Civic Engagement
The Aiken Jewish community embraced its’ unique identity but was also fully integrated into civic life – making significant contributions to both local and State-wide affairs.
Members of the Aiken Jewish community include a former mayor of Aiken (Mandle Surasky) as well as several City Council members. They include a head of the Aiken County Board of Health (Nathan Persky). And, they include a long serving member of the SC State legislature (Irene Rudnick) as well as the Chairman of the SC State Commission on Mental Retardation (Herbert Rudnick).
The Aiken Jewish community was active in the leadership of various civic organization, including the Masons, the American Legion, the Rotary Club, the Jaycees and the Lion’s Club. They include a head of the Downtown Merchants Association & the Aiken Chamber of Commerce. And, these same members of the Aiken Jewish community were active in numerous nonprofit organizations, including the Red Cross, the Boy Scouts & the Salvation Army.
These contributions were recognized and lauded. Nathan Persky was named Aiken Man of the Year in 1955 while Mandle Surasky received the same award in 1966. Herbert Rudnick was awarded the Order of the Palmetto in 1985 by Governor Richard Riley (the highest civilian honor given for community service). And, Irene Rudnick’s death in 2019 was met with numerous proclamations from State & local officials for her contributions over the years
Beyond individual accolades, this level of civic engagement is noteworthy because it illustrates how much the Aiken Jewish community has been integral to the broader Aiken community as well as to State-wide civic affairs. And it reinforces that the broader society embraced Jewish participation in civic life while respecting this group’s distinct identity.
MandLE Surasky (1898-1986)
Aiken Standard, 2-27-1968
· 2 term Mayor of Aiken (1941-1945), member of City Council for 10 years
· Aiken Man of the Year (1966)
· Past Master, Masonic Lodge 156
· Board member: Aiken Central Business District, Aiken Red Cross, Boy Scouts, Salvation Army, Adult Development Center
· President: Aiken Chamber of Commerce, Businessman Club, Downtown Merchants Association
· Chairman, Hitchcock Rehabilitation Center, Easter Seals Drive
· President, Adath Yeshurun Synagogue
Nathan Persky (1888-1965)
Aiken Standard, 8-28-1967
· Aiken Man of the Year (1955)
· Member, Rotary Club; Director, Red Cross
· Chairman, Board of Health
· Champion of Scouting in Aiken (his store was the headquarters for Boy Scout clothes/equipment; all children were outfitted regardless of ability to pay)
· Award given annually in his name to a senior at both Aiken & South Aiken High School
· Leader in the Aiken Jewish community (longest serving President of the Synagogue; trained children for their Bar Mitzvahs)
Herbert Rudnick (1920-1999)
AikenStandard, 2-15-1987
· Order of the Palmetto (1985), Palmetto Gentleman (1984)
· South Carolina Mental Retardation Commission (1971-1985), Chairman (1983-1985)
· Founding Board Member, Kirk School for the Mentally Retarded
· Rudnick Intermediate Home (named for him)
· Board member: Aiken Jaycees
· Member: Rotary Club, American Legion, Masons
irene rudnick (1929 - 2019)
· Attorney, Rudnick & Rudnick
· First Jewish women elected to the SC State Legislature where she served from 1972-1986
· Superintendent of Education for Aiken County
· Helped found USC Aiken (& taught there for nearly 60 years)
· Described as a “force for good in the community” who “was a legend in this area and in the General Assembly of South Carolina”