FAU Hosts 'The Florida Jewish Experience' Symposium

The Jewish Studies Program in Florida Atlantic University's Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters presents "The Florida Jewish Experience" symposium, on Sunday, Oct. 26 from 1 to 5 p.m. and Monday, Oct. 27 from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., at the Osher Lifelong Learning Auditorium, 777 Glades Road, Boca Raton campus. The closing reception will be on Monday, Oct. 27 from 6 to 9:30 p.m. in the Schmidt Gallery. The symposium is free and open to the public. Tickets to the closing reception are $45 through FAU's Box Office.

The symposium brings together scholars from around the country to discuss subjects surrounding Jewish history in Florida. Among the lecture topics are:

• "From Small Towns to Big Cities: Surveying Florida's Jewish Populations"
• "From Sand to Sky: The Jewish Aviators of Eglin Air Force Base"
• "Winter Wonderland: Jewish Real Estate Developers in the Postwar South Florida Boom 1945-1970"
• "Late 19^th Century Cuban Exile Communities in Key West, Tampa and post-Independence Havana"
• "White on the Outside and Black Inside." South Florida Jews and the Modern Civil Rights Movement"

The closing reception will provide a chance to step back in time to Florida's Jazz Age, with live music, vintage cocktails, hors d'oeuvres and décor that brings the spirit of the 1920s to life. The art exhibition, "A Century of Jews in Boca Raton (1925-2025)," which is on view from Monday, Oct. 27 through Sunday, Dec. 14, traces the history and enduring contributions of the Jewish community in Boca Raton over the past 100 years. Through photographs, performances, historical documents and personal narratives, the exhibition explores the cultural, social and economic impact of Jewish residents, from early settlers to the thriving community of today. Highlighting stories of resilience, activism and tradition, the exhibition reflects on the evolving identity of Jewish life in South Florida and its lasting influence on the region's history. The exhibition is free and open to the public.

The symposium is co-sponsored by the M.B. and Edna Zale Foundation and FAU's Center for Peace, Justice and Human Rights Program, America's Initiative, and the Department of History. The reception is sponsored by Nathan and Marion Crosby and S.E. Wimberly Libraries. Exhibition partners include the Boca Raton Historical Society and the Jewish Museum of Florida at Florida International University.

For more information, visit www.fau.edu/artsandletters/jewishstudies/events/ or email [email protected]

-FAU-