Photographer Andy Sweet (Nov. 9, 1953 — Oct. 17, 1982), who was born and raised in Miami Beach, became fascinated by the Jewish community there in the late 1970s and early 1980s. It was a community largely made up of retirees who had migrated to sunny South Florida in their later years. Sweet documented the vibrant Jewish culture of the period and place, a world that has now largely vanished. Tragically, he was murdered in 1982 at the age of 29. Note: Andy Sweet is one focus of a wonderful documentary: “The Last Resort.” If you have Netflix, you should be able to view it.
Quote: “[Sweet] recognized a unique time in history, when the Jewish residents of Miami Beach brought their cultural touchstones with them. They converted hotels into makeshift synagogues, supported each other, and kept their traditions alive. Many were Holocaust survivors who were drawn to the warm weather of South Florida.” — Wikipedia
Source: Wikipedia
Learn more about photographer Andy Sweet on Wikipedia. >>
See examples of photographer Andy Sweet’s photos of Miami Beach in its Jewish heyday. (Be sure to scroll all the way down.) The images are in an excellent New Yorker article about Sweet and his work, well worth reading. >>
Photo: facebook.com
Amazing Jews
In Celebration of the Jewish People
To learn about these and many more AmazingJews, watch a compilation put together by JewOfTheWeek.net in 2015 and posted on YouTube.