Aiken Jewish community collection

Mostly photocopied material chronicling the history of the Jewish community in Aiken, South Carolina, including the Adath (Adas) Yeshurun Synagogue. The scrapbooks are divided into six sections, which are arranged in original order. The Adath Yeshurun Synagogue section contains newspaper articles (1980s-1990s) re. history of synagogue, 70th anniversary program (1991), color photograph (1995) of board members, copies of real estate documents (1923-1925) for original acquisition of property, and data (1989) from building survey conducted by the South Carolina State Historic Preservation Office; also reproduction images of 1933 synagogue dinner and children at religious school, ca. 1930s. The Early Families section includes articles (1980s-1990s) and obituaries re. members of Aiken's Jewish community including Mandle Suraksy (former Mayor), artist, Mina Surasky Tropp, Herbert Rudnick, (known for work with the S.C. Mental Retardation Commission) and Irene Rudnick; published memoirs about growing up in Aiken with references to the Jewish community include, "Memoirs, Mostly about a South Carolina Childhood" (1980) by Mina Tropp, "Jewish Life in Aiken, Childhood Memories of Esther Surasky Pinck" (1982), "My Family, My Town" (1994) by Rose Rubin and "A Down South Jew ... Go On With You" (1991); other articles about Aiken Jews cover the murder (early 1900s) of Abraham Surasky and history of Jewish merchants in Aiken. The Happyville section contains two articles on the history of the farming colony of Russian Jews that settled in Aiken County during the early 1900s. The Hadassah Sisterhood section includes photocopied images of early members (1943, 1954-1956, 1959, 1960) and color photographs taken at 1993 regular meeting of the Aiken Sisterhood and 1995 annual meeting. The Sons of Israel Cemetery section includes images of cemetery gates, and information (1994) on cemetery plots (owners, locations, etc). The miscellaneous material includes clippings (1990s) re. Jewish holidays in Aiken and fliers from events at Adath Yeshurun Synagogue; also color photographs from Succos (1990), Rosh Hashanah (1992), and Purim (1993) celebrations.