Timeline for Jewish History in Charleston, South Carolina
- 1670: Charleston is founded.
- 1695: The first Jews on record in South Carolina. In the late 17th century, Jews are welcomed to the Carolinas as merchants and traders.
- 1749: KKBE (Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim) is formed.
- 1754: The cemetery on Coming Street is purchased by the Da Costa family and is transferred to Beth Elohim in 1764.
- 1780: Ashkenazi Jew’s (German speakers) are the majority in the Charleston area. Prior to 1780 early Jews were primarily Sephardic, of Portuguese and Spanish descent.
- 1794: KKBE is built on Hasell Street (this will be the a reform congregation).
- 1800: By 1800, one fifth of all Jews in the country lived in the Charleston, SC area.
- 1824: Some congregants of KKBE petition to recite prayers in English rather than Hebrew. The petition is denied. Influenced by the German Hamburg Reform movement these congregants organize “The Reformed Society of Israelites.”
- 1838: The KKBE building is destroyed by a fire.
- 1840: Traditionalists dissatisfied with the reform changes leave KKBE and form the Orthodox Shearit Israel Synagogue.
- 1841: KKBE synagogue is dedicated, an organ is installed in the new building and the reform movement becomes a permanent fixture in Charleston.
- 1852: A group of Jews, made up of Poles, Prussians and Lithuanians come together to pray in the Ashkenazic Orthodox tradition.
- 1854: The Orthodox Synagogue Brith Shalom, that is still in existence today is formed.
- 1874: Brith Shalom builds a new synagogue on St. Philip Street.
- 1886: An earthquake hits Charleston.
- 1921: Hadassah of Charleston is organized.
- 1923: The Jewish Community Center and Hebrew School opens at 58 George Street.
- 1947: Conservative synagogue Emanu-El opens on Gordon Street (today it is located outside of Charleston, in West Ashley).
- 1950: The two Orthodox synagogues merge at the Rutledge Avenue location.
- 1979: Conservative Temple Emanu-El moves to West Ashley.
- 2007: Chabad Rabbi Yossi Refson moves with his family to Mount Pleasant, SC as this Jewish community on the east side of the Cooper River is not represented by a synagogue.
- 2016 Chabad opens the Center for Jewish Life.
*Timeline compiled from information from:
Breibart, Solomon, Jack Bass, Harlan Greene, and Robert N. Rosen. Explorations in Charleston's Jewish History. Charleston: History, 2005. 29-31. Print.
"History." BSBI Synagogue. N.p., 31 Oct. 2011. Web. 28 Apr. 2017.
"History." History - Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Apr. 2017.