Community Outreach
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Service to the community has been a hallmark of the Jewish Studies Program since its inception. The Program has always been committed to providing meaningful educational and cultural programming for the larger non-academic community, thereby bridging the gap between town and gown. Concerts, lectures, Three-Rabbi Panels, Sunday Morning Brunches, brown bag lunches, Chanukah in the Square, a World of Jewish Culture at Piccolo Spoleto, and the Jewish Historical Society of South Carolina are all part of the free programming offerings coordinated by the Yaschik/Arnold Jewish Studies Program.
The Jewish Community of South Carolina has been the inspiration for the program and its guiding force since the Program’s inception. It has embraced the Program’s offerings, supported the Program financially, and promoted it to the College community. Community members regularly take Jewish Studies courses, sometimes for credit, but more often as auditors. The Jewish Community Liaison, a full time Jewish Studies staff member, is charged with serving as the connection between town and gown, the College and greater Charleston Jewish community. The Community Liaison coordinates and promotes programming for the community, manages Jewish Studies’ development initiatives, and works closely with the Community Advisory Board.
Some highlights of the outreach efforts:
1. Three Rabbi Panel:
Each semester, Charleston’s cadre of rabbis meets to discuss Jewish perspective on an issue of general interest to the community. Rabbi Scott Hoberman (Orthodox: Brith Sholom-Beth Israel), Rabbi Michael Davies (Orthodox: Congregation Dor Tikvah), Rabbi Evan Ravski (Conservative: Synagogue Emanu-El), and Rabbis Stephanie Alexander and Greg Kanter (Reform: Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim) discuss issues such as the source of authority, the place of women, death and the afterlife, intermarriage and conversion, and Jews and race. These panels are scheduled twice a year, coinciding with the spring and fall semesters at the College of Charleston.
2.The Jewish Historical Society of South Carolina (JHSSC)
Located at the College of Charleston, the Society is the largest statewide Jewish organization in South Carolina. Committed to preserving South Carolina Jewish history, the Society hosts two annual meetings each year, one in a smaller city in South Carolina and one in Charleston or Columbia. The JHSSC was a major sponsor of an ambitious museum exhibition documenting the Jewish history of South Carolina, which toured four cities in the US in 2002-2003. The Society has a cultural arm, aimed at promoting Jewish culture and arts throughout the State.
3. A World of Jewish Culture at Piccolo Spoleto:
Begun in 1998 to highlight Israel's fiftieth birthday, the annual event celebrates Jewish contributions to the arts. The past few year's programs have been made possible by a generous gift from the Herzman-Fishman Foundation, which continues to be the mainstay of A World of Jewish Culture at Piccolo Spoleto.
4. The Milton and Freddie Kronsberg Memorial Lecture Series:
The Milton Kronsberg Lecture Series began in the Fall of 1999 as a resul of a generous endowment by Milton and Freddie Kronsberg. In the Fall of 2002 with the passing of Freddie, the series became the Milton and Freddie Kronsberg Memorial Lecture Series. The series honors the Kronsbergs' life-long commitment to Jewish ideas and values.
Have a new idea? Want our Program to do more for our community? Contact Program Director Dr. Ayalon.