About Temple Sinai

Temple Sinai is a Reform Jewish synagogue located in historic downtown Sumter, South Carolina. The temple building opened in 1913, and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1999.

The Jewish community in Sumter, South Carolina dates back to the early 19th century. Congregation Sinai was born in the late 19th century, and by the 1930s about 90 families were members. The congregation thrived for many years before facing a sharp decline in membership at the end of the 20th century, which led members to consider the future of the temple. Out of these considerations was born the Temple Sinai Jewish History Center, which opened its doors in 2018.

Today, Temple Sinai serves as the home of both the Temple Sinai Jewish History Center and Congregation Sinai, and continues to function as the center for Jewish life in Sumter, South Carolina.

The People’s Holocaust Memorial of Sumter

The Sumter Ministerial Association, an organization of local clergy, sponsored the construction of a local Holocaust memorial in 1984. It was originally placed near the City-County Office building but was relocated to the grounds of Temple Sinai in 2018. The black and white granite memorial lists the names of major concentration camps and biblical quotations. Local churches and individuals raised $12,000 to construct the memorial.

“That’s why we’re calling it the People’s Holocaust Memorial of Sumter…Those 11 million Holocaust victims were people just like us.”

——-Pastor of St. Mark’s United Methodist Church and Sumter Ministerial Association ——-President-Elect Reverend Sam Poston

Temple Sinai Cemetery Historical Marker

On April 16, 2023, Temple Sinai was presented a Historical Marker by the SC Society Daughters of the American Colonists with a marker dedication service. Click here to see the program.

Here is a brief history of our cemetery: In 1874, Temple Sinai Jewish Cemetery’s first two acres of land was acquired from John H. Furman by the soon to be Sumter Hebrew Cemetery Society or as it was also referred to, The Burial Society. This Burial Society consisted of 24 members with 16 out of the 24 being interred here. The original size of the lots were 25 X 40 feet and were priced at $25 apiece. In addition, it was stated that upon the death of the lot owner, the lot would forever belong to his heirs.

In April of 1881, the Hebrew Benevolent Society was organized in the office of Charles H. Moses for the purpose of bringing the Jews in Sumter into a single, organic body.  On May 1, 1881, the Cemetery Society and the Benevolent Society merged.

In 1907, two additional acres of land adjoining the cemetery were purchased from H.J. Harby and J.D. Blanding for $595. These two acres became the cemetery’s new section with the first lot being sold  in January of 1926.

On May 15, 1977, members of the Moise Family donated the adjacent lot to enhance the size and beauty of the cemetery and thus ensuring there would be plenty of room for future generations. Currently, there are 555 people interred in this cemetery.

THE MEMORIAL SCROLLS TRUST

LONDON, ENGLAND

1564 Torah scrolls arrived at the Westminster Synagogue in London, England in 1964. These scrolls were the remains of memorabilia from the Nazi invasion of the Czech Republic. The Memorial Scrolls Trust was formed to be responsible for the care of the scrolls and further for the allocation to communities and organizations all over the world. Scroll #848 found a home at Temple Sinai in Sumter, South Carolina in 1972.

To see letters between Westminster & Sumter click here

The attached link tells the story of the 1564 scrolls and how one of them, #848 made it from the town of Mlada Vozice, Czech Republic to Sumter, South Carolina.

The Memorial Scrolls Trust

To see the Torah Dedication Service on
January 12, 1973 click here.

Torah Binder (Wipel) for Scroll #848

When our scroll MTS #848 arrived in London in 1964, it was wrapped with a textile, called a wimpel or Torah Binder. Only 400 of the 1,564 scrolls had these wrappers when they were sent to The Memorial Scrolls Trust in London.

This beautiful textile was hand sewn by the women of the family and donated to the shul on behalf of their baby son who was born in 1800. The translation on the wimpel is: Donated by Meir with his wife Rezl for their son Zelke Mendel born 17 Heshvan 5561 (5 Nov 1800).