Ellis Kahn speaks mostly of his experience as president of the Charleston Jewish Federation during the aftermath of Hurricane Hugo in September of 1989 and of his family background. Although he and his family left Charleston before the storm, he started to help with recovery efforts in the Jewish community of Hendersonville, N.C. Returning a few days after the storm, Kahn worked with the Jewish communities of Columbia, S.C. and Savannah, Ga., which sent challahs and other food for the first communal Sabbath after the storm. He recounts how various Jewish Federations in cities around the country were assigned specific amounts of money to raise to help Charleston Jews whose lives were impacted by the storm. Funds were handed out, always under the terminology of "loans," although few were apid back, or were expected to be. Kahn contacted several representatives of Israel to see how that country could help, possibly to show its gratitude for funds which it had received from Charleston Jews in the past. Eventually, tree specialists from Jerusalem came and helped the city plan and recover in some areas, especially Hampton Park. Kahn then briefly discusses the history of fund-raising for Israel in Charleston, how some people reacted to the anti-Zionistic stance taken by Rabbi Allan Tarshish of Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim, and other related matters. While praising the community for funds raised during the 1967 war, he also notes that many Charleston Jews may have felt guilty for not giving more money to Israel. He also recounts a story of how presidential advisor Lee Atwater gave money to the Charleston Jewish community after the hurricane. Having been called anti-Semitic for making religion an issue in the congressional race between Max Heller, a Jewish mayor of Greenville, S.C., and Carroll Campbell, Atwater attempted to change his image by raising funds for the community. In a quandary, realizing the community needed the money but knowing what a protest it would cause if a public thank-you was issued to Atwater, Kahn and others accepted the money from Atwater in Columbia, S.C. without any fanfare. Kahn speaks a but about growing up in Charleston and how all ethnic groups-- Greeks, Arabs, and Jews-- felt a kinship with each other. He feels the founding of the state of Israel has cooled the relationship locally between those of Middle Eastern and Jewish descent. Finally, Kahn speaks of his family. Josiah Kamnitzky (later Kamenitsky or Kaminitsky, etc.) came to Charleston in the 1870s with his wife Hannah Olensky (d. 1920) from Bialystock, Poland. He was a peddler and sexton for Brith Sholom Synangogue and sued the railroad when he lost both his legs in a train/carriage collision. Josiah (d. 1916) and Hannah's son, Samuel Meyer (b. 1880) married Betty Karesh, the daughter of Charles Karesh, who had also come to Charleston from Bialystock. Their daughter, Estelle, married the interviewee's father, Robert, who had come to America from Lithuania with his widowed mother in 1914.
