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Miami Beach

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Photo by Ellen Berns tein

her. "They're throwing out everyone.
The young and the old," she tells a
reporter. In unprintable terms, she
says why young people are coming to
the hotels and how quickly they leave.
"They only want transient trade. I
come down from November to March.
stay 'til Pesach. J shop. I buy groceries,
fish, meat. I buy gifts."
But the reasons behind the elderly
Jewish exodus from Miami Beach go
beyond-the economic boom in the area.
In 1980-1981, more than 100,000
Cuban refugees, mostly penniless,
came to Miami on the Mariel boatlift.
Some settled in Miami Beach because
of the many cheap hotels. Mixed in
were a small, but much publicized
group of criminals and mental
patients. In a short time, crack dealers
took over rundown hotels. Up to 10
people crowded one bedroom apart-
ments. Robberies increased in
neighborhoods where the elderly had
never locked their doors. Some Jews
fled the area immediately.
After two years, the city cleaned up
most of the crime in South Beach. And
many of the Mariel refugees became
hard working citizens. Now 40 percent
of the people moving to South Miami
Beach are Latins, according to city
surveys. Evidence of the changing
demographics is everywhere. A Cuban
grocery store stands between Jacob's
Shoe Store and a Judaica shop on
Washington Avenue. Elderly
Chassidim stroll by their Latin
neighbors, who speak briskly in
Spanish. Salsa music streams from
open apartment windows.

Though fewer in number, Miami Beach's Jewish retirees still hang out at Wolfie's Restaurant, where Estelle Zimbisky has been serving for 40 years.

retirees, who might have taken a Anti-Defamation League of B'nai
cheap apartment on Miami Beach, are B'rith. "There is a vigorous and impor-
moving into inexpensive condominium tant Jewish community on Miami
developments in Broward and Palm Beach."
Beach Counties, known as Century
As evidence, Teittelbaum cites an
Villages. There as many as 15,000
retirees, 80-90 percent Jewish, live in influx of young Orthodox Jewish
low rise condominiums. These are families pushing baby carriages far-
planned communities with internal ther north along Miami Beach. In the
shopping, bus systems, a daily deco district, young Jewish profes-
schedule of activities, clubs, theaters, sionals are moving into restored
classes in Yiddish and Hebrew. "It's homes. A Lubavitch-Chabad center
like living in a JCC," says Sheskin. with a day school and yeshiva
Author Ze'ev Chafets visited one of flourishes in South Beach. A Hebrew
South Florida's Century Village corn- Academy nearby busses in 700 kids.
munities, writing about it in his book Eight other day schools and two
Members of the Tribe — On the Road parochial high schools are scattered
in Jewish America. In his observa- throughout Miami Beach. The Miami
tions, he contrasts the Jews who Beach JCC day camp fills up every
settled in Miami Beach in the 1950s summer and a new JCC just opened in
and '60s with the newer arrivals of the South Dade County. A large Russian
1970s and '80s: community on the beach is expanding
"The people are not Portnoy's with 300-400 new arrivals this year.
mother, but Portnoy, selfish, individu-
At Passover, 15,000 Jewish tourists
alistic, pleasure oriented. Their ac- continue to pack the famous hotels.
ents are Flatbush and New Jersey, And young Orthodox Jews are filling
cents
not Minsk or Vilna. Their furniture the rooms of the glatt kosher Carib-
isn't covered with slip covers, their
kitchens have only one set of dishes bean, Jerry
the Saxony,
Crowne.
Libben, the
executive
director of
(and that rarely used). They prefer to the Miami Beach Jewish Community
eat the half price early bird special at Center, said that after several years of
the
nearby
mall. makers
There or
are cheek
no kugel
bakers,
minyan
pin- decline, Miami Beach's Jewish popula-
chers here — just guys and gals tion has stabilized and may rise again
having a blast at summer camp." with an influx of a new generation.
"For years, Miami Beach was kicked
Sheskin laments that these planned around, crime ridden, the butt of
communities have ghettoized Jews in terrible jokes. I sense that people are
South Florida. "We segregated
grandma and grandpa out by age into tremendously excited about what's
walled communities with gatekeeper.,, happening here."
But the enthusiasm is not shared by
Some would say Miami Beach had
also become a ghetto. And though they Earl Kahn, now approaching 75. Tall
mourn the end of an era, they welcome and tanned, he stands outside his vit-
the changes that have disbursed amin store on Washington Avenue
650,000 Jews throughout South with his crony Beau Jack, the 1942
.g Florida. And while the numbers may world lightweight champion boxer,
`.' have decreased on Miami Beach, a who coaches at a gym on Fifth Street.
younger generation is boosting the Kahn says, `We had an area that was
a quality of Jewish life in the area. a Jewish homeland, where people who
"Anyone who counts out the Jewish lived through the ravages of Europe
community on Miami Beach is making had a place of peace and safety. I got
a big mistake," says Arthur Teit- up this morning and said, 'you know, I
A younger generation is boosting the quality of Jewish life on South Beach, where the elderly Jews once
telbaum, Southern area director of the don't see my people anymore."' ❑

Brooklyn, says demographer Sheskin.
They prefer golf and tennis courts to
sunning themselves on front porches.
"They look for communities like
Westchester, picking Boca Raton, not
Miami Beach," says Sheskin.
As Jewish retires creep up the coast,
Broward County has overtaken Dade
County as the center of South Florida
But even after the community Jewish life, says Sheskin. From 1982-
stabilized, older Jews continued to 1988, the Jewish population of Dade
leave. Says Sheskin: "Where elderly (Miami and the beaches), dropped
Sarah once had neighbors named from 270,000 to 225,000, while
Moishe and Isadore, there was now Broward's Jewry rose from 180,000 to
Mrs. Hernandez, Juan and Pedro. She 262,000. Broward, which encompasses
Hollywood, Hallandale and Fort
couldn't talk to them so she moved."
Lauderdale, is now 22 percent Jewish,
The rest of the aging Jewish popula-
tion on South Beach is dying off and up from 6.4 percent in 1970. In Palm
Beach County (Boca Raton, W. Palm
there are no replacements. Today's
Beach), the Jewish community grew
Jewish retirees still flock to Florida in
from 90,000 to 161,000 from 1982-
record numbers, but they are much
1988.
different from their predecessors.
But not all Jews can afford a high
They have more money and are likely
rise condominium in Boca Raton or
to be from suburban areas of the
north, not the Lower East Side or West Palm. The low to middle income

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predominated. Chasidic children play at the Landow Yeshiva Lubavitch Educational Center.

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FRIDAY, MARCH 30, 1990

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