South Carolina Department of Archives and History |
National Register Properties in South Carolina Temple Sinai, Sumter County (11 Church St., Sumter) |
Facade | Left Oblique | Right Oblique | Main Entrance | Right Elevation |
Right Rear Elevation |
Interior Main Entrance |
Interior Altar |
Interior Stained Glass Windows |
Temple Sinai is a significant example of a sanctuary designed in the Moorish Revival style. It is also a visible symbol and tangible reminder of the substantial and influential Jewish community in Sumter from the early nineteenth century to the present. As the center of that community, its impact and influence were widespread. Outside the coastal cities of Charleston and Georgetown, where there were well-established and significant Jewish populations dating to colonial days, Sumter’s Jewish community was one of inland South Carolina’s largest. Congregation Sinai grew out of the formation of several societies in Sumter in the mid-nineteenth century. By 1895, the Sumter Hebrew Benevolent Society and the Sumter Society of Israelites merged under the name of the Sumter Society of Israelites. Between 1895 and 1904, the society purchased a lot on the corner of Church Street and West Hampton Avenue as the site for a synagogue. By 1906, the congregation had constructed a wood-frame building. The second, and present, brick sanctuary was built ca. 1910-17. Listed in the National Register January 21, 1999.
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