In the year 1800, South Carolina was home to more Jews than any other place in North America. As old as the province of Carolina itself, the Jewish presence has been a vital but little-examined element in the growth of South Carolina's cities and towns, in the economy of slavery and post-slavery society, and in the creation of American Jewish religious identity. 

 Includes information on places of origin, marriages, children, and deaths. Examines the roles that women played in business, the causes of mortality, the antebellum Jewish family, the common aspects of life, and relations between Jews and African-Americans.

In its over three hundred years of history, Charleston, South Carolina, has been known for many things. One of the most intriguing aspects of its past - and present - is its dynamic Jewish community.

In a small Southern town, a young Jewish doctor seeks to both do his job, and fit in to an alien culture, in this uniquely told story of village life that demonstrates great compassion for the loners, outcasts, and oddballs one finds in any small town.