New Web site helps Jews settle in Florida
South Florida Business Journal - September 15, 2000 by Joyce Moed

So you finally made the big decision to sell your house "up North" and move to sunny South Florida. But plowing through pages of tiny type in the local phone directory to find the nearest kosher butcher seems like an enormous waste of energy and sunlight hours.

What's a new resident to do?

Innovative Marketing Services of Boca Raton hopes to provide the answer. That company recently launched a Web site http://www.Florida Jewish.com that's designed to help Jewish newcomers meet their needs in Florida.

"The Web is the newest means of communication," said Larry Heyman, president of Innovative Marketing Services.

He says he developed the Web site to help the Jewish community become "more united."

Previously, Innovative Marketing provided marketing services to synagogues and Jewish organizations. Now the company is dedicated to the Web site, Heyman said.

Door-to-door directions

FloridaJewish.com is divided into numerous sections that are updated weekly, including History, Shabbat, Holidays, Communities and Resources. Many sections also provide links to other relevant Jewish Web sites.

The "History" section, for example, traces Florida's Jewish roots from the first recorded settlement in Pensacola in 1763 to the state's present population of 750,000 Jews, the third-largest Jewish population in America. It links to the Sanford L. Ziff Jewish Museum of Florida.

The "Shabbat" section features weekly commentaries from Florida rabbis, as well as candle lighting and Havdalah times for 15 major communities.

The "Holidays" section lists dates and descriptions for Jewish holidays, accompanied by commentaries from eight Jewish organizations throughout Florida.

The "Communities" section is a one-stop resource for Jewish organizations in Florida's major Jewish communities, including synagogues, Jewish community centers, singles groups, kosher caterers, Judaica shops, federations, thrift stores and youth organizations.

The "Resources" section offers a categorized listing of Jewish groups with Web sites, as well as a list of Florida's Jewish publications.

Local groups are invited to post events on FloridaJewish.com's calendar. The site also provides door-to-door driving directions to Jewish organizations, synagogues and kosher restaurants in Florida.

"A lot of work was involved in putting this together," Heyman said. "We're really trying to make it an active site."

Financing for FloridaJewish.com comes from advertising revenue, Heyman said. Local advertisers include the Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County, Morse Geriatric Center, Jewish Federation of South Palm Beach County, Kosher Florida and Jewish Federation of Broward County.

Referrals from `up North'

So far, many of FloridaJewish.com's visitors have been residents of northern states who are considering a move or visit to South Florida, Heyman said. They usually are referred to the Web site by travel agents or realtors, he said.

Jules Schlessinger, president of Parents of North American Israelis, Palm Beach chapter, said FloridaJewish.com has been "a very useful resource for our organization."

"Many of our members are snowbirds and they want to know everything available in the Jewish community," he said. "It also has been a valuable directory and Jewish education guide for our local members."

Such statements please Heyman, who developed a Jewish "map" of Palm Beach County that notes agencies and kosher restaurants.

"We're all Jews and we need to become more united and respect each other," Heyman said.