New book by Columbia residents KUGELS & COLLARDS celebrates the South Carolina Jewish table

South Carolina boasts some of the oldest communities of people of the Jewish faith in America. In KUGELS & COLLARDS: STORIES OF FOOD, FAMILY, AND TRADITION IN JEWISH SOUTH CAROLINA, Rachel Gordin Barnett and Lyssa Kligman Harvey explore the intersection of traditional Jewish dishes and classic South Carolina ingredients and African American culinary traditions.

“We are Jewish South Carolinians, and our families’ stories reflect the journeys that generations of Jewish immigrants made to America,” said Rachel and Lyssa. “We recognize the expressive power of food. We were inspired by our mothers and grandmothers, descendants of Eastern European immigrants, as well as the African American women who worked in our homes as housekeepers and cooks and shared their culinary knowledge.”

KUGELS & COLLARDS features more than 80 recipes and full color photos accompanied by essays and stories from more than 70 diverse contributors. The book includes recipes for Jewish staples like kreplach dumplings and stuffed cabbage as well as adaptations of southern favorites such as peach cobbler, plus modern fusions like grits and lox casserole and savory collard kugel. Learn about notable Columbia businesses including Groucho’s Deli, and about the contributions of early Jewish Columbia establishments including the Columbia Bakery, which shipped bread across the Southeast from 1914 ½ Main Street from the 1920s until 1963.

KUGELS & COLLARDS began as a blog in 2017 and is a project of Historic Columbia’s Columbia Jewish Heritage Initiative. The Jewish Historical Society of South Carolina is a partner in the book version. Rachel Gordin Barnett and Lyssa Kligman Harvey are lifelong South Carolinians who have been instrumental in preserving Jewish history across the state. They live in Columbia, South Carolina.

KUGELS & COLLARDS is published by the University of South Carolina Press and is on sale August 29. For additional details, including upcoming events in Columbia, visit kugelsandcollards.org.


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