How Florida Became Home to Jewish Snowbirds
Snowbird: noun
1) Dark-eyed Junco, a member of the sparrow family whose sudden appearance at feeding stations heralds the coming of winter
2) Migrant workers of the 1920s who, together with the unemployed, went south in search of jobs
3) Uncle Bob and Aunt Lil, Uncle Norman and Aunt Sonny
Once the days grow shorter and chillier, thousands of American Jews like my aunts and uncles temporarily pull up stakes and head south for a couple of months. Some lit out for Charleston or Hilton Head, South Carolina. Others make a beeline for Delray Beach or Boca Raton, Florida, where, living either in a high-rise condo or in a gated community with a fanciful name, they enjoy the good life: long walks on the beach (or at the mall); eating early and frequently; a round of golf or a quick dip in the pool; and the occasional visit from the grandchildren.
Continue reading "How Florida Became Home to Jewish Snowbirds" at...