The Jews of South Carolina
- Subtitle: From the Earliest Times to the Present Day
- Author: Barnett Abraham Elzas
- Publisher: J. B. Lippincott, 1905 – 352 pp
- LOC Permalink: http://lccn.loc.gov/06002528
- Availability: this book is in the public domain, and can be accessed HERE
Review
This book is the first attempt at creating a synthetic history of South Carolinian Jewry. It was the fruit of unceasing effort by Rabbi Elzas, who spent years combing through overlooked archives and a colossal array of secondary sources to find even the slightest mention of Jewish life in the state. More than a hundred years after publication, and notwithstanding its flaws, it remains an essential source book on the Jewish history of Charleston and the surrounding communities through the nineteenth century.
Of particular value are his biographies of prominent eighteenth century lay leaders, his descriptions of Southern Jewish participation in the Revolutionary and Civil Wars, and his treatment of the formation of the first Reform Jewish society in the country. He also engages in a heated polemic with Leon Hühner, against whose writings in the Jewish Encyclopedia he issues a blistering critique that was but the latest salvo in a controversy that dragged on for several years. In spite of its vitriol, this section demonstrates the exacting standards to which he held himself in gathering historical evidence, which strengthens the overall narrative in the remaining parts. In all, it is a solid contribution to the discourse on Southern Sephardim, and several subsequent scholars have used it as the chief point of departure in their own analyses.
Of particular value are his biographies of prominent eighteenth century lay leaders, his descriptions of Southern Jewish participation in the Revolutionary and Civil Wars, and his treatment of the formation of the first Reform Jewish society in the country. He also engages in a heated polemic with Leon Hühner, against whose writings in the Jewish Encyclopedia he issues a blistering critique that was but the latest salvo in a controversy that dragged on for several years. In spite of its vitriol, this section demonstrates the exacting standards to which he held himself in gathering historical evidence, which strengthens the overall narrative in the remaining parts. In all, it is a solid contribution to the discourse on Southern Sephardim, and several subsequent scholars have used it as the chief point of departure in their own analyses.
Contents
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Preface
Beginnings, 1670-1750 Organization, 1750-1775 Moses Lindo Francis Salvador The Revolutionary period Joseph Salvador 1783-1800 1800-1824 The Reformed Society of Israelites 1824-1860 Religious development, 1824-1860 The War Between the States |
7
17 30 47 68 78 108 119 131 147 166 220 241 |
Smaller communities
Modern period, 1865-1905 Miscellaneous biographies Appendices: The Act for Making Aliens Free Directories, 1695-1800 The Salvador grant of arms The Hebrew Benevolent Society The Hebrew Orphan Society The Congregation Beth Elohim, 1800-1824 Ministers of Beth Elohim, 1750-1905 Old Jewish Cemeteries in South Carolina Bibliography Index |
241
260 268 276 277 280 282 285 287 292 293 295 307 |