Registration Required. The Friends of the Main Library ask you to please join us for this very special program presented virtually by scholar and oral historian Marcia Jo Zerivitz. This one-hour presentation is based on the author’s seminal book, the first comprehensive history of the Jews of Florida from colonial times to the present – a sweeping tapestry of voices spanning centuries. Despite not being officially allowed to live in Florida until 1763, Jewish immigrants escaping expulsions and exclusions were among the earliest settlers. They have been integral to every area of Florida’s growth, from tilling the land and developing early communities to boosting tourism and ultimately pushing mankind into space. You will meet contemporary Floridian Jews – names that are recognized globally – and pioneers who impacted history beginning 257 years ago and possibly in 16th-century Florida.

Ms. Zerivitz will be presenting her program virtually through Zoom. Attendees have the option of either accessing the presentation at home through Zoom or attending a screening of the event inside the Main Library at 1960 N. Ponce de Leon Blvd. Registration is required. To register, please contact Beth Maycumber at the Main Library at 904.827.6940 or through email: bmaycumber@sjcfl.us.

Marcia Jo Zerivitz, Founding Executive Director, Jewish Museum of Florida-FIU, is a native West Virginian who has lived in Florida for more than half a century. She has been a trailblazer in the American and Floridian Jewish communities serving national, state, and local organizations and has broken the “glass ceiling” as the first woman in many positions. Her focus for the past forty years has been organizing Florida Jewish communities to collect, document, and preserve their history, researching and collating the hidden 250+ years of Florida Jewish history, and creating a state-wide history museum with collections, exhibits, publications, and educational programs. She initiated the legislation for both Florida Jewish History Month (FJHM) each January and Jewish American Heritage Month (JAHM) each May to increase awareness of the contributions of Jews to the quality of life for all. In 2020, her seminal book, Jews of Florida: Centuries of Stories was released.

This program is a partnership between the Florida Humanities and the Friends of the Main Library St. Augustine. Funding for this program was provided by Florida Humanities and sponsored in part by the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Arts and Culture, and the Florida Council on Arts and Culture.