Conference Proceeding: Mapping Jewish Charleston

The Jewish Heritage Collection at the College of Charleston’s Addlestone Library is currently engaged in a digital project on mapping Jewish Charleston. When the library began collecting materials twenty years ago, on a very small scale, Jewish Charleston was NOT on the map. Now, thanks to persistence and determination, Charleston is recognized for its major role in Jewish American history and the archives are used by scholars all over the world. Collections not only document Charleston’s Jewish history, but Southern Jewish culture, while the growing Holocaust archives and the internationally important William A. Rosenthall Judaica collection bring the library further attention. This session will discuss both the current digital project aimed at charting the Jewish geography of Charleston and the back story - how a library and archival collection was created from the ground up, how it brought in grants, created academic programs, attracted Jewish students, and impacted the local economy. Perhaps this story will provide a road map that other institutions can follow.