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Beaufort Supply Company
“Lumber and Building Supplies”
P.0. Box 352
BEAUFORT, S. C,
FORD LINCOLN MERCURY
MERRITT MOTORS, INC.
Beaufort, S. C.
R. M. MORRIS, Gen. Mgr. Phone JA. 4-3171
Beaufort Sports Shop
“Complete Line of Sporting Goods
and Athletic Equipment”
Telephone JA. 4-3939
2004 Boundary Street Beaufort, South Carolina
CITIZENS INSURANCE
AGENCY
708 BAY STREET
BEAUFORT, SOUTH CAROLINA
Phone JA. 4-7171
ALL FORMS OF INSURANCE
General Appliance Company, Inc.
GENERAL
ELECTRIC
1903 Boundary St. Telephone JAckson 4-4848
Beaufort, S. C.
START Your Saving Program NOW
FIRST FEDERAL SAVINGS
and LOAN ASSOCIATION
of BEAUFORT
Write for our Save-By-Mail Plan
920 BAY STREET BEAUFORT, S. C.
sorrow of the persecuted.
America today, more than any
other country, is the sum of
all its yesterdays, the sum of
all the passion and loyalty its
pain-stricken settlers gave to
ecclesiastical court; Isaac da
Costa, “hazan” or reader; Jos
eph Tobias, “parnas” or presi
dent; and Michael Lazarus,
secretary. At last, the dream
was becoming a reality. They
it. If American Jewry is un- were one step nearer to its ful-
aware of its own contribution
to the growth of America, it
is a deplorable thing, indeed.
Jews shed blood for this
America; they suffered death
and starvation for its everlast
ing glory; they gave immeasur
ably of themselves.
South Carolina Jews played
fillment. A Jewish parochial
school was organized to teach
children of the community
Hebrew, Greek, French and
Spanish, as well as mathemat
ics and English.
Finally out of their dreams
as it were, a handsome syna
gogue was built. It was dedi-
an inspired part during the cated by the congregation one
Revolutionary War. They fine day in 1794. The sky was
served in every capacity, many breathlessly blue, the sun was
of them as officers. Benjamin warm and assuring, and the
Nones was a major, Jacob de eyes of those South Carolina
Leon, Jacob de la Motta, Mor- Jews, young and old, were wet
decai Manuel Noah, and Abra- with grateful tears. Governor
ham Seixas were captains. William Moultrie and the civil
David N. Cardozo and Mark and military officials of the
Lazarus, sergeant-majors. Cap- state attended the impressive
tain Mordecai Manuel Noah ceremonies. Today, the Beth
contributed 20,000 pounds to Elohim Congregation stands
the Revolutionary cause, a on or near the spot where this
contribution matched only by
the Philadelphia Jewish pa
triot, Haym Salomon. Myer
Moses supplied the American
army with provisions and am
munition. His patriotic serv
ices caused General Sumter
to write that he deserved “the
first Jewish synagogue of
South Carolina was erected.
And sometimes during the
services one may, through the
reverent beauty of Hebrew
prayers, hear and feel some
thing of the pride that swelled
the hearts of those Jews at the
good wishes and gratitude of sight of that first synagogue
all who had the success of the
Revolution at heart.”
The untiring efforts of the
Jews in the ensuing peace to
raise South Carolina to an
eminent place in industry and
trade were no less notable.
Moses Lindo, a London Jew,
was appointed Surveyor and
Inspector-General of Indigo
for South Carolina in 1762.
His brilliant work in this field
led to the development of the
culture of indigo which was
In 1790, Jacob Cohen, presi
dent of the Beth Elohim con
gregation of Charleston, South
Carolina, wrote a letter of con
gratulation to George Wash
ington expressing “the grati
tude we experience in common
with our fellow-citizens in
your election to and accept
ance of the exalted office of
President of the United
States.”
To this Letter, President
Washington made the follow
ing reply:
declared more “beneficial to To the Hebrew Congregation,
Carolina than the mines of at
Peru and Mexico to old and
new Spain.” Mordecai Shef-
tall and Philip Hart, who were
Commissioners-G e n e r a 1 for
Charleston, S. C.
Gentlemen:—
The liberality of sentiment
toward each other, which
South Carolina during the marks every political and re-
Revolution, the Banking houses ligious denomination of men
of “Josephs,” the merchant
houses of the Tobiases, the
Harts, the Ottolenguis and in
numerable others played in-
in this country, stands un
paralleled in the history of
nations.
The affection of such peo-
tegrant parts in establishing pie is a treasure beyond the
the commercial prestige of the reach of calculation, and the
state.
For all their activity in state
affairs, the South Carolina
Jews cherished the dream of
a synagogue of their own.
Their struggles and aspira
tions, their very essence, were
repeated proof which my fel
low citizens have given of
their attachment to me and
approbation of my doings,
form the purest source of my
temporal felicity. The affec
tionate expressions of your ad-
to be enshrined in this glori- dress again excite my grati-
ous monument to Judaism.
For many years, services were
held in a private home, until,
in 1750, a congregation was
tude and receive my warmest
acknowledgement.
The power and goodness of
the Almighty, so strongly
26
formed. Moses Cohen was ap- manifested in the events of our
pointed Rabbi and chief of the late glorious revolution, and
The Southern Israelite