Anti-Semitism In Florida

Even though Florida has the third highest state population of Jews, many live in South Florida. South Florida consists of Palm Beach, Broward, and Miami-Dade counties. Jews still faced Anti-Semitism throughout Florida history. When Spaniards began to settle in Florida, Jews were forbidden from settling and practicing their religion. After England bought Florida from the Spanish in 1763, Jews were legally allowed to settle, but there was still prejudice against them. Once Florida became a United States territory in 1821, more Jews began to settle in Florida after being persecuted in other parts of the country. Now, Jews live a much better life then they did in earlier Florida history, but they still face Anti-Semitism. This past July, Anti-Semitics vandalized Torah V'Emunah Congregation synagogue in Miami, Florida. They spray painted swastikas and the word ‘Hamas’ on the entrance of the temple. That …show more content…
In 1654, Jews were expelled from Brazil after Portugal claimed it. The small group of 23 Jews living there sailed to New Amsterdam. The following year, the Jews won the right to establish the first Jewish community in America. New Amsterdam becomes New York in 1664, and Jewish rights begin to change. In 1740, the British Plantation Act gives Jews a limited citizenship. In Atlanta, Georgia in 1915, Leo Frank, who was wrongly accused for a murder he did not commit, was lynched because he was Jewish. This alerted many Jewish Americans, and struck fear amongst Jewish communities. In March 2012, 5 Jewish families submitted a lawsuit against the Pine Bush Central School District in upstate New York for Anti-Semitic harassment against their children at one of their schools. There are many reports in the past few years of jokes about the Holocaust, Nazi-like actions, and physical violence towards Jewish students. The White Plains Federal Court recently allowed the suit to