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History of the Jews in South Florida

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Thehistory of the Jews in South Floridadates back to the 19th century. ManySouth FloridaJews areAshkenazi(descendants of Russian, Polish, and Eastern European ancestry), and Latin American (Cuba, Brazil, Venezuela, Colombia, Mexico, Argentina, Chile). Many are also French, Moroccan, Syrian,Bukharan,and Israeli. There is a significantSephardicandMizrachipopulation as well.

Presently, there are approximately 514,000 Jews living in South Florida.

The population ofPalm Beach Countyis 15.8% Jewish.Boca Raton,with an overall population of 100,000 people, has 16 synagogues.[1]

Key West, Florida Jewish history[edit]

The exact origins of theKey WestJewish Community are not dated, but Jews were first recorded in the city in the 1880s, when the community was organized by Joe Wolfson, Abraham Wolkowsky and Mendell Rippa. It is believed that most settlers were escapingEuropean persecutionat the time. Some early settlers were shipwrecked and decided to make a living in the city. In 1887, Congregation B'nai Zion was founded inKey West, Fl.Morris Zion served as its first president.[2]B'nai Zion's building was built in 1969, and it adheres toConservative Judaism,though it has a Liberal slant.[3]In 1895, Jewish Key West residents supported the independence ofCubafromSpain.

West Palm Beach, Florida Jewish history[edit]

Jews first settled in the city ofWest Palm Beachin 1892.

Miami, Florida Jewish history[edit]

Jews first permanently settled in theMiami, Floridaarea in 1896. In 1907, the firstbrisoccurred inMiami-Dade County.It was for Eddie Cohen. In 1913, B'nai Zion, the first congregation in Miami-Dade County, was founded. It later was renamed as Beth David. In 1953,Abe Aronovitzbecame the first and only Jewish mayor of Miami.

Broward County, Florida Jewish History[edit]

In 1910, Louis Brown was the first Jew to settle inBroward County.

Miami Beach, Florida Jewish History[edit]

The first Jewish family to settle in Miami Beach was the Weiss family, Joseph and Jennie and their children, in 1913. They later opened Joe's Stone Crab Restaurant. The first congregation in Miami Beach was Beth Jacob, which was formed in 1927. The congregation built the first synagogue in 1929 (now theJewish Museum of Florida.) In 1943, the first of 16 Jewish mayors ofMiami Beach,Mitchell Wolfson,was elected to office.

Other history[edit]

Jewish religious observance in South Florida[edit]

There are nearly 189synagoguesand congregations built to serve over 500,000 Jews inSouth Florida.[4]

Orthodox Judaism[edit]

There are approximately 77 Orthodox synagogues and congregations in South Florida.[5]

Conservative Judaism[edit]

There are approximately 60 Conservative synagogues and congregations in South Florida.[6]Notable synagogues include TheCuban Hebrew Congregation.

Reform Judaism[edit]

There are approximately 40 Reform synagogues and congregations in South Florida.[6]

Reconstructionist Judaism[edit]

There are three established Reconstructionist synagogues and congregations in South Florida: Congregation Kol Ami (Palm Beach County), Ramat Shalom (Broward County), and Temple Beth Or (Miami-Dade County).[7]

Chabad in southern Florida[edit]

Chabadand its affiliated Adult Educational organization TheRohr Jewish Learning Instituteare active in Florida.[8][9][10][11]

Chabad of Palm Beach Gardens[edit]

Chabad of Palm Beach Gardens aims to bring together the Jewish Community of the greater Palm Beach and Jupiter area and to serve the spiritual, educational and social needs of the community.[12]

Chabad of Boca Raton[edit]

Chabad of Boca Raton, Florida.

Chabad of Boca Raton is aChabad houselocated in Boca Raton founded in 1989, the present building was erected in 1999.[13]In 1990 city officials permitted it to erect a menorah in Sanborn Square, a city park.[14][15][16]

Significant South Floridian communities and their Jewish populations[edit]

