ABOUT THE CENTER
The College of Charleston’s Center for Southern Jewish Culture seeks to broaden public knowledge and inspire conversations about the southern Jewish experience.
Generously funded by the Pearlstine/Lipov family in 2014, it brings together the resources of the College’s Jewish Studies Program, Addlestone Library’s Jewish Heritage Collection, and The Jewish Historical Society of South Carolina.
The College of Charleston’s Center for Southern Jewish Culture hosts a wide array of speakers, films, and other events.
Our Charleston Research Fellowship Program supports works of scholarship, public history, and artistic production.
We partner with other organizations to help the public discover the rich history and culture of the Jewish South.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Israel has a thriving jazz scene today, but the story of how jazz arrived and took root there is far less known. Dr. Leonard Stein traces that history, exploring how the reception of American music in Israel was shaped by the country's shifting demographics before and after 1948 — including successive waves of immigration from Eastern Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East — as well as by the broader nationalist project of forging a distinctly Israeli cultural identity.
At the center of Stein's talk are two Jewish American musicians who immigrated to Israel shortly after statehood and dedicated their lives to teaching and spreading jazz throughout the country — through radio broadcasts, lectures, jam sessions, performances, and writing. At a time when American records were scarce, their efforts were foundational in cultivating the first generation of Israeli jazz musicians and listeners.
Central to this work was the task of explaining where jazz comes from. In doing so, many Israelis encountered, for the first time, the African American experience, the musical roots of blues and spirituals, and the cultural history of the American South. Dr. Stein's talk ultimately illuminates a surprising and resonant bridge between Southern culture and Israeli society — one built through music. Doors open for brunch at 9:00 AM.
Dr. Maurice Samuels will discuss his acclaimed biography "Alfred Dreyfus: The Man at the Center of the Affair," which draws on a vast family archive to offer a nuanced portrait of Dreyfus's life, his resistance to a devastating false accusation, and his distinctive model of Jewish identity. Samuels argues that the Dreyfus Affair remains a powerful cautionary tale — and a guide — for confronting antisemitism and right-wing nationalism in contemporary liberal democracies. Joining Samuels in conversation will be Judge Richard Gergel, who will bring a legal historian's perspective to the discussion. Together, they will explore the Dreyfus Affair alongside the Leo Frank case — the 1913 murder of Mary Phagan in Atlanta, Georgia, the wrongful conviction of Leo Frank, and his subsequent lynching — examining how law, bias, and public pressure shaped the outcomes of both trials and what these cases continue to reveal about justice, prejudice, and democracy. Hybrid event. In-person brunch meets at Arnold Hall, 96 Wentworth Street, Charleston, SC 29424 Sponsors: Pearlstine/Lipov Center for Southern Jewish Culture; Jewish Historical Society of South Carolina
NEWS AND NOTES
Center Talk: Looking Toward the Future, Spring 2014
A s a historian I don’t have to predict the future, just the past – an easier task, though scholars don’t always get that right either. Whatever my limitations as a seer, I know enough to tell that the grim tidings in the Jewish and the general press about Jewish life in the South are misplaced.
New Southern Jewish Culture Center to Highlight City’s Unique History, February 2014
"At one historic time, Charleston was the nation's hub of Jewish life and religious freedom, giving rise to a rich Jewish heritage that endures today. Jewish history here has roots so deep, especially for a smallish Southern city, that one of its oldest families is donating $1.5 million to create a center for Southern Jewish culture at the College of Charleston."