About The Southern Jewish weekly. [volume] (Jacksonville, Fla.) 1939-1992
Jacksonville, Fla. (1939-1992)

Southern Jewish Weekly

The Southern Jewish Weekly began publication in 1939 when editor Isadore Moscovitz, a University of Florida Journalism graduate, merged the Florida Jewish News and the Jewish Citizen to create a new newspaper that would be "an independent weekly serving American citizens of Jewish faith." The Weekly considered itself the "oldest and most widely circulated Jewish publication in this territory."

Pensacola was home to the first known Jewish community in Florida in 1763 after the Treaty of Paris was signed. Once England acquired Florida, non-Catholics were allowed to freely settle in the colony. The Jewish community in Florida began to flourish in the late 1850s as they began to establish organizations that would meet their educational, social, and health-related needs. The Jacksonville Hebrew Cemetery was the first Jewish institution to be established in the state in 1857. By 1900, there were six established congregations across the state in Pensacola, Jacksonville, Key West, Ocala, and Tampa. The community continued to grow, and by 1928, approximately 10,000 Jews lived in Florida, with approximately 10% of the community residing in Jacksonville. As of 2020, over 600,000 Jews are living in Florida, making up 3% of the overall state's population.

The Southern Jewish Weekly was a member of the Religious News Service, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, the American Jewish Press Club, and the Independent Jewish Press Service. It was published in Jacksonville once a week, with every issue typically being eight pages. In October 1943, Moscovitz published an announcement noting a change in publication frequency due to World War II. The Weekly became the Southern Jewish Monthly, publishing a single issue every third Friday of the month. During this time Moscovitz served in the war, leaving his wife Ethel Moscovitz to manage the paper and serve as its editor. The paper continued as a monthly until January 1947 when Moscovitz returned to the United States and resumed the paper's weekly publication schedule.

The Weekly was "opposed to communism, fascism, and Nazism and [was] dedicated to the ideals of American democracy." It reported on WWII, providing readers a unique perspective from the community most affected by the tragedies of the war. The newspaper often reported the murders and atrocities endured by the Jewish community. It also reported on activities of antisemitic hate groups in the United States, like the Ku Klux Klan.

Additionally, the Weekly served as a strong promoter of Jewish faith, including information about Jewish congregations from around the state. It published information to educate readers on Jewish holidays, including a mini-calendar for readers to refer to and coverage of local celebrations for Passover, Shavuot, Hanukkah, and Rosh Hashanah.

Provided by: University of Florida