Visit the Jewish Heritage Collection
The Jewish Heritage Collection (JHC) is a nationally and internationally recognized repository documenting over 300 years of Jewish life in South Carolina.
Housed at the College of Charleston, the collection preserves and celebrates the diverse cultural, religious, social, and economic experiences of Jewish South Carolinians across generations.
Drawing from a rich array of sources — from rural synagogues and storefront businesses to family homes and university lecture halls — the collection offers a window into the everyday lives and extraordinary contributions of Jewish communities across the state. The Collection gives students, scholars, and visitors alike an opportunity to engage with these materials to explore Charleston’s Jewish legacy in a deeper, more meaningful way. It also collects and curates oral histories — firsthand accounts that bring personal insight and depth to the broader historical record.
Among the collection’s most notable holdings are:
The Coat of Arms of Francis Salvador, the first Jew elected to public office in the American colonies and the first to die in the American Revolution
The original annotated prayer book of Isaac Harby, a pioneering figure in the founding of Reform Judaism
A rare volume of poetry by Penina Moise, the first published Jewish poet in the United States
Some of the earliest English translations of Hebrew liturgical texts, reflecting the evolving religious identity of American Jews
A wide range of manuscripts, photographs, oral histories, family papers, synagogue records, and other community documents — including many from the 20th century — that together trace the evolution of Jewish life in South Carolina
The Jewish Heritage Collection works in close collaboration with partner institutions including the Jewish Historical Society of South Carolina, the College of Charleston’s Jewish Studies Program, the Pearlstine/Lipov Center for Southern Jewish Culture, and the Jewish Merchant Project, all united in the mission to preserve and share the story of Jewish life in the South.
Learn more about the Jewish Heritage Collection here.
Want to plan a visit the Jewish Heritage Collection? Contact us to learn more.
Photos below courtesy of Jewish Heritage Collection, College of Charleston Libraries
