Leah Davenport is the Research Assistant for the Pearlstine/Lipov Center for Southern Jewish Studies. She is a junior currently pursuing bachelor’s degrees in both Jewish Studies and Women’s and Gender Studies from the College of Charleston. After graduation, Leah plans to pursue a master’s degree in Social Work.

Here at the Center, Leah assists Dr. Walters’ ongoing research on Charleston’s Kalushiner Society. Her current project centers on an article for the Jewish Historical Society of South Carolina’s spring magazine that focuses on the philanthropic endeavors of past Society members. Leah has also done work on a variety of public history projects including the Synagogues of the South project, which aims to create a more thorough understanding and image of the built heritage of the Jewish South. Her most recent publication, “Crying Out for Help: Letters from the Minnie Tewel Baum Papers, 1938–1941,” can be found in the Jewish Historical Society of South Carolina’s Spring 2022 edition.

In addition to her work at the Center, she is currently working on the Holocaust Education, Awareness, and Remembrance (H.E.A.R) podcast, acting as president, co-host and producer. The H.E.A.R podcast works primarily on providing thoughtful and accessible Holocaust education with a focus on survivors and their families.

Publications: 

Crying Out for Help: Letters from the Minnie Tewel Baum Papers, 1938–1941

Synagogues of the South Project 

H.E.A.R. Their Stories Podcast: Holocaust History and Memory