Antisemitism in Florida

History of antisemitism in Florida

The history of Antisemitism in Florida dates to the establishment of Spanish Florida in the 16th century. Jews were prohibited by law from settling in Spanish Florida or practicing their religion. Following the British acquisition of Florida in 1763, Jews were allowed to settle in Florida but still experienced prejudice and discrimination. American Jews became free to move to Florida after 1821, when the United States gained control of the Florida Territory from Spain, where they enjoyed relative freedom due to the US legacy of religious tolerance. Prior to a 1959 ruling from the Supreme Court of Florida, Jewish people were excluded from living in many white Christian neighborhoods throughout the state due to the use of restrictive covenants and quotas. During the 2010s and 2020s, Florida has seen an increase in reported incidents of antisemitic vandalism and violence.

## History

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### 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries

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In Spanish Florida, the law prohibited Jews from settling in Florida and prohibited the practice of Judaism. The first Jews began to settle in Florida in 1763, when Great Britain acquired Florida from the Spanish. While Jews were allowed to settle in Florida, they still experienced discrimination and prejudice, including in employment. Following the American Revolutionary War, Florida was traded back to Spain by the British. After 1821, when Spanish Florida was purchased by the United States and organized as the Florida Territory, American Jews began to settle in Florida. Due to the American history of religious tolerance, Jews in Florida were able to enjoy greater freedoms than before.[1]

### 19th century

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David Levy Yulee, the first United States Senator of Jewish descent, experienced antisemitism throughout his career despite his conversion to Christianity.[2]

### 20th century

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Prior to the 1930s, antisemitism was common in Florida, particularly in South Florida. At that time, most Floridian Jews lived in Central Florida and Northern Florida as antisemitic discrimination discouraged Jews from moving to the south. It was once common for businesses in Miami and Miami Beach to discriminate against Jews and place signs saying "Gentiles Only" or "No Jews or Dogs". Advertisements in Miami Beach sometimes stated "Always a view, never a Jew".[3]

#### Residential segregation

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Prior to the passage of the 1968 Fair Housing Act, Jewish people were excluded from living in many white Christian neighborhoods throughout the United States due to the use of restrictive covenants and quotas. In Florida, the state Supreme Court ruled that antisemitic real estate covenants was unconstitutional.[4]

The real estate developer and highway builder Carl G. Fisher initially refused to do business with Jews.[5] During the time that Fisher was building properties, Miami Beach was a sundown town where Black Americans and other people of color were not allowed after dark. In 1949, a local ordinance in Miami Beach prohibited antisemitic discrimination.[6]

### 21st century

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According to the Anti-Defamation League, the number of reported antisemitic incidents has increased in Florida each year since 2018. In 2022, there were 269 reported antisemitic incidents, including 1 assault, 54 incidents of vandalism, and 214 incidents of harassment.[7]

According to a report published by Florida Attorney-General Ashley Moody, the number of antisemitic crimes in Florida increased by 94% in 2023 compared to 2022. These crimes occurred on campuses, in places of worship, and in other areas. Moody also called to action: “To protect Jewish Americans, we took action – calling for a zero-tolerance policy for hate crimes and urging Florida college and university police chiefs to protect Jewish students and other religious groups.”[8]

## See also

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* Antisemitism in Connecticut
* Antisemitism in Maryland
* Antisemitism in New Jersey
* Antisemitism in Virginia
* Antisemitism in the United States
* History of antisemitism in the United States

## References

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1. ^ "Florida Jewish Heritage Trail". Florida Department of State. Retrieved 2023-11-07.
2. ^ McIver, Stuart B. (2008). Touched by the Sun. Vol. 3\. Sarasota, FL: Pineapple Press. p. 168\. ISBN 978-1-56164-206-9.
3. ^ "The Jews of Florida: A History". Aish.com. Retrieved 2023-11-07.
4. ^ "Florida Supreme Court Rule Voids Anti-jewish Restrictive Covenants". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Retrieved 2023-11-07.
5. ^ "Remembering Miami Beach's Shameful History of Segregation and Racism". Miami New Times. Retrieved 2023-11-07.
6. ^ "100 Years: The Dark and Dirty History of Miami Beach". Miami New Times. Retrieved 2023-11-07.
7. ^ "PR: Antisemitic Incidents In Florida More Than Double Since 2020". Anti-Defamation League. Retrieved 2023-11-07.
8. ^ "Antisemitic crime up by 94% in Florida, 70% in Mass., states warn". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com. 2025-01-06. Retrieved 2025-01-16.

## External links

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* Governor Ron DeSantis Signs Legislation in Israel Further Combatting Antisemitism, Ron DeSantis

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Antisemitism in the United States

Part of
antisemitism, racism in the United States

History|

* List of incidents
* General Order No. 11 (1862)
* Lynchings
* Samuel Bierfield (1868)
* Samuel Fleischman (1869)
* Abraham Surasky (1903)
* Leo Frank (1915)
* Death of Lazarus Averbuch (1908)
* Massena blood libel (1928)
* 1939 Nazi rally at Madison Square Garden
* Knickerbocker Case (1945–1950)
* Nixon Jew count (1971)
* Murder of Neal Rosenblum (1986)
* Crown Heights riot (1991)
* 1994 Brooklyn Bridge shooting
* 1997 Empire State Building shooting
* 2002 Los Angeles International Airport shooting
* Murder of Ariel Sellouk (2003)
* 2005 Los Angeles bomb plot
* 2011 Manhattan terrorism plot
* 2017 Jewish Community Center bomb threats
* Unite the Right rally
* 2017–18 Bergen County eruv controversy
* Murder of Blaze Bernstein (2018)
* Pittsburgh synagogue shooting (2018)
* Poway synagogue shooting (2019)
* 2019 Jersey City shooting
* Monsey Hanukkah stabbing (2019)
* Attack on Joseph Borgen (2021)
* Austin synagogue arson (2021)
* Attack on Matt Greenman (2022)

Higher education|

* Jewish quotas
* 2023 Congressional hearing
* Columbia University

Manifestations|

* Franklin Prophecy
* Triple parentheses

Reactions|

* Anti-Zionism on Campus
* The Believer
* Berlin 36
* Crossing the Line 2: The New Face of Anti-Semitism on Campus
* Gentlemen's Agreement (novel, film)
* Protocols of Zion

Academic study|

* Journal for the Study of Antisemitism
* Journal of Contemporary Antisemitism
* Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy
* Yale Program for the Study of Antisemitism

Opposition|

| Organizations|

* AMCHA Initiative
* Anti-Defamation League
* Committee of Catholics to Fight Anti-Semitism
* Fagin the Jew
* HIAS
* Hollywood Anti-Nazi League
* Simon Wiesenthal Center
* Southern Poverty Law Center
* StopAntisemitism

|

Government|

* United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
* U.S. National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism
* Executive Order on Combating Anti-Semitism
* Office of the Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Antisemitism

Related articles|

* Donald Trump and antisemitism
* McCarthyism and antisemitism
* Nazism in the United States
* Alt-right
* White supremacy
* Normalization of antisemitism

By jurisdiction|

* Connecticut
* Florida
* Maryland
* New Jersey
* Virginia
* Washington, D.C.

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