B'nai Zion synagogue.

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RUTH ROVNER SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS

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t's situated in the
southernmost point of
the continental United
States, a town known for
its dazzling sunsets, laid-
back lifestyle and any-
thing-goes credo.
So perhaps it's no sur-
prise that in the tropical
atmosphere of Key West,
Fla., the Jewish congrega-
tion is also unusual.
For instance, not many
Jewish communities got
started because of a ship-
wreck. Not many congre-
gations with only 73 mem-
bers manage to support a
synagogue, social hall and
rabbi.
"We have services every.
Friday night and Satur-
day morning, and we've
had an ordained rabbi
almost continuously since
1908," says Jack Einhorn.
He's the longtime presi-
dent of B'nai Zion and a
Key West native. I'm a
Jewish conch," he says
proudly, using the term
that natives use to distin-
guish themselves from the
tourists — over one and a
half million in number —
who visit Key West every
year.
Mr. Einhorn is standing
in front of B'nai Zion. Just
two blocks from the main
street, it's an expansive
building surrounded by
palm trees, date trees and
hedges of seagrape.
"Many tourists are real-
ly surprised to find a syn-
agogue here — and espe-
cially to find one as nice
as this," says Mr. Einhorn.
Indeed, there's a sanctu-
ary that seats 250 wor-
shippers. There's also a
social hall, complete with
kosher kitchen, and a

classroom for youngsters
attending the Hebrew;
school program.
Next door there's a
rabbi's residence where
Rabbi Louis Dimpson
lives.
Members of this small
congregation — which at,
the turn of the century
was the largest in Florida ()
— are a diverse group,1
just as Key West's resi-
dents are. "They come
from all over the country,"
says Mr. Einhorn, a sec-
ond-generation Key West-<
er whose mother, Annie
Einhorn, came to the city
as a child in 1898. His
father, Abraham Einhorn,
came in 1904.
The two were married in
Key West in 1912. "That'
the year the railroad came
to Key West,"says Jack
Einhorn, an expert both
on Jewish and general his-
tory of the unique town he
calls home.
When Abraham Einhorn
arrived here in 1904, be
bought a neighborhood
grocery store, the Big
Door. "I was born in that
house," recalls Mr.
Einhorn. "Our family lived
on the second floor and
the grocery was down-
stairs."
His father and brother
were both active in B'nai
Zion — and Jack Einhorn
followed their lead. He
became president in 1965
and has continued in that
role almost continuously
since then.
As president, he's met
Jews from all over the
world who have come to
this popular tourist town.
"Sweden, South Africa,
England, Israel, France —