Pearlstine/Lipov Center for Southern Jewish Culture

09/30/2026

Check out the latest article by Dr. Ashley Walters, Director of the Pearlstine/Lipov Center for Southern Jewish Culture, exploring the long history of Jews in the American South and what it reveals about the growing number of Jewish students choosing Southern universities today.

For many people, Jewish American history is synonymous with northern cities like New York and Chicago. But the South played an important role, especially in the early 1800s.

09/11/2026

The Pearlstine/Lipov Center for Southern Jewish Culture wishes you a very happy and sweet new year.

06/30/2026

The Southern Jewish Historical Society is pleased to share "Southern Jews and 1776: Sites and Sources" (http://jewishsouth.org/1776), a new resource created to mark the upcoming 250th anniversary, on July 4, of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. This webpage highlights opportunities and materials for our members, and members of the broader public, to learn about the southern Jewish dimensions of the American Revolution. We hope that you find it an illuminating tool for self-study and reflection as we approach this important national milestone. Feel free to share!

Image Credit: Mark Swick, Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim, Charleston

06/30/2026

The Southern Jewish Historical Society has launched a fantastic new resource just in time for America's 250th: Southern Jews and 1776: Sites and Sources. This curated guide highlights historic sites, primary documents, and portraits connected to Jewish communities across the southern colonies that were already well-established by the time the Declaration of Independence was signed. From the story of Francis Salvador, the first known Jewish person to die in battle for American independence, to the patriot Mordecai Sheftall and the women who supported the Revolutionary cause, this is a rich starting point for anyone exploring the roots of Jewish life in the South.

By July 4, 1776, the port cities of Charleston and Savannah were both home to established Jewish communities, whose members participated in, and were profoundly shaped by, the Revolutionary War that followed. Below is a curated list of historic sites and primary sources relevant to understanding the...

06/29/2026

We are delighted to see the new book by Dr. Chad Gibbs, Director of the Zucker/Goldberg Center for Holocaust Studies, featured in the Times of Israel. Take a look!

Apart from two female survivors, all testimony about Treblinka came from male inmates. In a new book, historian Chad S.A. Gibbs restores Jewish women's overlooked place in camp resistance

05/29/2026

We are excited to announce the 2026–2027 Pearlstine/Lipov Center's Charleston Research Fellows! This year's cohort brings together an extraordinary group of scholars from around the world whose work explores the history, culture, and lived experiences of the Jewish South. We can't wait to see what they accomplish this year.

04/01/2026

The Pearlstine/Lipov Center wishes you a very happy Passover.

03/31/2026

We're hiring! Come join the CofC Jewish Studies team!

The College of Charleston has taken measures to ensure that its on-line job application system is accessible to individuals with disabilities and to disabled veterans. If you have questions or need special accommodations during the on-line application process due to a disability, you may contact our...

03/19/2026

There are so many wonderful things going on in Jewish Studies at the College of Charleston. We would appreciate your support!

03/13/2026

We hope to see you at brunch!

In Myths, Legends, and Monuments: the Popular Legacy of Early Jewish American History, Michael Hoberman examines how the Jewish experiences of the American Revolution, slaveholding in the early republic and antebellum period, and westward migration have been imagined, commemorated, and frequently mythologized. Focusing on how historical relationships between Jews and Native Americans and Jews and Blacks are interpreted in light of current political developments, he suggests that the stories Americans tell about early American Jews help to shape their views about the racial and cultural complexities of the American present.

Dr. Michael Hoberman will be in Arnold Hall on Sunday, March 22nd at 10:00 AM. Free brunch will be served at 9:00 AM. ☕🥐

In person and online options available, register to receive the Zoom link. This event is free and open to the public.

Register: tinyurl.com/hoberman26

Sponsored by the Pearlstine/Lipov Center for Southern Jewish Culture and the Jewish Historical Society of South Carolina.