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Welcome Y'All!

Temple Beth Elohim, of Georgetown, South Carolina, was established in 1904 when the Jews of Georgetown, who were worshipping in peoples' homes and at the Winyah Indigo Society, formalized their congregation by becoming the sister temple to Charleston's Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim.  We still pride ourselves for continuing that relationship and commemorate our interesting  history. 

Our congregation represents a diverse population.   Many of our members  settled here from around the country and are comforted  to find a congregation in which connections are easily  made and a surrogate family quickly takes root.

We are proud of our members born and raised in the South, those coming here from other  areas, and our "snowbirds" who spend quality time with us for part of the year. Southern hospitality abounds in Georgetown, so please take advantage of the contact Information on this web site.  Let us hear from you by phone,  e-mail or a visit!

Our unique history shows how we are surrounded by opportunities to step back in time and appreciate our past.  We can also savor the present and see how today’s congregation has  committed to maintaining our foundation and strives toward preserving and enhancing our future.

Jews arrived in the historic seaport of Georgetown, S.C. in the mid 1700s and by 1800,  were a small but important portion of the population.  Abraham and Solomon Cohen along with Mordecai Myers, were some of the founders of the early mercantile business in Georgetown.

Although proportionally only 10% of the white population, Jews held a disproportionately large role in civic life. Before the beginning of the 20th century, there had been 5 Jewish  mayors of the city: Solomon Cohen, Abraham Myers, Aaron Lopez, Solomon Cohen, Jr., and Louis Ehrich.  In the recent 20th century, Sylvan Rosen was the 6th Jewish mayor of Georgetown.  His brother, Meyer Rosen, practiced law in an office on Screven Street.   Over time, many of the children of these families grew up and moved away, leaving a declining Jewish population.

Five faithful members of the founding families, we affectionately call the "Elders:" Rita Fogel, Alwyn Goldstein, Philip Schneider, Myer Rosen, and Debbie Abrams, continued to hold services every Friday night. The future looked grim.   Beth Elohim had even given away one of its Torahs and was considering closing its doors and selling the building.  With an influx of new people to the Grand Strand in the early 2000's, and the leadership of Elizabeth Moses, there has been growth in the community and a need has been fulfilled.  


There is now a temple community of 37  families who are involved in the congregation.  Services are held every Friday night and an Oneg (social function) is held the second and fourth Friday of each month.  A great deal of work has been done to the  building and grounds, as well as to the interior.  Our congregation is proud of Temple Beth Elohim's history and strives to ensure its future.

What Makes Us Jew-nique

We are fortunate to have lay leaders who conduct meaningful Shabbat services.  Each lay leader brings his/her personality to the service through insightful interpretations of the torah portion, and encouraging dialogue whenever applicable.   In addition to our lay leaders, we are also fortunate to have Rabbi Deborah Slavitt conduct several services each year for us, lead our High Holy Day services, and teach our adult Sunday School classes.  Affectionately called Rabbi Debbie, she fills the gaps with her unending knowledge of Judaism, Hebrew, and song while understanding the dynamics and personality of our congregation.

We love to talk about food as well as eat it, so our adult Sunday School, held at members homes,  begins with bagels and coffee.  Havdalah is a time to think of a theme and have a pot luck dinner as we say farewell to Shabbat and welcome the coming week.  Our Chanukah party is fun and delicious.  We all bring our Chanukias to light, then we enjoy potato latkes.  Passover is held at Kimbels Restaurant at Wachesaw Plantation.  Our lay leaders, along with audience participation, retell the story of the Israelites fleeing from Egypt.  We have all of the traditional foods from gefilte fish, to matzo balls and each table has a seder plate with all of the symbolic foods.  

Come to a Friday night service and give us an opportunity to welcome you.  If you're in town visiting, or if you're looking for a temple to join, we'd love to show you why Temple Beth Elohim is Jew-nique!




Our Historical Cemetery

The historic Beth Elohim Cemetery, located on the corner of Broad and Duke Streets was established in 1772 and is the second oldest Jewish burial site in the state. It contains the graves of three of Georgetown's six Jewish mayors and many Confederate soldiers. http://www.jhssc.org/Georgetown_Beth_Elohim_Cemetery.html

The Jewish Historical Society of South Carolina has conducted extensive research on Georgetown's historic Jewish cemetery.  To see the headstones and names of the people buried at this beautiful and tranquil location, go to http://www.jhssc.org/Georgetown_Beth_Elohim_Cemetery.html.

Cemetery plots may be purchased by contacting the office at 843-527-7545.  Information concerning Burial rights, Rules and Regulations, Fee Schedule, and a schematic of burial plot locations is also available.

All plots include perpetual care and will be available to current members of Temple Beth Elohim and to Jewish non-temple members at a higher cost.