In the weeks leading up to our Coming Street Cemetery Open House, we’ll be highlighting some of the remarkable individuals laid to rest there — people whose lives helped shape Charleston, KKBE, and American Jewish history. From patriots and scholars to merchants, artists, and community leaders, their stories continue to echo through the centuries.

First in our series: Abraham Alexander, Sr.

Born in London, the son of Rabbi Joseph Raphael Alexander, he arrived in Charleston in 1764 and soon became hazzan of K.K. Beth Elohim, serving the congregation for nearly 20 years without compensation. During the Revolutionary War, he defended Charleston as a lieutenant in Sumter’s Brigade and remained in the city through the British occupation.

A gifted Hebrew scholar and calligraphist, Alexander compiled a mahzor (High Holiday prayer book) in 1805 and helped establish Scottish Rite Freemasonry in Charleston as one of its four Jewish founders.

His personal life reflected both devotion and controversy. After marrying Ann Sarah Huguenin Irby, a convert to Judaism, Alexander was no longer permitted to continue his religious duties at KKBE. When Ann died in 1835, her request to be buried at Coming Street Cemetery was denied.

Visit KKBE’s historic Coming Street Cemetery Open House on Sunday, June 14 from 1–3 PM to learn more about the remarkable and complicated lives that shaped Charleston’s Jewish history.

#rootsintheground #comingstreetstories ...

Step inside a remarkable piece of Charleston history during a special Open House at KKBE’s Historic Coming Street Cemetery on Sunday, June 14 from 1:00–3:00pm.

Usually accessible only by private tour, the Coming Street Cemetery (190–195 Coming Street) was established in 1762 and is the oldest surviving Jewish cemetery in the South. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the cemetery offers a unique glimpse into centuries of Jewish life in Charleston — a place where our community’s roots remain firmly in the ground.

Visitors are invited to explore the grounds, learn about the cemetery’s history, and experience this sacred and historic space firsthand as we reflect on the generations who helped shape Jewish life in the Lowcountry.

Questions? Email Caitlin at shalom@kkbe.org.

#rootsintheground #comingstreetstories ...

Mazel Tov to the KKBE Confirmation Class of 5786! Pictured from left to right: Finley Frenkel, Holton Shoptaw, Isaiah Perlmutter, and Levi Postal.

Watch the recording of the Confirmation Shabbat Service on our Vimeo page. ...