The Cohen Family and the Jewish Community in Coastal South Carolina and Georgia

The Jewish community in coastal South Carolina and Georgia was integrally involved in social and civic life with its members rising to the pinnacles of both. Research into the history of this region through the years spanning 1669-1915 demonstrates this characteristic of Southern society during this period. An examination of pertinent primary and secondary source documents reveals that members of one family, the Cohen family, were elites in Savannah, who were prominent in the politics of their city, the State of Georgia and the South. Their story illustrates the degree to which coastal Jews were full participants in lowcountry life.