; Rosengarten, Rosengarten, and McKissick Museum, A Portion of the People.
19 “Jewish Heritage Collection: Oral History Interview with Karl Karesh – Lowcountry Digital Library Catalog Search”; Rosengarten, Rosengarten, and McKissick Museum, A Portion of the People.
20 “ISJL – South Carolina Charleston Encyclopedia”; Rosengarten, Rosengarten, and McKissick Museum, A Portion of the People.
21 “Kałuszyn, Poland”; “ISJL – South Carolina Charleston Encyclopedia.”
22 Rosengarten, Rosengarten, and McKissick Museum, A Portion of the People.
23 “Daughters Of Israel Hall.”
24 Rosengarten, Rosengarten, and McKissick Museum, A Portion of the People.
25 “ISJL – South Carolina Charleston Encyclopedia”; Rosengarten, Rosengarten, and McKissick Museum, A Portion of the People.
26 “ISJL – South Carolina Charleston Encyclopedia.”
27 “Zionist Organization of America Records – Charleston Chapter | Lowcountry Digital Library.”
28 “ISJL – South Carolina Charleston Encyclopedia.”
29 Rosengarten, Rosengarten, and McKissick Museum, A Portion of the People.
30 Belinda Gergel and Richard Gergel, In Pursuit of the Tree of Life: A History of the Early Jews of Columbia, South Carolina, and the Tree of Life Congregation.
Belinda Gergel and Richard Gergel. In Pursuit of the Tree of Life: A History of the Early Jews of Columbia, South Carolina, and the Tree of Life Congregation. Columbia, S.C: Tree of Life Congregation, 1996.
B’nai B’rith. “About Us.” B’nai B’rith International (blog). Accessed January 4, 2024. https://www.bnaibrith.org/about-us/.
Goldring/Woldenberg Institute of Southern Jewish Life. “ISJL – South Carolina Charleston Encyclopedia.” Accessed September 22, 2022. https://www.isjl.org/south-carolina-charleston-encyclopedia.html.
Hagy, James William. This Happy Land: The Jews of Colonial and Antebellum Charleston. Judaic Studies Series. Tsucaloosa, Ala.: Univ. of Alabama Press, 1993.
“Hebrew Benevolent Society of Charleston, SC | Jewish Historical Society of South Carolina.” Accessed December 9, 2022. https://jhssc.org/hebrew-benevolent-society-of-charleston-sc/.
Hershkowitz, Leo. “Jews and Gentiles in Early America: 1654-1800 (Review).” American Jewish History 92, no. 4 (2004): 514–17. https://doi.org/10.1353/ajh.2007.0006.
HOBERMAN, MICHAEL. “‘How It Will End, the Blessed God Knows’: A Reading of Jewish Correspondence During the Revolutionary War Era.” American Jewish History 99, no. 4 (2015): 281–313.
“Jewish Heritage Collection: Oral History Interview with Karl Karesh – Lowcountry Digital Library Catalog Search.” Accessed December 12, 2022. https://lcdl.library.cofc.edu/lcdl/catalog/lcdl:11826.
“Kałuszyn, Poland.” Accessed December 12, 2022. https://www.jewishgen.org/yizkor/pinkas_poland/pol4_00399.html.
Mapping Jewish Charleston. “Daughters Of Israel Hall.” Accessed January 15, 2024. https://mappingjewishcharleston.cofc.edu/1910/daughters-of-israel-hall/.
Rosengarten, Theodore, Dale Rosengarten, and McKissick Museum, eds. A Portion of the People: Three Hundred Years of Southern Jewish Life. Columbia, S.C: University of South Carolina Press in association with McKissick Museum, 2002.
“Zionist Organization of America Records – Charleston Chapter | Lowcountry Digital Library.” Accessed December 12, 2022. https://lcdl.library.cofc.edu/content/zionist-organization-of-america-records-charleston-chapter/.