Dor Tikvah

Congregation History

For more information about Orthodoxy in Charleston, please refer to the BSBI narrative.
Orthodox Judaism is not new to Charleston, but formal religious organization in West Ashley did not begin until the 1970s first with the formation of the Minyan House and then in 2006 with the West Ashley Minyan. The West Ashley Minyan, also known as WAM, was formed in part because people wanted to be able to meet in West Ashley and hold services on Shabbat.¹

Contention
As the Jewish population in the Charleston suburbs grew, so did the need to be able to observe Shabbat in their respective communities. A group at BSBI formed a committee with the intent of finding a location that would better suit the needs of the congregation, whether it be to remain at the present location on Rutledge or relocate to the suburbs.² Committee members put forth potential locations and the congregation voted in favor of remaining at the downtown location. For those BSBI congregants who wished to hold services and observe Shabbat closer to home, WAM offered an appealing alternative.³ Lay leader Aaron Adelson, led the first service at the beginning of February of 2006. They initially met at a congregant’s home, near the (now) former Jewish Community Center (JCC).

Moving and Growth
BSBI’s Rabbi Ari Sytner and was instrumental when it came to answering questions regarding Halacha. Randy Cohen, Jason Berendt, Michael Kirshtein, and Jon Sigman were key players in the establishment of WAM, serving as lay leaders and maintaining the minyan’s Orthodox practices. By July, the group moved to the JCC so that more people could attend services.

Despite not being officially allowed by the board to attend or lead services , Rabbi Sytner drafted sermons that a layperson read aloud. That same year, WAM held their first High Holiday services at the community center. Pesach services were held at a member’s home. The next six years were a period of growth and in 2012, WAM was renamed Dor Tikvah.

Transformation
While a number of WAM members wanted to break away from BSBI, others decided to rejoin the congregation. Because of this, the group did not qualify for the same tax-deductible contribution that synagogues and churches receive. In order to survive and thrive, they needed a way to raise money. Peter Rosenthal, Michael Stricker, and Peter Lucash worked to and were able to obtain a tax-exempt status without creating a shul.⁴ At that same time, there were leadership disputes at BSBI causing some people to leave and join WAM. Following the addition of more members, there were further discussions about becoming an official synagogue. According to Rosenthal, “That was the point when WAM decided to become Dor Tikvah.” Dor Tikvah translates to “Generation of Hope.”⁵

In 2015, the JCC became the JCC Without Walls and Dor Tikvah took over the building and made it their own.⁶ They also undertook a $1 million renovation that concluded with the dedication on August 26, 2018.⁷

Rabbi Michael Davies was the first official rabbi. Moving from California, he led Dor Tikvah from August of 2013 until July 2021. In 2015, there were roughly 60 family members.⁸ Dor Tikvah hired Rabbi Sholom Mimran in 2021.. Hailing from Gateshead, England, the rabbi left his appointment in Gibraltar and began the process of getting a visa to work in the United States. For some time, he worked via WhatsApp and Youtube, creating video sermons and messaging with congregants, until his visa was approved.⁹ Rabbi Mimram arrived in January 2022.

Endnotes

1. Jewish Heritage Collection: Oral history interview with Paul Garfinkel, 2021, Jewish Heritage Collection Oral Histories at the College of Charleston Libraries, https://lcdl.library.cofc.edu/lcdl/catalog/263064.
2. Jewish Heritage Collection: Oral history interview with Peter Rosenthal, 2021, Jewish Heritage Collection Oral Histories at the College of Charleston Libraries, https://lcdl.library.cofc.edu/lcdl/catalog/263082.
3. Jewish Heritage Collection: Oral history interview with Peter Rosenthal.
4. Jewish Heritage Collection: Oral history interview with Peter Rosenthal.
5. Jewish Heritage Collection: Oral history interview with Peter Rosenthal; Jewish Heritage Collection: Oral history interview with Paul Garfinkel.
6. “Jewish Community Center,” Mapping Jewish Charleston (blog), accessed August 16, 2023, https://mappingjewishcharleston.cofc.edu/2020/jewish-community-center/.
7. Adam Parker, “Congregation Dor Tikvah to Dedicate New Sanctuary in West Ashley,” Post and Courier, August 25, 2018, https://www.postandcourier.com/features/faith_and_values/congregation-dor-tikvah-to-dedicate-new-sanctuary-in-west-ashley/article_9ee3b400-a7d7-11e8-8108-a3bddff2d7ad.html.
8. Patricia Corrigan, “For Ex-Oakland Rabbi, Charleston Tragedy Hits Home,” J. (blog), July 31, 2015, https://jweekly.com/2015/07/31/for-ex-oakland-rabbi-charleston-tragedy-hits-home/.
9. Helen Chernikoff, “The New Rabbi in Charleston, S.C. Is Stuck in Gibraltar – EJewish Philanthropy,” accessed August 16, 2023, https://ejewishphilanthropy.com/rabbi-sholom-mimran-waits-in-gibraltar-to-take-his-first-pulpit-in-charleston/#disqus_thread.