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History of the Jews in South Florida facts for kids

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South Florida is a special part of the state of Florida. It includes Palm Beach, Broward, Miami-Dade, and Monroe Counties. Even though these counties make up only a small part of Florida's land, a lot of people live there – about 28% of the state's population! The University of South Florida in Tampa is not considered part of South Florida.

The history of Jewish people in South Florida goes back to the 1800s. Many Jewish people in South Florida are Ashkenazi. This means their families came from places like Russia, Poland, and Eastern Europe. Others came from Latin American countries such as Cuba, Brazil, and Argentina. There are also many Jewish people from France, Morocco, Syria, and Israel. Some are also Sephardic and Mizrachi.

Today, about 514,000 Jewish people live in South Florida. In Palm Beach County, about 15.8% of the people are Jewish. Boca Raton, a city with about 95,000 people, has 16 synagogues, which are Jewish places of worship.

Early Jewish Settlements in South Florida

Jewish History in Key West

The exact start of the Jewish community in Key West isn't known. However, Jewish people were first recorded there in the 1880s. Joe Wolfson, Abraham Wolkowsky, and Mendell Rippa helped organize the community. Many early settlers were likely escaping difficult times in Europe. Some even arrived after being shipwrecked and decided to stay in Key West.

In 1887, the first Jewish congregation in Key West, called B'nai Zion, was started. Morris Zion was its first leader. The B'nai Zion building was built in 1969. This congregation follows Conservative Judaism, but it is also quite open-minded. In 1895, Jewish residents in Key West supported Cuba's fight for independence from Spain.

Jewish History in West Palm Beach

Jewish people first settled in the city of West Palm Beach in 1892.

Jewish History in Miami

Jewish families began to live permanently in the Miami, Florida area in 1896. In 1907, the first bris (a Jewish ceremony for baby boys) happened in Miami-Dade County. It was for a baby named Eddie Cohen.

In 1913, B'nai Zion was founded as the first Jewish congregation in Miami-Dade County. It later changed its name to Beth David. In 1953, Abe Aronovitz became the first and only Jewish mayor of Miami.

Jewish History in Broward County

In 1910, Louis Brown was the first Jewish person to settle in Broward County.

Jewish History in Miami Beach

The Weiss family, Joseph and Jennie, and their children, were the first Jewish family to settle in Miami Beach in 1913. They later opened a famous restaurant called Joe's Stone Crab.

The first Jewish congregation in Miami Beach was Beth Jacob, formed in 1927. This congregation built the first synagogue in 1929. Today, this building is the Jewish Museum of Florida. In 1943, Mitchell Wolfson was elected as the first of 16 Jewish mayors of Miami Beach.

Important Moments in South Florida Jewish History

Jewish Religious Life in South Florida

There are almost 189 synagogues and congregations in South Florida. These places of worship serve over 500,000 Jewish people.

Orthodox Judaism

South Florida has about 77 Orthodox synagogues and congregations.

Conservative Judaism

There are about 60 Conservative synagogues and congregations in South Florida. A well-known one is The Cuban Hebrew Congregation.

Reform Judaism

South Florida has about 40 Reform synagogues and congregations.

Reconstructionist Judaism

There are three main Reconstructionist synagogues in South Florida: Congregation Kol Ami in Palm Beach County, Ramat Shalom in Broward County, and Temple Beth Or in Miami-Dade County.

Chabad in Southern Florida

Chabad is a Jewish movement that is very active in Florida. They also have an adult education group called The Rohr Jewish Learning Institute.

Chabad of Palm Beach Gardens

Chabad of Palm Beach Gardens works to bring together the Jewish community in the Palm Beach and Jupiter areas. They help with spiritual, educational, and social needs.

Chabad of Boca Raton

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Chabad of Boca Raton, Florida.

Chabad of Boca Raton is a Chabad house that started in Boca Raton in 1989. Their current building was built in 1999. In 1990, city leaders allowed them to put up a menorah (a special candle holder) in Sanborn Square, a city park.

Important Jewish Communities in South Florida

  • Fort Lauderdale Metropolitan Area, Florida: About 234,000 Jewish people live in all of Broward County.
  • South Palm Beach Metropolitan Area, Florida: About 134,200 Jewish people lived in South Palm Beach County in 2018.
  • West Palm Beach Metropolitan Area, Florida: About 94,000 Jewish people live in West Palm Beach (this includes Palm Beach County from Boynton Beach to Jupiter).
  • Miami Metropolitan Area, Florida: About 123,000 Jewish people live in Miami-Dade County. This is an increase from 113,000 in 2004.
  • Fort Myers, Florida
  • Key West, Florida

Well-Known Jewish People from South Florida

  • Col. Abraham C. Myers
  • Former Florida Governor David Sholtz
  • Former Miami Mayor Abe Aronovitz
  • Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz
  • Representative Ted Deutch
  • Representative Lois Frankel
  • Secretary of Agriculture Nikki Fried
  • Former Attorney General of Florida and Judge Robert L. Shevin
  • Founder of Wometco Theatres and former Miami Beach mayor Mitchell Wolfson
  • Former Miami Beach mayor and political candidate Philip Levine
  • The Applerouth family, originally from Key West and Miami, Florida.
  • Television journalist Chuck Todd
  • Federal Maritime Commissioner Lou Sola
  • Banker and former owner of City National Bank of Florida, Leonard L. Abess
  • Avraham Lapciuc, a scholar and generous giver to charity.
  • Actor and comedian Eric Andre
  • Political commentator Ben Shapiro
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