Ah. Boca Raton. The heart and home of overpriced bagels, a glamorously upscale beach club and an unusually large number of senior citizens. What do these three things have in common? Jews.
Living in a hub of Judaic civilization is a unique experience. Dozens of hundreds of weekends spent scouring every corner of the mall for the best deals. Sunday mornings spent at every brunch place within a 10-mile radius. Every Publix selling out of Matzah on the last night before Passover. Not only do you know the name of every prestigious gated community, but you know of someone living in each of them (and, sometimes, the private code for each security guard).
Meeting up with all your Temple friends and their families on the High Holidays is always a pleasure. Especially on Yom Kippur, when the harmonious melody of stomach growling echoes through the halls of the sanctuaries. Then, seeing everyone overindulging at dinner that night in the same restaurants (typically in Mizner Park). And, my personal favorite, December 25, when you can find our entire population religiously congregating at every Asian buffet from east to west.
While the younger crowd typically likes to hang out at the beach or on Atlantic Avenue when the weather is nice, or just at the mall (again) because it’s raining (again), our parents are all getting lunch at Farmers Table. Going to Cinemark (nee Muvico) or Shadowood won’t be complete without running into your mom’s old friend and relaying a “tell her I say hi!”
Whether you had the opportunity to attend a private Jewish school as a kid and grew up with the same people, or went to public school and set up your life-long Jewish clique, you attended the most chic bar/bat mitzvahs. Maybe your dog even had a coming-of-age. Your non-Jewish friends became Jewish by osmosis. It’s the South Florida lifestyle of the chosen ones.
Do you wear a blue hamsa/Star of David/Chai necklace? How many pairs of Sperry's/Converse/Superga's do you own? Did you attend a religiously involved summer camp? Is there a doctor or lawyer in your family? So, are you Ashkenazi or Sephardic?
If you’re like me, you just can’t get enough of living here and end up staying at home while attending our very own local Florida Atlantic University. Not only do you never have to worry about living in tiny dorms, but you get to enjoy your mother's chicken noodle/matzo ball soup. Every. Friday. Night.
Although we have established a fortunate, and somewhat peaceful, life here in Boca Raton, others around the world don't have the freedom to experience it the same way we do. We must remain thankful, continue praying and never forget where we came from. Am Yisrael Chai!
