05/28/2026
In the weeks leading up to our Coming Street Cemetery Open House, we’ll be highlighting some of the remarkable individuals laid to rest there — people whose lives helped shape Charleston, KKBE, and American Jewish history. From patriots and scholars to merchants, artists, and community leaders, their stories continue to echo through the centuries.
First in our series: Abraham Alexander, Sr.
Born in London, the son of Rabbi Joseph Raphael Alexander, he arrived in Charleston in 1764 and soon became hazzan of K.K. Beth Elohim, serving the congregation for nearly 20 years without compensation. During the Revolutionary War, he defended Charleston as a lieutenant in Sumter’s Brigade and remained in the city through the British occupation.
A gifted Hebrew scholar and calligraphist, Alexander compiled a mahzor (High Holiday prayer book) in 1805 and helped establish Scottish Rite Freemasonry in Charleston as one of its four Jewish founders.
His personal life reflected both devotion and controversy. After marrying Ann Sarah Huguenin Irby, a convert to Judaism, Alexander was no longer permitted to continue his religious duties at KKBE. When Ann died in 1835, her request to be buried at Coming Street Cemetery was denied.
Visit KKBE’s historic Coming Street Cemetery Open House on Sunday, June 14 from 1–3 PM to learn more about the remarkable and complicated lives that shaped Charleston’s Jewish history.
