Jews of greater Miami: An historical perspective

The principal purpose of this thesis is to provide an historical perspective on the Jewish presence in Greater Miami from its beginnings in 1896 to the present. In the early years, Jews were forced to endure widespread anti-Semitism. However, by the 1950's Jewish tenacity largely defeated the exponents of bigotry. Jewish entrepreneurship produced an environment that resulted in world-wide recognition of Miami Beach and its environs as the ultimate winter resort area. During this process, Miami's Jews built a strong sense of community that revolved around a variety of religious and cultural institutions. By 1975, the Miami area's Jewish population reached 289,210. Since then, an aging population, indifferent leadership, Black militancy, a vast crime increase, and a Hispanic population explosion contributed to a Jewish exodus that brought about a precipitous decline of Jewish population to 202,000. In nine decades, the Jewish presence has gone from spectacular growth to alarming decline.