History of Temple Beth Israel
Beaufort, SC

Jews have resided in Beaufort since as far back as the 1760s. In the latter half of the 19th century, as the town’spopulation grew, Jews from the vicinity gathered to worship in various locations: in homes, in apartments over stores, in the Masonic Hall, and then in a room on the second floor of the Beaufort Arsenal on Craven Street.

By 1905, members of the Jewish community decided that their numbers justified construction of a synagogue. A lot was available at 401 Scotts Street, directly adjacent to the Arsenal. State law required that an organization have a charter to jointly buy and hold title to land. As a result, a group calling itself Beth Israel Congregation applied for incorporation, and on October 16, 1905, the Congregation was granted a charter by the State of South Carolina. This states that the purpose of the Corporation is “Religious, and to buy a lot and build a synagogue.”

The lot was purchased, money was raised, and a synagogue was built and dedicated on June 14, 1908. Beth Israel Congregation has been worshipping together in the same white clapboard building on Scotts Street ever since.

History taken from JHSSC Winter 2005 Newsletter