Jewish History Private Driving Tour of Charleston
Description
Charleston History. Jewish Soul. Charleston was home to the largest Jewish community in the U.S. until the 1820s — even surpassing New York! This private tour blends iconic landmarks with hidden gems, weaving Jewish heritage into the broader story of Charleston. We’ll visit sites both famous and often overlooked — including “Little Jerusalem” and two of America’s oldest synagogues: one, the oldest in continuous use and birthplace of Reform Judaism; the other, the nation’s oldest active Orthodox Ashkenazi congregation. You'll also see the first Jewish-owned pharmacy in America, a brothel once run by a Jewish woman, and homes and civic spaces tied to merchants, leaders, and reformers. Along the way, we honor the contributions of African Americans and reflect on Jewish involvement in Charleston’s slave economy and the Civil War. Each tour is private, unhurried, and carefully curated — complete with refreshments and storytelling that make the experience both meaningful and memorable.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Learn about the Sephardic roots of Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim, the oldest synagogue in continuous use in the U.S. and birthplace of American Reform Judaism.
Hear the story behind Grace Peixotto, daughter of a religious leader, and the brothel she owned and operated here.
See Dr. Jacob de la Motta's former pharmacy, which became the first Jewish-owned pharmacy in the U.S, as well as the Hebrew Orphan Society, the oldest incorporated Jewish charity in the U.S.
Learn about BSBI, the oldest Ashkenazi Orthodox synagogue in continuous use in the U.S.
Explore "Little Jerusalem," a bustling Ashkenazi Jewish quarter from the 1800s.
See Charleston's Holocaust Memorial and the powerful symbolism in its unique structure.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
This tour includes roundtrip transportation from your downtown Charleston hotel. The guide will meet you in the lobby and a text will be sent beforehand to confirm the tour guide's exact location within the lobby. If you're staying outside of downtown, you may meet us at Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim (KKBE) at your tour start time. We will meet you at the front gate.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Wheelchair accessible
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
- All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Reviews(12)
Our Jewish Tour of Charleston with Ronnie was amazing. Ronnie is knowledgable and presents the history in an approachable and lovely way. We enjoyed our time in Charleston!
I had such a great experience on this tour! Ronnie was fantastic! He was super knowledgeable, friendly, and made the history really interesting without it ever feeling like a lecture. I learned so much about Charleston’s Jewish history and loved hearing all the stories along the way.
Ronnie was very knowledgeable about the Jewish history in Charleston and their impact on Charleston’s economic growth. He also talked about the relationship between the Jewish Community Jewish and the Black Community. That is information I had not heard in any other tours in Charleston.
I highly recommend booking a Charleston Jewish Tour! Ronnie is an incredible tour guide and clearly loves what he does. My mom and I visited Charleston and found that this was our favorite activity of the whole trip. It's so nice learning about Jewish history in new cities and we left with more information that we could have imagined. The entire experience was wonderful - no regrets! Thanks Ronnie!
Ronnie did an amazing job putting together an informative and fun tour for my mom and her two sisters. All three women are in their 80s so some modifications were necessary to accommodate them and the rainy weather. Nonetheless, they all came back absolutely thrilled with the tour. They said Ronnie was extremely knowledgeable and made sure that they saw many interesting sites and learned quite a bit in the process. They thoroughly enjoyed the day and would highly recommend this tour to others.
Informative and enjoyable. Pleasant and leisurely paced would recommend for future tours. That’s all.
Our friends and we had a wonderful time on the tour. Ronnie is very knowledgeable about the Jewish history in Charleston - he had to field many questions from us and always had the information.
You don't have to be Jewish to enjoy this great tour, which provides fascinating insights into the history of Charleston, going back to colonial times. Ronnie is a terrific guide, with a deep knowledge of the history of the city and the important role its Jewish community played in its growth. He points out important architectural and historical sites you might not see on other tours, like the home of Charleston's most famous madam, Bertha Hyman, who cared for many of Charleston’s poorest residents. Highly recommended.
WOW! Just came back from visiting Charleston and the highlight of our visit was the Jewish Tour. My wife and I loved Ronnie. He was so full of information, wonderful stories and a complete mastery of the subject. Who knew how rich the Jewish History was in Charleston, SC. Highly recommend this absolutely amazing tour of the Jewish Heritage of a fascination city. Thanks Ronnie.
We took a private driving tour that included a tour of Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim, the oldest continuous synagogue in the US and then a driving tour highlighting other Jewish history connected with Charleston. We stopped several places and the highlight was the synagogue cemetery. It included graves of revolutionary war, War of 1812 and confederate veterans, along with many famous Charleston Jewish families. Highly recommend!!
