Before They Slip through the Cracks

In Israel, a Jewish identity comes along with the turf. But when Israelis move abroad, they often find themselves spiritually unmoored and in real danger of assimilation and intermarriage. That’s when the kiruv professionals step in

The scene two weeks ago at the Jewish Academy, a day school in Hollywood, Florida, was both heartwarming and slightly disorienting. The 300-strong K-12 school had a special guest, Mirrer Rosh Yeshivah Rav Yitzchak Ezrachi. Clustered around the 91-year-old visitor were dozens of little children singing “Kol Ha’olam Kulo” and “Thank You Hashem” as the rav beamed and sang along. Some boys sported close-cropped hair and jeans; others favored ponytails topped with large knitted kippot. While the younger children gathered eagerly around, the older students hung back until they were swept up in a dance around the Rosh Yeshivah, tugged into the circle by a black teacher who was obviously swept up in the enthusiasm of the moment.

From the distinguished guest to the children with minimal Jewish background and their chareidi teachers, the event had all the trappings of a visitor’s day at a kiruv school in Holon or Be’er Sheva. And yet here it was, thousands of miles away in sunny South Florida.

For anyone familiar with the school’s catchment area in the Hollywood–Fort Lauderdale neighborhoods north of Miami, the sound of so many kids speaking fluent Hebrew would come as no surprise. Home to tens of thousands of Israelis, the area is an Israeli colony complete with giant hostage posters and declarations of support for the country they’ve left behind.

The masses of yordim who stream to this Little Israel come in search of the cash and peace of mind that elude them back home. Some are professionals, but many are blue-collar workers there to make a quick buck working in a mall or in construction.