Unpacking Florida's Jewish History

This episode explores the early history of Jewish presence in Florida, beginning with Ponce de León's discovery in 1513 and the 250 years where only Catholics could officially reside. It examines the possibility of crypto-Jews living secretly in St. Augustine alongside the Spanish, and introduces Moses Elias Levy—a Moroccan-born visionary who purchased 100,000 acres of Florida land and advocated for Jewish refugees fleeing European persecution.

In 1939, the German ship St. Louis departed for Havana, Cuba with 937 Jewish passengers on board. The passengers were planning on staying in Cuba until they could enter the United States, but the US government, Canada, and Cuba did not allow the ship to land. Tragically, 254 of the passengers would perish in the Holocaust. This episode examines this dark chapter and its connection to Florida's shores.

South Florida and Miami specifically are typically thought of as the most Jewish region in Florida. Jews have been major contributors to architecture in Miami Beach, as well as museums and food. Miami has served as an Ellis Island of sorts in the last century, with influxes of post-WW2 Jews and Cuban immigrants fleeing in the 1950s. This episode dives into how Jewish culture shaped the Magic City.

Florida is home to the third-largest Jewish population in the United States, with around 10,000 Cuban Jews. This episode explores Floridian Jewry's support of Cuban independence in the 1890s and how Cuban revolutionary leader José Martí's writings resonated with Jewish immigrants. Discover the unique cultural bonds between these two communities in Key West.

This episode provides a deeper look at the impact of the Civil Rights movement in Florida, focusing on a specific example in Saint Augustine, where the religious Jewish community joined in solidarity with African American activists.