Charleston

America's early Jewish capital: Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim (1749) - birthplace of American Reform Judaism (1824 Reformed Society of Israelites); in 1800 the largest US Jewish community.

Modern locality anchor

Charleston

United States · City · 32.8°N 79.9°W

This anchor orients the sourced locality record. It is not a reconstructed historical position or border; the single map below provides geographic context.

View location

Where is Charleston?

Land geometry: Natural Earth 1:50m via world-atlas. Pins mark modern localities or representative regional anchors stored on Atlas place records, not historical borders and not reconstructed positions. · Sources & methods

THE COMMUNITY TIMELINE · EVERY NODE DATED

What happened to the Jewish community of Charleston?

1749–1824

Colonial congregation (KKBE, 1749)

1824–1865

1824: Reformed Society of Israelites (first US Reform)

1865–present

Small Southern community

Today

Small historic community; Reform origin site.

LANGUAGES & COMMUNITY

What did Charleston sound like?

Hebrew (עברית, Ivrit)

AFTER · IN FULL COLOR

What survives today?

In Charleston

Small historic community; Reform origin site.

Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim
synagogue · public landmark
National Historic Landmark.
Coming Street Cemetery
cemetery · historic site
1762; oldest surviving Jewish cemetery in the South.

SOURCES & REVIEW

Encyclopaedia Judaica, 2nd ed. (place entry)
Macmillan Reference USA · 2007

Reviewed 2026-07-30

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