Penina Moïse

Penina Moïse was one of nine children born to French parents of Jewish origin, Abraham and Sarah Moise,[1] who came to Charleston from the island of St. Eustatius in 1791 after fleeing a Black slave insurrection.

Her father was born in 1762 in Alsace, France; he immigrated to the West Indies and lived at Cape Francois, Santo Domingo.

[citation needed] Her original Jewish community was on the Caribbean island of Sint Eustatius in the Netherlands Antilles.

[5] Moïse faced significant health challenges in the 1850s, particularly the deterioration of her eyesight that was most likely due to cataracts, causing her to spend the last twenty years blind.

Some contributions made were to the Reform Jewish Congregation at Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim in Charleston, South Carolina.

Moïse, Rachel, and her niece established a small private girls' school in their home in Charleston to support herself and her family.

She is celebrated as one of the significant figures in Southern Jewish history, and her works and legacy are discussed in various publications and lectures.