Living Well

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city squares in Savannah's
historic district immortal-
ized in John Berendt's
best-selling book,
Midnight in the Garden of
Good and Evil.
Miami, with more
than 400,000 Jews resid-
ing in Broward, Dade and
Palm Beach counties, is
rapidly rivaling New
York's title as the
greatest Jewish
city in the
world. But
the Jewish
presence is
only part of
Miami's
story. Its
tropical
beauty and its Latin
American influences
make it one of the most
unique areas in the coun-

Synagogue at Old York and
Foxcroft roads in suburban
Elkins Park was Frank Lloyd
Wright's first synagogue designed
in the U.S. He nicknamed it
"The American Synagogue."
Corned beef locator: the
shopping district around Castor
and Cottman avenues.

Washington, D.C., is a city of
transients, so there are no neigh-
borhoods that are steeped in
Jewish tradition, and a good
corned beef sandwich is probably
going to be available only to
those who are willino to drive to
b
the Maryland suburbs.
However, capital cities like
tributes and Washington is no
exception. Four museums are
specifically designated to honor
Jewish culture and history.
Museum of the Southern Jewish Experience, Utica, Miss.
Temple B'nai Israel, Natchez, Miss.
The most extraordinary is the
U.S. Holocaust Memorial
distinction, as the first Jew to die in
known as the Rue Des Synagogues,
try
Museum at 1000 Raoul Wallenberg
the American Revolution. He He was
Lloyd Street Synagogue is the
Though Miami has the largest con-
and
the
Place, at Independence Ave. and 15th
scalped in an ambush by Tory-
third oldest in the country.
centration
of Jews in Florida, its
St. SW, the only national memorial to
financed Cherokee Indians.
Hollywood producer-director Barry
Jewish community is the newest in the
the Holocaust.
Take a bus or carriage tour through
Levinson grew up in Baltimore and
state. David Levy Yulee, son of a
Established by a unanimous act of
Charleston's historic district and then
has explored his roots in many of his
Caribbean lumber baron, was instru-
Congress, the museum is overwhelm-
walk. Special sight to note: Behind
Tin Man, Avalon and
mental in attaining Florida statehood
films,
including
ing in its scope and graphic in details
City Hall, in Washington Park at
Henrietta Szold, founder of
Diner.
in 1836. He went on to become the
conveying the horrors of Nazi brutali-
Broad and Meeting streets, is a plaque
Hadassah, also grew up in Baltimore.
state's first U.S. senator and later
ty against the Jews of Europe. There is
honoring Francis Salvador.
The Jewish Historical Society of
served in the Confederate Congress.
a special children's exhibit for those
Charleston's Hebrew Orphan
15
Lloyd
St.
in
the
Lloyd
The city of Fort Myers is named
Maryland,
under 12. The U.S. Holocaust
Society, the first in the U.S., stands at
events, exhibits
Street
Synagogue,
has
after
Colonel Abraham Myers, one of
Memorial Museum is open daily, 10
88 Broad St. Judah Benjamin, who later
and free tours of Jewish Baltimore. For
at
least
half a dozen Jewish officers
a.m.-5:30 p.m.; (202) 488-0400.
served as secretary of war in the
information, call (301) 732 6400.
who served in the Florida Indian wars
The Lillian-Albert Small Jewish
Confederacy, attended classes there. A
Corned beef locator: Park
of the 1830s and 1840s.
Museum, 701 3rd St. NW, is housed
short walk away, at 89-91 Church
Heights, especially along Reistertown
In Miami, there are about 5,000
in the city's first Jewish house of wor-
Street, is a three-story house that served
Cuban Jews and 5,000 more from
Road.
ship. It is open Sunday-Thursday, 10
as the model for Catfish Row in the
other countries in Latin America. The
a.m.-4 p.m., and Friday by appoint-
Porgy
George
Gershwin
masterpiece,
Cuban Hebrew Congregation, an
SOUTH:
ment; call ahead to (202) 789 0900.
and Bess. A New York native, Gershwin
Charleston and Savannah, Georgia;
Ashkenazi congregation at 1700
The National Museum of
lived in Charleston for a year in 1934
Miami; Natchez-Utica, Mississippi
Michigan Ave. in Miami Beach, and
American Jewish.Military History,
while composing the opera.
Charleston, S.C., has a long, rich
Temple
Moses, a Cuban Sephardi
1811 R St. NW, is open Monday-
Charleston's Beth Elohim is the
American-Jewish tradition. The 1669
congregation, 1200 Normandy Drive,
Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., and Sunday, 1-
oldest Reform congregation in the
Carolina Charter guaranteed the Jews
Miami Beach, hold regular services
5 p.m. For information, call (202)
world. The original sanctuary was
in this colony more freedom than in
and show the bilingual, multi-cultural
265-6280.
Sephardic-Orthodox, but it burned
any
other
colony
under
the
British.
nature of this unique city.
The Klutznick Museum, located in
down. In the reconstruction, congre-
In the years immediately following
Corned beef locator: Kosher delis
the B'nai B'rith International
gants decided to streamline its service
still exist in Miami Beach and Yiddish
the American Revolution, Charleston
Headquarters, 1640 Rhode Island
and add an organ. The sanctuary, dat-
is still spoken on the streets, but the
had the largest, richest, most cultured
Ave. NW, contains Jewish artifacts. It
ing back to 1838, is the second oldest
Jewish community in the new nation.
Hispanic population predominates
is open Sunday-Friday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
in America and the oldest in continu-
Two remarkable colonists were
there. Hallandale and the communi-
For information, call (202) 857-
ous
use.
ties in North Broward and Palm
Jewish: Moses Lindo, from
6583.
Corned beef locator: area around
London, helped develop the
Beach counties have the largest con-
Charleston's Jewish Community
centration of Jews and Jewish busi-
growing of indigo, the main
Baltimore, once the second
Center, 1645 Wallenberg Blvd., west
crop in the colony along with
nesses.
largest city in the nation, is a
of the Ashley River.
Tours of Jewish Miami are also
rice.
striking contrast, a city of row
Savannah, a two-hour drive from
Francis Salvador was the
available. Contact Milton Heller at
houses and neighbor- -
Charleston, has a Jewish gem in its
first Jew elected to public
(305) 931-1782.
hoods that are tightly
gracious, historic community. Mickve
office in America, as a delegate
knit and proud of their
Israel, a Reform congregation built in
to the special congresses of South
Mississippi is not the most obvious
ethnicity.
1878, at 20 East Gordon St., faces
state's consti-
spot
for one of the most ambitious
Carolina
that
drafted
the
Park Heights Avenue once was
Monterey Square -- one of the many
tution. He had another, more dubious

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7/9
1999

104 Detroit Jewish News

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