Jewish Heritage Collection: About

The Yaschik/Arnold Jewish Studies Program at the College of Charleston is the result of the vision and generosity of Henry and Sylvia Vlosky Yaschik who began the program in 1984 to honor their parents’ commitment to philanthropy and community involvement. The matching endowment from Norman and Gerry Sue Arnold has enabled the Program to significantly expand its offerings.

•  Pearlstine/Lipov Center for Southern Jewish Culture: The College of Charleston’s Center for Southern Jewish Culture seeks to broaden public knowledge and inspire conversations about the southern Jewish experiences through programming, fellowships, and public history projects. 

Columbia Jewish Heritage Initiative: Historic Columbia, in partnership with the College of Charleston’s Jewish Heritage Collection, the Jewish Community Center and Jewish Federation of Columbia, the Jewish Historical Society of South Carolina, and Richland Library, has developed a multi-discipline project to document as well as provide access to and awareness of local Jewish history. 

Jewish Historical Society of South Carolina: JHSSC meets twice a year in different cities and towns across South Carolina, and publishes a biannual magazine. Its statewide survey of Jewish burial grounds, accessible on this site, continues to expand, as additional tombstones are photographed and genealogical information discovered. Consult its Resources page for useful links to genealogical sites and other points of interest.

The Jewish Heritage Collection is an archive documenting the Jewish experience in South Carolina from colonial times to present day. Founded by Dr. Dale Rosengarten in January 1995, the JHC began in collaboration with the Jewish Historical Society of South Carolina, the College of Charleston’s Jewish Studies Program, and McKissick Museum at the University of South Carolina. For three decades, the JHC has led an active program of collection, curation, field work, and public education.

Located in Special Collections on the third floor of the College of Charleston’s Addlestone Library, the Jewish Heritage Collection includes oral histories, manuscripts, artifacts, photographs, genealogies, memoirs, home movies, and other primary sources. Researchers can access inventories and descriptions of archival materials through the College of Charleston library catalog or the Special Collections homepage. A growing number of collection items and oral histories have been digitized and are available for viewing online at the Lowcountry Digital Library.