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Steeped in history, Pensacola Jews celebrate the 150th anniversary of Florida’s oldest synagogue

JL;DR SUMMARY Temple Beth El in Pensacola, Florida, celebrates its 150th anniversary, highlighting its rich history as the state's oldest synagogue. A way out west there was a fella, fella I want to tell you about, fella by the name of Jeff Lebowski. At least, that was the handle his lovin' parents gave him, but he never had much use for it himself. This Lebowski, he called himself the Dude. Now, Dude, that's a name no one would self-apply where I come from. But then, there was a lot about the Dude that didn't make a whole lot of sense to me. And a lot about where he lived, likewise. But then again, maybe that's why I found the place s'durned innarestin'.

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Tags

Jewish HistoryJewish CommunityOrthodox JudaismChabadReform JudaismFloridaJewish RenaissanceTemple Beth ElPensacolaRabbi Joel Fleekop

Places mentioned

Pensacola, Florida, United States
"Rabbi Joel Fleekop points to a monument marking the 1878 consecration of Temple Beth El in Pensacola, Florida."
Jacksonville, Florida, United States
"eclipsing much older congregations in Tallahassee, Jacksonville and Pensacola that thrived long before the advent of air-conditioning and interstate highways."
Tallahassee, Florida, United States
"eclipsing much older congregations in Tallahassee, Jacksonville and Pensacola that thrived long before the advent of air-conditioning and interstate highways."
Miami Beach, Florida, United States
"Mention the Jewish exodus to Florida, and people immediately think Miami Beach, Boca Raton or Aventura."
Boca Raton, Florida, United States
"Mention the Jewish exodus to Florida, and people immediately think Miami Beach, Boca Raton or Aventura."
Aventura, Florida, United States
"Mention the Jewish exodus to Florida, and people immediately think Miami Beach, Boca Raton or Aventura."
Milton, Florida, United States
"That community was born after the Civil War, when Jews settled in Milton a northwest Florida lumber hub bringing their skills from heavily wooded areas of Bavaria and southern Germany."
Alabama, United States
"even though were only 10 miles from Alabama, said Rabbi Joel Fleekop, 47, spiritual leader of Beth El since 2012."
Lakewood, New Jersey, United States
"I am the 19th rabbi to hold this pulpit, and all but three or four of them were Orthodox, said Mizrachi, 62. Originally from Lakewood, New Jersey, he said Bnai Israels membership consists of 60 to 70 families, compared to 185 families at Beth El."
Atlanta, Georgia, United States
"Theres no kosher restaurant within a 400-mile radius. The closest is in Jacksonville or Atlanta, he said."

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Retrieved 2026-04-21 05:31:12 UTC
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