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News-Sun photo by Larry Levey Sebring's Ruth Kahn Davis discusses the early history of Jews in Central Florida with Dr. Leonard Kessler of Weston, FL. Davis had just spoken to Kessler and the others in the Exploritas group about how her parents had settled in Sebring and opened Kahn's Department Store in downtown Sebring during the 1920s.

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published: Sunday, November 29, 2009

Group explores Jewish tradition in Sebring (and yes, there is one)

By LARRY LEVEY

News-Sun correspondent

SEBRING -- No Jews living in central Florida? Of course there are. But, according to Rabbi Lorraine Rudenberg of Temple Israel of Highlands County, "that's the perception. People think they're all in Miami, Palm Beach or Boca.

"I find that many Jewish people who move here do not know there's a synagogue in Sebring," Rudenberg said. "They don't expect it in this area. They feel by moving here, they're not going to be able to have their Judaism. Everything's an hour-and-a-half away."

The rabbi made those comments during a four-day program Nov. 11-14 called "Shalom Aleichem," a Hebrew greeting meaning, "peace be with you."

Eleven folks, mainly from the coasts of Florida, had signed up for the program, which was sponsored by South Florida Community College under what used to be called the "Elderhostel" banner. That title has recently been changed to "Exploritas."

The event was organized by Becky Rousch, who, as director of community education at South Florida Community College, oversees the Elderhostel/Exploritas programming, and by Pearl Carter, a trustee of the Temple Israel board.

Not only is there a Jewish community in Highlands County, there is also a Jewish tradition, dating back to the days of George E. Sebring.

While Judaism was the main focus of the program, it wasn't the only one. The group also got a hefty taste of many other facets of Sebring and the rest of the county.

The rabbi, who was hired in June, told about putting ads in the local newspapers inviting people to "Meet the Rabbi."

"And people came from everywhere," she said "It was just a matter of letting people know. So far, we've added 25 new members."

A happy coincidence

The program kicked off on a very appropriate note. On the evening of their arrival, the group saw the production of Highlands Little Theater's "Fiddler on the Roof." It was an unexpected event, as the program had been announced a year earlier, prior to the announcement of the musical.

"I was glad I could fit it in to their schedule," Rousch said.

Mike Kahn meets George Sebring

Leading off the program the next day was local realtor Ruth Kahn Davis, talking about how her parents, Mike and Sadie Kahn, became the first Jewish settlers in Sebring.

Emigrating from Lithuania, the Kahns lived in southwest Georgia for a time, where he started a department store.

In the early 1920s, after George E. Sebring had founded "The City on the Circle," Mike Kahn happened to make his way to this growing town -- and liked what he saw. He rented a store from Sebring on the ground floor of the Nan-cess-o-wee Hotel, then under construction -- and Kahn's Department Store was born.

"Daddy also told Mr. Sebring, 'When enough Jews move to Sebring, we'll build a synagogue,' Davis said.

"Mr. Sebring then offered my father a piece of land for that purpose, just as he did for other religions all over Sebring. He was that generous."

That first synagogue or temple was built in 1925 on Orange Street in downtown Sebring. When it was damaged by a hurricane and had to be torn down, money from the sale of the land "paid for the temple we have now."

Sadie Kahn runs the groves

Picking up where his sister left off, Marvin Kahn, vice-president of the temple board, shared a number of stories about Sebring's first Jewish family, especially about his own interest in agriculture.

As he put it, "I'm an 'aggie.' Since I can remember, I've been interested in the land and farms and animals. I had to have a horse when I was a youngster."

And he remains an "aggie." He now owns a company that manages more than 3,000 acres of citrus groves in this area, employing some 30 people.

"And all this is because of Sadie Kahn" he said. " She was my mother, my mentor, my best friend."

Kahn said his father died unexpectedly in 1943. "It was a shock for my mother. She wasn't ready for him to die. He was 52 years of age and in perfect health. Daddy left Mama with a department store and about 200 acres of orange groves.

"My sister, Ruth, had an interest in the store and she took over at the tender age of 19 or 20. This is where people saved up their money -- or if they didn't have money, they'd trade a chicken or a dozen eggs -- to get their clothes.

"Mama took over the groves. She was famous for driving a Jeep right in that deep sand. She used it to put men to work in the morning, to check on the fruit, to sell the fruit."

Kahn said when his mother ran the groves, she was aided by several prominent agricultural leaders, including Ben Hill Griffin, who advised her about managing the citrus groves.

"She became a leader in the community and was respected by all."

The 'ultimate survivor'

The group also heard another member of the Temple Israel congregation, Dr. Lisa Earle, telling the stories of her life.

At the end of her poignant talk, she summed it up by saying, "I managed to survive the violence of the Holocaust, having lived under Hitler's regime for one year and barely escaping with my life before World War II closed the exit doors. I survived the heartbreaks and losses of not only my murdered parents during the Holocaust, but later my first husband and my little daughter through cancer; and ultimately I survived my own battle with cancer and now heart disease."

She also described an "almost perfect first marriage," singing opera for seven years, earning a doctorate in education, world travels with her second husband, and her children and grandchildren -- and her friends.

"I feel," she said, "like I am the 'ultimate survivor,' who has tasted the best and the worst that life can offer."

Commenting on these life stories told by Davis, Kahn and Earle, Rousch told the group that these stories reflect "the power of the personal story. We can learn history, we can read the books, but it's just 'stuff.' But when someone opens their heart and talks from the heart about their personal experiences, it all becomes real."

Rap with the Rabbi

During her talks with the group, Rabbi Rudenberg said she has seen many newcomers to this area, including seniors, new retirees and young couples with families. "It becomes a juggling act," she said, "to make the service good for the old people and good for the younger people."

Also, she pointed out, most people in the community are from somewhere else and they all are used to different traditions, different ways of doing things. "My challenge is to make the services and the congregation all work together, to give something to everyone. I can teach a class or hold a service. We've added a Saturday morning service because some people don't like driving at night."

The rabbi also spoke of Judaism's longevity.

"Judaism has survived because it's always remained authentic but also changeable and relevant. Your Judaism is not the same Judaism as your parents or your grandparents."

"Our job is to combine history with the modern world. Judaism has become a way of life, how we live. The center of Judaism is our belief in one God, the unique unity. We're placed here with a spark of the divine in each of us -- and we are God's partners. We do the handwork, with our legs and our arms and the love in our hearts. We do the things in the world that God put us here for, to take care of the world, to take care of each other."

Rave reviews

Along with this focus on Judaism, the visitors enjoyed a wide range of experiences, ranging from a behind-the-scenes tour of Highlands Little Theater; entertainment by Cracker Cowboy Poet Hank Mattson of Lake Placid and by HLT's Gladhatters; a walking tour of downtown Sebring and a guided tour of the restored Sebring Fire Station; and video tours of the Lake Wales Ridge and of Lake Placid's caladium industry and murals.

The Exploritas folks gave high marks to their four-day stay

In fact, the whole group -- now calling themselves "Becky's Bunch" -- is planning to return next year for a reunion and for more tastes of central Florida.

And co-organizer Carter, who was also a cast member of "Fiddler on the Roof," echoed that feeling by saying, "I am 'gung ho' for doing this again next year."