Miami-Dade

Aventura, Coconut Grove, Coral Gables, Homestead, Kendall, Miami, Miami Beach, Miami Lakes, Naranja Lakes, N. Bay Village, N. Miami Beach, N. Miami, S. Miami, Sunny Isles, Surfside

Miami-Dade County, the eleventh largest Jewish community in the country, consists of 121,300 persons living in 54,000 Jewish households. Of these 121,300 persons, 113,000 are Jewish.

7% of Jewish households are in residence for 3-7 months of the year. Thus, of the 121,300 persons in Jewish households, about 7,300 are part-year residents.

The population in Jewish households increased from 178,000 persons in 1970 to 207,000 persons in 1980, but then decreased to 152,000 persons in 1990. Much of this decline is due to mortality, particularly in The Beaches and North Dade. A significant portion of the decline is also due to the migration of the Jewish population north to both Broward and Palm Beach Counties.

47% (57,500 persons) of the Jewish population live in North Dade; 36% (43,300 persons), in South Dade; and 17% (20,500 persons), in The Beaches.

9,500 Jewish adults are Hispanic and 18,000 persons live in households with one or more Hispanic Jewish adults. 12,000 Jewish adults are Sephardic and 22,000 persons live in households with one or more Sephardic Jewish adults. 6,700 Jewish adults are Israeli and 11,600 persons live in households with one or more Israeli adults. 5,900 persons live in households from the former Soviet Union. In total, 31% of Jewish adults are foreign born, the highest of about 45 American Jewish communities.

30% (37,000 persons) of the population are age 65 and over, including 18% (21,500 persons) who are age 75 and over. The 30% makes Miami the ninth oldest of 50 American Jewish communities. 18% (21,700 persons) are age 17 and under.

Of the 54,000 Jewish households, 21% contain children age 0-17; 32%, a single person living alone; and
31%, a married couple with no children living at home.

The median household income is $64,000 (in 2004 dollars)

9% of households are Orthodox, 32% are Conservative, 27% are Reform, and 31% are Just Jewish. 25% of Jews never attend synagogue services and 26% attend once per month or more. 16% of married couples are intermarried.

39% of households are synagogue members, 89% of whom are members of a synagogue located in Miami. Of those who are synagogue members, 26% are members of an Orthodox synagogue; 37%, a Conservative synagogue; 35%, a Reform synagogue, and 2%, a Reconstructionist synagogue.

11% of households are members of one of the three Jewish Community Centers (JCCs). 31% of households participated in a JCC activity in the past year. 31% of households are members of some Jewish organization, such as B’nai B’rith or Hadassah.

62% of households have visited Israel, 31% on a trip with a Jewish organization or synagogue.

13% of Jewish adults experienced anti-Semitism in Miami in the past year. 49% of Jewish adults perceive a great deal or a moderate amount of anti-Semitism in Miami, a decrease from 73% in 1994.

67% of households donated to a Jewish charity in the past year; 59%, to a non- Jewish charity; and 48%, to a Jewish Federation, including 44% who donated to the Greater Miami Jewish Federation. The average donation to the local Jewish Federation in the past year was $408.

Source: Sheskin, Ira M. The 2004 Jewish Demographic Study of Dade County (Miami: The Greater Miami Jewish Federation).