1300 Block of Park Street
A Rabbi in Residence
Russian immigrant David Karesh (1878-1964) arrived in Columbia in 1908 to lead the newly-formed House of Peace congregation. He first lived at 1329 Gates (Park) Street, across the street from the shul, and later resided at several houses on this block in the 1920s. Widely admired by both the Jewish and lay communities, Karesh served as rabbi and later rabbi emeritus for 53 years. For decades he served as the community’s only shohet, a person capable of slaughtering kosher meat in accordance with Jewish law. Rabbis often served as shohatim in small communities, as a rabbi met the requirements of being a pious Jew and observer of the Sabbath, the traditional day of rest. Karesh received his kosher meat from Arthur Dent’s butcher shop at 1334 Assembly Street.
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Rabbi David Karesh entertaining soldiers at a holiday dinner. Image courtesy of Special Collections, College of Charleston Libraries
