In conjunction with the traveling exhibit, “A Store at Every Crossroads: Documenting the Stories of South Carolina’s Jewish Merchants,” we are pleased to host Rachel Gordin Barnett, Executive Director of the Jewish Historical Society of South Carolina, as part of the Dorchester Heritage Center’s Discovery Series. Ms. Barnett’s presentation is titled “The Jewish Experience in South Carolina.” The program will be held on May 26 at the Dorchester County Library, Ashley River Branch from 6:00-7:30 pm.
Rachel Gordin Barnett is the executive director of the Jewish Historical Society of South Carolina (JHSSC). She has been an integral part of the organization for more than 20 years, serving as a board member and as president of the organization. She assumed the duties of executive director in July 2020. As executive director she is responsible for the general operation of the JHSSC, planning and implementing two conferences per year, planning and working with the editor on two magazines per year, Board communications, membership, and program development.
Ms. Barnett, a native of Summerton, is the co-author of Kugels & Collards: Stories of Food, Family, and Tradition in Jewish South Carolina (University of South Carolina Press, August 2023). The project began as a blog in conjunction with Historic Columbia’s Jewish Heritage Initiative and blossomed into a book. It includes 60 food related stories and 80 recipes from the South Carolina Jewish community. For more information, visit https://kugelsandcollards.org/
Barnett serves as Vice Chair of the Friends of the Library at the College of Charleston Libraries, Board member of the University of South Caroliniana Society, Columbia City of Women, and Columbia Jewish Heritage Initiative.