My mother visited you only a handful of times during her
life. Before her first visit (for a URJ
Biennial in Orlando, I believe), she told a friend that she was going to
Florida for the first time to which her friend responded, “Are you sure you’re
Jewish?!”
Like my mom, I can count on the fingers of one hand the
times I’ve been to see you. My first visit was a business trip to Fort
Lauderdale (in August!) in the mid-1980s.
Early in this century, I passed through Jacksonville a few times, mostly
because it has the closest airport to Jekyll Island, GA, where, for several
years, my parents spent a part of each winter. In 2011 and again in 2012, I attended a
conference in Orlando, but never even played hooky to check out the Magic
Kingdom in Disney World. Some tourist,
huh?
What I wouldn’t give to be coming to visit you now. But not just for your sunshine and warm
weather.
On Saturday, January 10, you’ll be hosting the 2015 Winter JewishMusic Concert in Miami. That night, for
the seventh time in as many years, more than a dozen musicians from throughout
the country will gather in the historic Bertha Abess Sanctuary at Temple Israelof Greater Miami to perform Jewish music, including Ladino, Israeli, Yiddish, and
Sephardic tunes in a variety of styles from cantorial and classic to Klezmer, jazz,
pop, and folk.
Hundreds of tickets have already been sold and fewer than
100 still are available. They can be
purchased online or by
calling 1-800-838-3006. I guess the rest
of us will have to settle for live streaming of the event. (Tune in here on Saturday at 8 p.m.)
I presume that’s how, once again, I’ll watch this year’s
concert. But maybe next year, Florida,
I’ll make it to Miami to visit with you and to take in the event live and in-person from a seat in the sanctuary. I
sure hope that’s how it plays out. In
the meantime, though, I hope you enjoy the events in Miami this coming Saturday night.
Your “Jersey Girl” friend,
JanetheWriter