Our History
Aiken's Jewish Community
There has been a continuous Jewish presence in Aiken since the late 19th century. Many of Aiken's first Jewish residents came to the area as peddlers and soon opened stores downtown. In the beginning, Aiken's Jewish residents conducted services over a downtown store and later at the Masonic Hall. Fundraising began in 1905 to construct our synagogue. The Sons of Israel Cemetery was established in 1913, the congregation was chartered by the State of South Carolina in 1921 and the synagogue building was completed in 1925. Our three Torahs, all of which are about 100 years old, were donated by families with ties to our synagogue.
Starting in the 1950s/60s, a second wave of Jewish residents came to Aiken tied to the growth of the Savannah River Site which offset the decline in Jewish merchant stores that was caused by increased competition from big box stores. More recently many Jewish families coming to Aiken are retirees moving here from elsewhere in the US.
100th Anniversary Celebration
2021 was the 100th Anniversary of the Charter of the Adath Yeshurun Synagogue.
This milestone was celebrated with virtual events in 2021 (due to the COVID pandemic) that included Zoom programming sharing the history of the Jewish community here as well as the memories and reflections of descendants of early Aiken Jewish families.
In person celebrations were held in 2022 and included a Centennial Celebration Weekend where around 100 descendants of early Aiken Jewish families came to Aiken to commemorate this milestone. These celebrations included the opening of an exhibit at the Aiken County Historical Museum titled “A Source of Light” that highlighted the history and contributions of Aiken’s Jewish community. It also included the dedication of a new historic marker on Lauren’s St that highlighted the contributions of Aiken’s Jewish Merchants.
Find out about the contribution of this community to commercial and civic life in Aiken and beyond.
More on "A Source of Light"
Visit our YouTube channel for more videos on our centennial events and celebrations.
Asourceoflight.org Website
Learn more about the history and contributions of Aiken’s Jewish community by visiting the asourceoflight.org website. This site contains profiles of major Jewish merchant stores in Aiken as well as the histories of the families that founded this community.
Aiken Jewish Heritage Trail
Take a walking tour of Jewish heritage sites in Aiken by following the route provided on the Aiken Jewish Heritage Trail brochure. This brochure is available at the Aiken County Historical Museum as well as the Aiken Visitors Center & Train Museum. The trail winds through downtown Aiken and uses QR codes to allow participants to learn more about the Jewish businesses or homes at each site (including archival photos).
About us
We welcome you to be part of our community.
Useful Links
Contact info
(803) 761-7130
adathyeshurunaiken192l@gmail.com
154 Greenville Street NW
Aiken, SC 29801
Mailing Address:
PO Box 543, Aiken, SC 29802
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