Max Fass

Max Fass (1877-1935) was born in Gorzice, Austria in 1877. In 1890, he immigrated to the United States, following his brother, Morris (1871-1935), who immigrated two years prior. Soon after he arrived in the United States, Max moved to South Carolina, first living in Lake City and then Georgetown. Max likely lived in Lake City when his brother was living there in 1893. Like Morris, Max probably worked as a merchant in Lake City. In Georgetown, Max worked as a tailor. By 1902, he moved to Dillon, South Carolina, where he established a clothing store. By 1909, however, Max had closed his store and was working as an insurance agent. He remained an insurance agent for the remainder of his career. During his years in Dillon, Max was an active Freemason and a Shriner. Prior to 1910, Max married Teresa Witcover (1878-1927). The daughter of Marion, South Carolina merchant Samuel Witcover and his wife, Cecilia Levy Witcover (1865-1909), Teresa hosted Sunday school classes in her home, which “was a haven for local Jewry.” Two months after her death, the women of the Dillon Hebrew Congregation founded the Teresa Witcover Fass Sisterhood, which participated in charity work, was the backbone of the religious school, and raised money to build a synagogue.