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February 10, 2012
Lisa M. Krieger: Man with defibrillator demands access to his own heart's information
David G. Savage: Why activists may not be in a hurry to have High Court rule on alternative marriage
February 9, 2012
Laura McMullen: 10 Least Expensive Public Schools for Out-of-State Students
Kimberly Palmer: How to actually enjoy -- relaxing, financially -- your vacation
February 8, 2012
Warren Richey: Why momentous Prop. 8 ruling might not satisfy gay-rights groups
Menachem Wecker: Though Controversial, LL.M.'s Can Lead to Specialized Legal Jobs
The Kosher Gourmet byDana Velden: Going to the bother of making soup? You know it better be good. This CREAM OF TOMATO SOUP certainly is! And it's a cinch to make, too (Includes techinques and serving secrets)
February 7, 2012
Frank J. Gaffney, Jr.: Caught off-guard? President's Super Bowl interview with Matt Lauer gives those who need a reason not to vote for him, a darn good one
Suzanne Bohan: Leaping lizards! Tiny reptiles advancing robot design
February 6, 2012
Jonathan Tobin: Iran Threatens Israel With Destruction, But the New York Times Doesn't Hear It
Jeffrey Fleishman: In newly democratic Egypt, tens of democracy activists jailed, to stand trial; their groups are 'threatening the stability of the homeland'
Julie Deardorff : Researchers say antioxidants may not be that effective and could do more harm than good
Mark Clayton: How did Anonymous hackers eavesdrop on FBI and Scotland Yard?
February 3, 2012
Edmund Sanders : Israeli official says Iran is creating missile that could reach East Coast of US
Victoria Kim: Immigrant-smuggling ring used black drivers to avoid racial profiling
February 2, 2012
Jim Carney: Wrong number call may have saved her life
Reza Kahlili : Ex-CIA spy in Iran's Revolutionary Guard: What Obama doesn't grasp about striking deals with Tehran
Tina Susman: For woodchuck rescuer, every day is Groundhog Day
February 1, 2012
Brian Bennett: US officials see increasing threat of domestic attack from Iran
Emily Brandon: How to Take Advantage of New 401(k) Fee Disclosures
January 31, 2012
January 30, 2012
Paul Richter and Ramin Mostaghim: Misreading Teheran's limits -- deadly and economically devastating as they may be -- is a risk administration, Europe seem willing to take
Suzanne Bohan: Warning: Nap-deprived tots missing more than sleep, study finds
Meg Handley: Banks Revamping Rewards Programs to Woo Customers
January 27, 2012
Caroline B. Glick: Obama: Of course I intend to prevent a nuclear holocaust . . . in a few months
Yochonon Donn: In liberal New York City, fervently-Orthodox Jews may soon be getting a district to call their own
Jeannine Stein: An inflated ego and thinking you're 'all that' doesn't just make others sick of you, it can make you ill
Katy Hopkins: New budget rules may affect how much money you get for college
January 26, 2012
Ed Koch: To the New York Times, calling for the murder of Jews by those capable of having their incitement taken seriously isn't news
Jeannine Stein: Mental illness struck one in five U.S. adults in 2010: Report
January 25, 2012
Richard Simon: House passes two bills endorsing the use of religious symbols at military memorials
Fred Weir: Putin: Multiethnic Russia cannot survive as a US-style 'melting pot'; must find its own way
Susan Johnston: 5 Sneaky Coupon Strategies Consumers Should Watch Out For
January 24, 2012
Carol Clark: The price of your soul: How your brain decides whether to 'sell out'
Caroline B. Glick: America lost most in 'Arab Spring'. Sadly, many voters still don't grasp the extent
Warren Richey: Drug criminal scores win in GPS ruling from conservative-leaning high court
Erika Bolstad: Black conservatives gather to talk about gaining strength
January 23, 2012
Melissa Dribben: Jewish voters to play a key role in Florida's Republican primary
Jordan Rau: In quest to grow, Catholic hospital system will announce this morning its break from church
Ali Safi: U.S. envoy gives Taliban terms for peace talks
January 19, 2012
January 18, 2012
January 17, 2012
Frank J. Gaffney Jr.: No-kidding red lines: U.S. response to an Iranian nuke may be bluster, but Israel's won't be
David G. Savage: They sued their principals after slandering them online --- now the cases are headed to the Supreme Court
David Francis: Where to Invest in 2012: With stocks expected to rebound, opportunity abounds for investors
January 13, 2012
Ben Lynfield: Israeli lawmakers move to annex Jewish Judea, one museum at a time
Alexia Elejalde-Ruiz: Thriving through touch: Gentle massage helps older people with low mobility improve in mind and body
January 12, 2012
Warren Richey: Landmark Supreme Court ruling a 'resounding win' for religious groups
Warren Richey: Supreme Court says no to new rule on eyewitness testimony
John Fauber : Statins found to raise diabetes risk in postmenopausal women
Katy Hopkins : Consider This Before You Pay for an Online Degree
The Kosher Gourmet by Joseph Erdos: This mushroom and barley soup has an intense -- almost nutty -- flavor that mixes robust with Middle East. It has creaminess without cream
January 11, 2012
Shari Roan: Millions of atrial fibrillation sufferers at risk for devastating, but preventable, stroke
Tom Hussain: Pakistan -- recipient of more than $21 billion in civilian and military aid -- speeds pursuit of Iranian pipeline, defying US
David G. Savage: High court signals it won't be loosening TV's 'indecency' rules
Stephen Ceasar: Oklahoma's Islamic law amendment can't go into effect, court rules
January 10, 2012
Reza Kahlili: From an ex-CIA spy: US must exploit new split in Iran's Revolutionary Guard
Karen Kaplan: Study: Nicotine replacement products ineffective when used in real-life situations
January 9, 2012
Michael Doyle: Put through legal hell over dream home, couple fought back hard --- all the way to Supreme Court
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Jewish World Review
March 17, 2005
/ 6 Adar II, 5765
Thousands of Hispanics who follow the Torah escape the shadows in South Florida
By
Sandra Hernandez
JewishWorldReview.com |
 ORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Mariano Moshe Otero grew up struggling to understand both his faiths. "We were brought up in a Christian home but knowing we were Cuban Jews," said Otero, 43, a former Evangelical minister who is now pursuing rabbinical studies in Miami.
