The College of Charleston offers a multitude of extracurricular activities and programs to keep students engaged. For example, the Perlmutter Fellows program, a community leadership development and academic enhancement program, helps students discover and develop an understanding of the many social justice issues faced by society.
The Perlmutter Fellows program is named in honor of the late Martin Perlmutter, for his four decades of service as the Jewish studies program director at the College of Charleston.
Perlmutter was a catalyst for the renewal of Jewish life in Charleston. Named one of CHARLIE Magazine’s 50 Most Progressive People of 2014, Perlmutter was considered one of the most forward-thinking professionals making an impact in Charleston.
“I was raised to think I was supposed to try to make a difference in my life, and with my life,” Perlmutter once said in an interview. “I have been blessed so far with a good life, one in which my career has managed to make a small difference in making some other lives better.”
“The Perlmutter Fellows program has helped us recruit and engage talented students who are committed to improving our program while building a career path that involves outreach and community work,” says Yaron Ayalon, associate professor and current director of the Yaschik/Arnold Jewish Studies Program. “Time will tell how impactful this program is for us in the years to come — we are only in year four — but already we have some dedicated and passionate students.”
Caroline Gill, for example, is a first-year student in the Perlmutter Fellows Program. She had received an invitation to the program when she applied for Jewish Studies as a major or minor and, since joining, has had many positive experiences.
“One thing I’ve learned as a Jew in the South is that in any new place I go, I can always find community in Jewish spaces,” says Gill. “Coming into college, especially as someone out-of-state, I knew I needed to throw myself into anything related to Judaism to find my friends and community. I knew that no matter what I did in college, I would always make friends in Jewish spaces, which was the initial motivator. I was also interested in politics and social justice issues, so finding a space in which my passion and identity could mesh was really special. There was a huge emphasis on the fellowship being a cohort with others from your year who are just as passionate about issues and growing as a professional as you are, so I knew those were the kinds of people I wanted to surround myself with.”
Ayalon and his team are hard at work ensuring that students like Gill receive the support and guidance they need to excel as Perlmutter Fellows.
“Marty’s legacy was about building a space that would serve both students and the community, a place outside of synagogues or the organized Jewish community where people would meet to learn and discuss the pertinent issues of the day,” says Ayalon. “Our job now is to continue that legacy, while adjusting and improving as we go.”
Carson Slawter ’23