SUMTER, S.C. — A new historical marker is honoring the Jewish community in Sumter. The National Society of the Daughters of the American Colonists has dedicated a permanent recognition in the Temple Sinai Jewish Cemetery in Sumter.
"It recognizes the Jewish faith and what they have contributed to the community," Temple Sinai Administrator Diana Roof says. "It shows that we’ve been here all this time and…we are very much a part of the community."
The marker is a gift from the Daughters of the American Colonists, a national lineage society that aims to promote and preserve history. Frankie Abbott is the state regent, and helped the group survey the state to find the perfect spot for this year’s marker — which they found in Sumter.
"When you’re driving down the highway and you see a historic marker, don’t a lot of people stop and read it? You see people will move over on the side of the road and stop and read a historic marker," Abbott explains. "And it’s educational. You know people wouldn’t know all of the history that’s in this cemetery if it wasn't printed somewhere."
The cemetery started out as two acres when it was founded in 1874. Now, it stretches 10 acres where 555 Jewish people are buried.
"A lot of people do not know that we have a Jewish cemetery and they don’t know that we have a temple, so now that we’re being recognized, maybe a few more people will recognize about the Jewish people here in the community," Roof shares. "There's many families throughout Sumter that they’ve lived here, stayed here and they’re buried here or if they’ve moved away, they come back and they’re buried here."
It’s a place where residents can stop by to place rocks on the headstones, in line with Jewish tradition, and reflect on history.
"Oh my goodness, it's very important because if we don’t have history to pass down to future generations, it’s lost!" Abbott details. "And once it’s gone, nobody knows it. And it’s one of the most important things I think that we have that we can teach the future generations."
The new marker was donated to the cemetery and will be cleaned and maintained by the Jewish Sinai Center in Sumter.