The Columbia Jewish Heritage Initiative Hosts Historic Marker Dedication at Important Columbia Religious Site on Sunday, Dec. 11
Who: The Columbia Jewish Heritage Initiative (CJHI), in partnership with Historic Columbia and the Jewish Historical Society of South Carolina
What: The media is invited to a South Carolina Historical Marker dedication at the historic religious building located at the corner of Heyward and Woodrow streets in the Shandon neighborhood. This building was the former Tree of Life Synagogue and now serves as the home for the Unitarian Universalist Congregation. The marker dedication will be followed by tours of the building and a reception in the fellowship hall. The following speakers will present during the dedication:
- Rev. Jennie Barrington, board, Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Columbia
- Robin Waites, executive director, Historic Columbia
- Alan Brill, board president, Tree of Life Congregation
- Rabbi Eric Mollo, Tree of Life Congregation
When: Sunday, Dec. 11, 2 – 3:30 p.m., dedication to begin at 2 p.m.
Where: Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Columbia, 2701 Heyward Street
Why: South Carolina Historical Markers, a program of the State Historic Preservation Office, mark and interpret places important to an understanding of South Carolina’s past, either as the sites of significant events, or at historic properties such as buildings, sites, structures or other resources significant for their design. The historic structure at 2701 Heyward Street, designed by Lyles, Bissett, Carlisle and Wolff and erected by M. B. Kahn Construction, opened in 1952. It served as the place of worship for the Tree of Life Congregation until 1986 when the current synagogue opened in Forest Acres. Today, the building is in use by the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Columbia.
About Columbia Jewish Heritage Initiative:
The Columbia Jewish Heritage Initiative (CJHI) aims to uncover community history through a collaborative program with the Jewish community. In 2014, Historic Columbia, in partnership with the College of Charleston’s Jewish Heritage Collection, Columbia’s Jewish Community Center and Jewish Federation, the Jewish Historical Society of South Carolina and the University of South Carolina’s Jewish Studies Department, established a multi-disciplinary initiative to document, provide access to and raise awareness of local Jewish history. The CJHI makes history accessible in a variety of formats both as a stand-alone story and as one of the many threads woven into the broader history that Historic Columbia currently presents. Visit historiccolumbia.org/CJHI to learn more.
About Historic Columbia:
In November 1961, a small group of individuals intent on saving the Ainsley Hall House from demolition officially incorporated as the Historic Columbia Foundation. Over the next five decades the organization, which was founded on the premise of preservation and education, would take on the stewardship of seven historic properties in Richland County. Today, the organization serves as a model for local preservation efforts and interpretation of local history. Visit historiccolumbia.org or find us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or YouTube for more details.
