Seniors

Here We dome

Baby boomers still choosing to retire in the Sunshine State.

By Robert Gluck { JNS.org

"It is a different world. For
s the age-old trend of Jews
retiring to South Florida on the
every 20-year-old today who
decline? It depends how you
cruises Ocean Drive, imagine an
look at the numbers, according to
80-year-old then pulling a shop-
demographer Dr. Ira Sheskin.
ping cart up Washington Avenue.
"Even though the percentage
Where the bars are today, imagine
a makeshift synagogue. On the
coming to Florida may be down,
the number coming is probably not
beach, for every 'hard' body
decreasing and it's not going to
today, imagine an elderly person,
decrease," said Sheskin, a member
and no traffic. The last elderly
of the committee that completed
Jews of Miami Beach represented
both the 1990 and 2000-01 Na-
tenacity and conviction, a love of
A view of Washington Ave. and 15th Street in South Beach, Miami.
tional Jewish Population Surveys.
learning, and a fragile and unique
South Beach used to be a prime spot for Jewish seniors.
Why is that the case?
culture."
"Starting last year, the baby
Sheskin estimates that there are 555,000
boomers began to retire," said Sheskin,
SNOWBIRDS MAKE IT PERMANENT
total Jews living in that three-county area —
director of the Jewish Demography Project
Sheskin's figures show that many so-called
half of them 65 and older.
of the Sue and Leonard Miller Center for
"snowbirds"— seniors who travel to Florida
"Jews are continuing to come here, but
Contemporary Judaic Studies at the Uni-
seasonally for a warmer winter — turn into
they are more frequently settling in Palm
versity of Miami. "There are 10,000 baby
full-year residents. He said this trend could
Beach County than in Broward County,
boomers a day in this country turning age
be traced to World War II, when many
and probably more frequently in Broward
65. Even though the percentage coming to
New York Jews who were in the Army were
than in Miami-Dade County," Sheskin said.
Florida may be somewhat lower, because
trained in South Florida.
"Miami has become this major metropolitan
there is an increase now of people retir-
"They came here, saw something they
area."
ing in this country over the next couple of
liked, and then after the war when they
According to Marcia Jo Zerivitz, founding
decades, the number coming to Florida will
started their families, decided to move their
executive director of the Jewish Museum
still continue to increase."
families here," Sheskin explained. "That led
of Florida, two groups of Jews started the
Sheskin has completed in excess of 110
to a large growth of the Jewish community
trend of coming to Miami Beach.
in this area.
demographic studies for more than 80
"Prosperous Jews began to winter on
synagogues, Jewish organizations and com-
"The other obvious reason is the climate.
Miami Beach in the 1950s when the new
mercial entities. He said that according to
As people aged, they could not put up with
hotels (such as the Eden Roc and Fon-
the nationwide trend in elderly retirement,
weather conditions, snow and ice in the
tainebleau) had the 'American Plan," she
"Florida is still, to this day, the overwhelm-
northeast. Florida became a good alterna-
said. "The poorer Jewish elderly on South
ing destination for retirees.
tive."
Beach, which were largely teachers and
"Having said that, it is somewhat of a
Further contributing to this trend is what
garment workers, rapidly declined from
lower percentage than it was 20 or 30 years
geographers call "chain migration."
1977 to 1986. South Beach was the last
ago," Sheskin said. "We now see retirees,
"In the 1920s and 1930s, Jews started to
leg of a historic migration from the Old
including Jewish retirees, going to places like
come [to South Florida]," Sheskin said. "Oth-
World — the shtetls of eastern Europe, the
North Carolina, even places like Arkansas,
ers would come down on vacation or visit
Czarist pogroms and Nazi Holocaust — to
where the cost of living is considerably less
relatives then return to New York, Boston or
this country, to the formidable years in the
expensive. So the percentage [retiring to
Philadelphia and think, 'Wow, that's a neat
northeast and, at last, to the summer-in-
Florida] is down some."
place, I've already got relatives or friends
winter climate."
What Sheskin has seen in South Florida is
there, and they would follow.
Zerivitz said that Miami's South Beach,
that the Jewish population in Miami-Dade
"It's called chain migration because you
rather than the partying/nightlife destina-
County has been decreasing since 1975.
have an initial group of settlers, you then
tion it is known as today, used to be a prime
His last estimate of Jews in Miami, taken in
have another group that comes and sees,
spot for Jewish seniors.
2004, was 113,000. Broward County in 2008
goes home and then follows, with the first
"Today's Jewish population in South
had 186,000 Jews and Palm Beach County
group providing guidance to the second
Beach is Americanized, and the non-Jewish
had 255,000.
group as to where to live."
population is largely Hispanic," Zerevitz said.

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BOOM Magazine • February 2015