Inventory of the Simonhoff Family Papers, circa 1904-1983

Descriptive Summary

Abstract:	Choir books, photographs, publications and other papers of the Simonhoff family. Materials primarily relate to Jacob J. Simonhoff and his work as a cantor. Also included are materials relating to his sons Harry and Samuel Simonhoff, and daughter-in-law, Lillian C. Simonhoff.
Title:	Simonhoff family papers
Creator:	Simonhoff family
Date(s):	circa 1904-1983
Extent:	0.4 linear feet (1 document box, 1 oversize folder)
Repository:	Jewish Heritage Collection, Special Collections, College of Charleston Libraries 66 George Street Charleston, SC 29424 Phone: (843) 953-8016 Fax: (843) 953-6319 URL: http://archives.library.cofc.edu
Call Number:	Mss 1100
Language of Material:	Materials in English and Hebrew

Biographical Note

Jacob J. Simonhoff (1862-1950), native of Lithuania, was an authority on Jewish religious music and composed a variety of liturgical music. He immigrated to the United States in 1893 and served as the first cantor of Ahavas Achim Synagogue in Atlanta, Georgia. In 1901, Simonhoff was hired as cantor of Brith Sholom in Charleston, South Carolina, and remained in the position until moving to New York in 1922. There he served Congregation Talmud Torah Moses before retiring to Miami Beach, Florida, in 1932.

Harry Simonhoff (1890-1966), son of Jacob J. and Jenny Simonhoff, received his Bachelor of Arts degree from the College of Charleston in 1917. He earned a law degree from the University of South Carolina in 1919 and completed a special studies program at the Harvard University Law School in 1920. After his studies, Simonhoff returned to Charleston to begin his private law practice. From 1921 to 1922, he served two terms as a representative in the South Carolina State Legislature. Harry Simonhoff was also a published author; his works include Under Strange Skies (1953), The Chosen One (1964), Saga of American Jewry, 1865-1914 (1959), and Tolerance in Carolina in 1697 (1966). His last work, And Abram Journeyed (1967), was published after his death.

Lillian C. Simonhoff (1901-1984), wife of Jacob J. Simonhoff's second son Samuel, was born in the state of Georgia, and moved to Charleston as a teenager. Samuel and Lillian were wed in 1925. The couple had four children: Joy Epstein (1926- ), Elaine Ehrenkranz (1930-2008), Michael Simonhoff (1937- ), and Sherna Simonhoff Brody (1942- ). Samuel Simonhoff (1896-1980) was born in Atlanta, Georgia. After completing high school, Simonhoff served for one year in the United States Army. He then attended the College of Charleston on a scholarship and in 1921 received a law degree from the University of South Carolina.

Collection Overview

Choir books, photographs, publications, and other papers of the Simonhoff family, particularly Jacob J. Simonhoff, cantor of Brith Sholom in Charleston, South Carolina. The collection includes Simonhoff's handwritten choir books for alto, tenor, soprano, and bass as well as two publications by Lillian C. Simonhoff: an autobiography and a memoir about her husband, Samuel Simonhoff.

Collection Arrangement

Materials are described at the folder level.

Search Terms

The following terms have been used to index this collection in the Library's online catalog. They are grouped by name of person, family, or organization, by topical subject, by place, and by types of material.

Names

• Simonhoff, Jacob J.
• Simonhoff, Harry
• Simonhoff, Lillian C., 1901-1984
• Simonhoff, Samuel, 1896-1980
• Simonhoff family

Subjects

• Cantors (Judaism)--South Carolina--Charleston
• Jewish authors

Types of Material

• Choirbooks
• Black-and-white photographs
• Clippings (information artifacts)
• Publications

Related Resources

Related Material

Related materials in Special Collections include Metered Rhymes (2002) by Samuel Simonhoff and The Chosen One (1964), And Abram Journeyed (1967), and the pamphlets Tolerance in Carolina in 1697 (1966), Two men of Columbus, Ga: The son, Albert Moses Luria, Civil War casualty at 19; the father, Raphael Jacob Moses, at the deathbed of the Confederacy (1962), Reformer Gustavus Poznanski of Charleston, S.C (1960), Lt. Meyer M. Cohen in the Seminole War (1960), Isaac Harby: 1824 (1959), David Camden De Leon: 1846 (1959), Sheftall of Savannah Georgia: 1819 (1958), Edwin De Leon: Confederate Agent, 1865 (1959), Solomon Heydenfeldt: A Charlestonian Who Became Justice of California Supreme Court (195?), Jacob Henry: 1809 Legislator of North Carolina (195?), Jacob Mordecai: 1810 (195?), and Judah P. Benjamin: Statesmen Jurist, 1863 (195?) by Harry Simonhoff.

Separated Material

Metered Rhymes (2002) by Samuel Simonhoff and And Abram Journeyed (1967) by Harry Simonhoff have been separated and individually cataloged in the College of Charleston's online catalog.

Inventory

Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

This collection is open for research.

Copyright Notice

The nature of the College of Charleston's archival holdings means that copyright or other information about restrictions may be difficult or even impossible to determine despite reasonable efforts. Special Collections claims only physical ownership of most archival materials.

The materials from our collections are made available for use in research, teaching, and private study, pursuant to U.S. copyright law. The user must assume full responsibility for any use of the materials, including but not limited to, infringement of copyright and publication rights of reproduced materials. Any materials used for academic research or otherwise should be fully credited with the source.

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], Simonhoff family papers, College of Charleston Libraries, Charleston, SC, USA.

Acquisitions Information

Materials were donated in 2009 by Sherna Simonhoff Brody.

Processing Information

Processed by Joshua Minor, November 2011.

Encoded by Joshua Minor, January 2012.

Reviewed, edited, and uploaded by Martha McTear, January 2012.

Funding from the Council on Library and Information Resources supported the processing of this collection and encoding of the finding aid.