"It was very confusing, but now I understand this was part of the experience many Latin Jews have about their faith and their place in the community. It isn't always easy being a Hispanic Jew," said Otero.
According to figures released in the mid-to-late-1990s, the most recent available, more than 9,500 Latin Jews were living in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties, according to Ira Sheskin, director of the Jewish Demography Project at the University of Miami. A new study, set for release later this month, uses figures that are significantly higher, said Sheskin.
"I can tell you the numbers are up, and I suspect this is being driven by the arrival of Latin American Jews," said Sheskin, who declined to provide specific data.
Hispanic Jews remain a minority both within their faith and in Latin America, where they have survived, though at times facing anti-Semitism and ugly reminders of the past. Exactly 13 years ago today in Buenos Aires, home to the largest Jewish community in Latin American, 29 people were killed when the Israeli embassy was bombed. Two years later, 95 people died in a bombing of a Jewish community center.
Hispanic Jews trace their roots to many countries, but the oldest go back to Spain. In 1492, the Spanish crown ordered them to convert to Catholicism. Those who openly refused were expelled. Others fled to Portugal and later to Latin America. Many who converted practiced their faith clandestinely and are sometimes referred to as Crypto Jews. Those suspected of secretly practicing Judaism were later persecuted during the Inquisition, when thousands were killed. Many survivors practiced Christianity publicly, but quietly observed their faith at home, as the Oteros do today. Latin American Jews who arrive in Florida are putting down roots in Broward and Palm Beach counties. Their presence is another quiet reminder of the demographic changes that are taking place at temples and synagogues across the region.
Last month, the United Jewish Community of Broward County began an outreach program to Latin Jews. It is putting together a data base to track Hispanic Jews in the county, according to Anita Lapco, the group's new Latin relations coordinator.
"This outreach effort really reflects the growth in the number of Jews who have come from places like Venezuela, Colombia and Argentina," said Lapco, who moved last year from Caracas to Aventura. "Right now we don't even really know that much about them, just that they are here, so this is the first step in getting a better sense of this community."
Local temples are adapting services that reflect the new face of Judaism.
"We are trying to set up a Passover Seder in Spanish," said Otero, who attends the Hollywood Community Synagogue. "This is about creating a comfortable environment, because you feel differently when you are around people who speak your own language, even though this is America and we must learn to speak English."
Like Otero, the majority of South Florida's Hispanic Jews are Cubans who settled in Miami during the early 1960s.He was among those photographed for "Cuban Jews in South Florida: An Intimate View," an exhibit currently on display at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton. The exhibit is expected to travel to UJC in Broward. Photographer Randi Sidman-Moore spent more than four years on the project. The exhibit includes more than 30 images, ranging from the ordinary moment when a Cuban Jewish family gathers for a meal of plantains, beans and rice, to the extraordinary instant when an 8-day-old boy is circumcised at a bris.
The show reflects a growing interest in Hispanic Jewish life and the complicated stories told by some like Otero. Like many Jews from throughout Latin America, they shrouded their faith in secrecy, fearing prejudice. The programs sprouting up in South Florida are helping Hispanic Jews adapt to life here and find a cultural voice.
"Our issues aren't so much language, because, for example, in Venezuela services are in Hebrew. But we will try and help create a sense of community and put many in touch with the social programs available to them, or even just getting in touch with others who are like them," Lapco said.
Indeed, older Hispanic Jews insist newcomers face a far different transition, thanks to a strong religious and social network already in place.
"It is very different now for those who arrive," said Bernardo Benes, who was born in Cuba and helped establish the Cuban Hebrew Congregation after arriving in Miami in 1960. "The local Jewish community didn't really pay much attention when we arrived and we struggled to find our place. Now there are temples and groups who can help them."
Moreover, others said these later arrivals are often familiar with life in Florida.
"Many of those coming over are already familiar with Miami or other parts because they have businesses. In some cases, some have second homes here," said Rafael Kravec, president of the American Friends of Peres Center for Peace, Inc, a Miami-based group.
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© 2005, South Florida Sun-Sentinel Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Information Services
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