Prominent South Floridian Jews[edit]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^Passy, Charles (October 23, 2005)."Palm Beach County: More Jewish than New York".Palm Beach Post.p. 1A. Archived fromthe originalon January 17, 2018.RetrievedMarch 24,2019.
  2. ^Jewish Museum[dead link]
  3. ^Historybnaizionkw.org[dead link]
  4. ^"Jewish Community Resources | Synagogues | Jewish South Florida".Archived fromthe originalon 2009-01-01.Retrieved2009-01-05.
  5. ^"Jewish Community Resources | Synagogues | Orthodox | Jewish South Florida".Archived fromthe originalon 2009-02-08.Retrieved2009-01-05.
  6. ^ab"Jewish Community Resources | Synagogues | Reform | Jewish South Florida".Archived fromthe originalon 2008-11-20.Retrieved2009-01-05.
  7. ^"Jewish Community Resources | Synagogues | Reconstructionist | Jewish South Florida".Archived fromthe originalon 2008-11-20.Retrieved2009-01-05.
  8. ^Benveniste, Shelley (October 10, 2013)."Promoting Jewish Medical Ethics in Boca Raton".The Jewish Press.The Rohr Jewish Learning Institute(JLI) will present Life in the Balance: Jewish Perspectives on Everyday Medical Dilemmas, the institute's new six-session Fall 2013 course that will begin during the week of Tuesday, October 29.
  9. ^Benveniste, Shelley (January 17, 2013)."Rohr JLI Presents Living with Integrity Series".The Jewish Press."Living with Integrity" challenges students to articulate their own opinions while providing practical Talmudic wisdom to help them navigate life's inevitable ethical challenges. The course will not only provide the tools to make appropriate decisions, it will also enhance interaction with family and friends.
  10. ^"Looking at Jewish Positive Psychology through the 3,000-year-old lens of Jewish thought".Heritage Florida Jewish News. October 31, 2014.Retrieved3 November2014."How Happiness Thinks brings together modern research in positive psychology and ancient Jewish wisdom," explains Prof. Ben-Shahar, a renowned expert in the field who has authored five books and today teaches at IDC Herzliya, "This marriage between theology and science can bring about significant positive change in individuals and communities." The course explores to what degree surroundings and circumstances effect ones overall happiness, potential challenges to living a joyous life, and whether G-d cares if people are happy or not.
  11. ^"Chabad Lubavitch launching new educational series".Cape Coral, Florida. Cape Coral Daily Breeze. August 24, 2012.The Jewish Learning Institute is the first international educational institution to present traditional Judaism in a professional, innovative, academically challenging yet accessible format. The JLI was created to address the need of Jews for in-depth Jewish knowledge. Authorities on each subject have organized the curriculum and teaching materials for each course. As the world's pre-eminent provider of adult Jewish learning with 350 chapters around the globe, JLI's mission is to make the wisdom of Jewish learning accessible to everyone.
  12. ^"Six Sessions Explore Ecclesiastical Law".Crown Heights Info.West Palm Beach, FL — After a quick kosher lunch of eggplant spread, bagels and hummus, the room full of lawyers and judges moved on to a dessert they clearly relished: The law.
  13. ^The Rebbe's Army: Inside the World of Chabad-Lubavitch, Sue Fishkoff, Random House, 2009, Chapter 2, Chabad Hits South Florida.
  14. ^Boca Allosw Park Display of Menorah; New Stance Staves Off Suit by Jewish Group, December 11, 1990, Sun Sentinel, Elaine A, Ellis.
  15. ^It's Beginning to Look...., Editorial, Miami Herald,December 13, 1990.
  16. ^Jewish Group Sues Boca Over Display Lubavitchers Want, South Florida Sun - Sentinel, December 8, 1990.
  17. ^"The Real Florida Jewish Directory - Broward Map & Jewish Demographics".Archived fromthe originalon 2012-07-08.Retrieved2012-06-11.
  18. ^"Fort Lauderdale, Florida (FL) - Sperling's BestPlaces".Archived fromthe originalon 2009-01-08.Retrieved2009-01-05.
  19. ^http:// bestplaces.net/city/Pembroke_Pines-FL.aspx[dead link]
  20. ^"Plantation, Florida (FL) - Sperling's BestPlaces".Archived fromthe originalon 2009-10-16.Retrieved2009-01-05.
  21. ^"Davie, Florida (FL) - Sperling's BestPlaces".Archived fromthe originalon 2009-10-16.Retrieved2009-01-05.
  22. ^Boca Raton Tribune: “2018 Demographic Study of the Jewish Community in South Palm Beach County Completed”November 30, 2018
  23. ^Deutch, Gabby (2022-06-01)."New yeshiva aims to put South Florida on the map for Torah learning".Jewish Insider.Retrieved2023-07-19.
  24. ^Jewish Telegraph: "Study: Miami Jewry sees first increase since 1975" By Uriel HeilmanOctober 13, 2014
  25. ^"The Real Florida Jewish Directory - Miami-Dade Map & Jewish Demographics".Archived fromthe originalon 2012-06-02.Retrieved2012-06-11.
  26. ^"Miami Beach, Florida (FL) - Sperling's BestPlaces".Archived fromthe originalon 2008-12-11.Retrieved2009-01-05.
  27. ^Dolsten, Josefin."As their former community crumbles, booming Miami is a haven for Venezuelan Jews".timesofisrael.Retrieved2023-07-19.
  28. ^Karabelnicoff, Shaked (2021-06-25)."Surfside: Miami's 'most' Jewish community".Unpacked.Retrieved2023-07-19.
  29. ^https:// wlrn.org/people/veronica-zaragovia(2021-07-09)."Pioneer Of Orthodox Jewish Life in Surfside Shares How Community Has Evolved Over The Decades".WLRN.Retrieved2023-07-19.{{cite web}}:External link in|last=(help)
  30. ^"The Jewish Community of Miami".The Museum of the Jewish People at Beit Hatfutsot.
  31. ^Karabelnicoff, Shaked (2021-06-25)."Surfside: Miami's 'most' Jewish community".Unpacked.Retrieved2023-07-24.
  32. ^Hanau, Shira."For a Surfside-area rabbi, these High Holidays are for processing communal grief".timesofisrael.Retrieved2023-07-24.
  33. ^Hait, Ari (2023-02-24)."'No place in our state': Houses of worship, law enforcement respond to planned 'day of hate'".WPBF.Retrieved2023-07-24.

Further reading[edit]

  • Kaganoff, Nathan M., and Melvin I. Urofsky, eds.Turn to the South: Essays on Southern Jewry( U of Virginia Press, 1979)
  • Mohl, Raymond A.South of the South: Jewish activists and the civil rights movement in Miami, 1945-1960(University Press of Florida, 2020).
  • Moore, Deborah Dash.To the golden cities: Pursuing the American Jewish dream in Miami and LA(Harvard UP, 1996).
  • Moore, Deborah Dash. "Jewish migration in postwar America: The case of Miami and Los Angeles." inAmerican Jewish Life, 1920-199(Routledge, 2013). 35-50.online
  • Zerivitz, Marcia Jo.Jews of Florida: Centuries of stories(Arcadia Publishing, 2020).

External links[edit]

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