Broward

Coconut Creek, Cooper City, Coral Springs, Davie, Deerfield Beach, Ft. Lauderdale, Hallandale, Hollywood, Lauderdale Lakes, Lauderhill, Margate, Pembroke Pines, Plantation, Pompano Beach, Sunrise, Tamarac, Weston

Broward County, the fifth largest Jewish community in the country, consists of 261,000 persons living in 131,000 Jewish households as of 1999. Of these 261,000 persons, 234,000 are Jewish

9% of Jewish households are in residence for 3-7 months of the year. Thus, of the 261,000 persons in Jewish households, about 22,000 are part-year residents.

The population in Jewish households increased from 40,000 persons in 1970 to 175,000 persons in 1980 and 275,000 in 1990. Although Jews continued to move to Broward County in large numbers in the 1990s, the Jewish population of Broward County decreased in the 1990s due to the high level of mortality among retirees who moved to Broward County in the 1970s.

30% of the Jewish population lives in West Central Broward (Plantation, North Lauderdale, Tamarac, Lauderdale Lakes, Sunrise); 20%, in Southwest Broward (Pembroke Pines, Cooper City, Davie); 16%, in North Central Broward (Palm Aire, Century Village, Margate, Coconut Creek, Wynmoor Village); 16%, in Southeast Broward (Hollywood / Hallandale); 12%, in Northwest Broward (Coral Springs, Parkland); and 6%, in East Broward (Fort Lauderdale).

46% (123,000 persons) of the population are age 65 and over, including 29% (77,000 persons) who are age 75 and over. The 46% makes Broward the sixth oldest of 50 American Jewish communities. 15% (39,000 persons) are age 17 and under.

Of the 131,000 Jewish households, 11% contain children age 0-17; 27%, a single person living alone, and 54%, a married couple with no children living at home.

The median household income is $46,000 (in 2004 dollars).

4% of households are Orthodox, 37% are Conservative, 24% are Reform, and 34% are Just Jewish. 32% of Jews never attend synagogue services and 17% attend once per month or more. 18% of married couples are intermarried.

27% of households are synagogue members, 72% of whom are members of a synagogue located in Broward County. Of those who are synagogue members, 12% are members of an Orthodox synagogue; 52%, a Conservative synagogue; 28%, a Reform synagogue; and 8%, other synagogues.

4% of households are members of one of the two Jewish Community Centers (JCCs). 12% of households participated in a JCC activity in the past year. 37% of households are members of some Jewish organization, such as B’nai B’rith or Hadassah.

50% of households have visited Israel, 21% on a trip with a Jewish organization or synagogue. 11% of Jewish adults experienced anti-Semitism in Broward County in the past year. 54% of Jewish adults perceive a great deal or a moderate amount of anti-Semitism in Broward County.

67% of households donated to a Jewish charity in the past year; 67%, to a non-Jewish charity; and 51% to a Jewish Federation, including 43% who donated to United Jewish Communities of Broward County. The average donation to the local Jewish Federation in the past year was $48.

Source: Sheskin, Ira M., The Jewish Federation of Broward County Community Study (1997) (Davie: The Jewish Federation of Broward County).