This May, join the Charleston County Public Library (CCPL) in honoring Jewish American Heritage Month. Throughout the month, explore programs, our collection and resources, and displays that highlight the history, culture, and contributions of Jewish Americans.
Charleston is home to one of the oldest Jewish communities in North America, as noted by the Charleston Jewish Federation. CCPL invites you to learn more, reflect, and celebrate Jewish American Heritage.
Join us at the West Ashley Library for Jewish Genealogy 101 on Thursday, May 8 at 10 a.m. where you can learn how to trace Jewish ancestry. The branch is located at 45 Windermere Blvd in Charleston.
Virtual Programming
The CCPL YouTube page gives you access to programs in celebration of Jewish American Heritage Month at your fingertips.
Celebrate the life and legacy of Margot Freudenberg. Learn about some of her notebooks, that are housed at the South Carolina Room located at the Main Library.
Learn from the late Joe Engel, a survivor of Auschwitz concentration camp who shares stories of survival and hope.
Holocaust Collection
The Jerry and Anita Zucker Holocaust Collection at the Main Library is an educational component of the Charleston Holocaust Memorial in Marion Square. The focus of the reference collection is the Nazi persecution and destruction of European Jewry and other minorities.
About Jewish American Heritage Month
In 2006, President George W. Bush proclaimed May would be Jewish American Heritage Month and the announcement was the crowning achievement in an effort by the Jewish Museum of Florida and South Florida Jewish community leaders, according to the Library of Congress. Representatives also called on the president to proclaim a month that would recognize the more than 350-year history of Jewish contributions to American culture. The resolution passed unanimously.