For more than 300 years Jewish people have made their homes in South Carolina. Welcomed as traders and merchants, they settled first in Charleston, Georgetown, and Beaufort, but soon looked beyond the port cities for opportunities to sell goods and set up shop. Launched in 2016 by the Jewish Historical Society of South Carolina, the Jewish Merchant Project aims to document the stories and lives of these merchants through a statewide survey, an online map showing the locations of stores, illustrated narratives, and an exhibition.

Rachel Gordin Barnett is the executive director of the Jewish Historical Society of South Carolina. She has been an integral part of the Society for more than 17 years, serving as a Board Member and as president of the organization.

She is the co-author of Kugels & Collards – Stories of Food, Family, and Tradition in Jewish South Carolina, (University of South Carolina Press, 2023.)

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