Appleton presents special program based on book ‘Jews of Florida’

Marcia Joe Zerivitz

The College of Central Florida’s Appleton Museum of Art will be presenting a special program by scholar and oral historian Marcia Joe Zerivitz on Thursday, April 28, according to the museum’s website.

The hour-long presentation is based on Zerivitz’s seminal book, Jews of Florida: Centuries of Stories, “the first comprehensive history of the Jews of Florida from colonial times to the present,” the website continued.

“[Jewish people] have been integral to every area of Florida’s growth, from tilling the land and developing early communities to boosting tourism, and ultimately pushing humankind into space,” the website stated, adding that all this occurred despite the Jewish people not being officially allowed to live in the state until 1763 when Jewish immigrants became some of the earliest Sunshine State settlers. 

The program will be held from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. The talk is free and open to all visitors and will be followed by a book signing. Her book will also be available for purchase at the event. Regular admission fees do apply if visiting museum galleries.