Jewish Museum of Florida facts for kids
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| Established | 1936 |
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| Location | 301 Washington Avenue Miami Beach, Florida, United States |
| Type | Jewish Heritage Museum |
The Jewish Museum of Florida-FIU is a special museum in Miami Beach, Florida. It's located in two old buildings that used to be synagogues (Jewish places of worship). These buildings are at 301 and 311 Washington Avenue. The main museum building, built in 1936, is very pretty. It has Art Deco designs, a cool copper dome, and 80 colorful stained glass windows. The building next door, which was Miami Beach's very first synagogue, was bought by the museum in 2005 and fixed up in 2007.
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What You Can See at the Museum
The museum's main exhibit is called MOSAIC: Jewish Life in Florida. It shows how Jewish people have lived in Florida since 1763. This exhibit has more than 500 photos and old items. These items tell the story of Jewish life in Florida.
The museum also has new exhibits that change throughout the year. It hosts its own shows and brings in exhibits from other places. The museum also has a special area for research. Here, you can learn even more about Florida's Jewish history. The museum wants to share Jewish history and values with everyone.
A Look Back in Time: The Museum's History
The museum is in what used to be Miami Beach's first synagogue. This building was designed by H. Frasser Rose and built in 1929. It was located at 311 Washington Avenue. This spot was chosen because many Jewish families lived in the south part of the city back then.
Building this synagogue was very important for the small Jewish community. They had settled in Miami Beach around 1913. Before this, Jewish people were not allowed to build a synagogue. They had to travel across Biscayne Bay to attend services in Miami.
In 1924, a woman named Malvina Weiss Leibman started Sunday School classes. She taught them in an empty lot. Later, in 1926, services were held on a rooftop while the synagogue was being built. Many Jewish residents of Miami Beach helped pay for the synagogue. It quickly became the main place for Jewish religious and social life. It also became a center for Jewish culture.
Growing and Changing
By 1936, the congregation needed more space. So, they built a second, larger synagogue next door at 301 Washington Avenue. This new building was designed by Henry Hohauser. The original building then became a school and social hall.
The new building has a simple, rectangular shape. It has three double doors at the front. The top of the building has a plaque that says "Beth Jacob Social Hall, 5689-1929." It also has tablets with the Ten Commandments.
Over time, the number of members at Beth Jacob Congregation became very small. In 2005, the congregation closed down. The Jewish Museum of Florida needed more space. So, it bought the original synagogue building. This helped make sure that this important building would be saved. It also became a place to keep the history of Florida's Jewish people.
The museum finished fixing up the 311 building in 2007. The upstairs area, which used to be classrooms, is now the Collections and Research area. The main floor, which was once the synagogue's worship area, is now a large gallery. It is used for exhibits, public programs, and special events.
Museum Collection
The museum has a huge collection of over 100,000 items. These include old objects, photos, documents, and religious items. They all tell the story of Jewish heritage in Florida.
