Florida is Gaining Brooklyn’s Orthodox Jews. Here’s Why.

Between better employment opportunities, inexpensive housing and a school choice program that facilitates ease of yeshiva learning, families are heading south for more than just the Winter. Wimauma, Florida, a somewhat rural area near Tampa Bay, is the last place you would expect to find a Hasidic enclave. But since the Orthodox Jewish exodus from New York to Florida began recently, this is just one of several such communities in the state. On average, about $7,500 a year is provided to families with state-supported private-school scholarships. This has been a game changer for in-town families who have been struggling to pay tuition. From 2018-2020 the number of Jewish day schools in the state increased from 50 to 64, drawing in an additional 2,000 students. That doesn’t even reflect the COVID-fueled growth that has only increased the state’s religious Jewish population. This prompted Yeshiva Toras Chaim Toras Emes in North Miami Beach to add a “Considering a Move To Florida?” feature to its site, as it expects to add more than 300 new students to its current count of over 1,000. Read more here.

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