JEWISH AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH: FLORIDA OBSERVANCE MAY 15, 2011 TO FOCUS ON JEWS IN JUSTICE AT THE JEWISH MUSEUM OF FLORIDA

2011 OBSERVANCE
The theme is Justice. "Justice, justice shalt thou pursue" is a strand that ties together all Jews in the law. To honor the service of Jews who have devoted their professional lives to the public to sustain the rule of law, the Museum has planned an interesting panel discussion, followed by a conversation with the audience.
 
Former Chief Justice of the Florida Supreme Court, Gerald Kogan moderated. Participants included former Chief Justice of the Florida Supreme Court, Arthur England; (Ret) Assistant Director Miami-Dade Police Dept. and a founder of the Shomrim Society, Irving "Red" Heller; Dept. of Justice, Southern District of Florida, Assistant U.S. Attorney, Karen Gilbert; U.S. Bankruptcy Judge  Jay Cristol; and Broward County Judge Jane D. Fishman.

Carol Brick-Turin, Director, Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Miami Jewish Federation and Pepi Dunay, Community Relations Committee of the Jewish Federation of Broward County, representing the co-sponsors of the event greeted the audience and introduced the panel.

Florida State Senator Gwen Margolis and State Representative Elaine Bloom offered comments

Museum Founding Executive Director, Marcia Zerivitz explains the significance and history of the celebration.
 
In the U.S., law became a bulwark against the kinds of oppression Jews had endured in many lands for countless generations. The rule of law has allowed Jews and all minorities to help shape our national and state history. Law remains an avenue of social mobility in our society and the best of our Jewish lawyers and judges have worked to secure justice for others.
 
Eight Jews have served on the Supreme Court of the US. Louis Brandeis (1916) was the first - although Judah P. Benjamin rejected the offer in 1853 when he chose to retain his Senate seat. Benjamin Cardozo, Felix Frankfurter, Arthur J. Goldberg, who once said that his concern for justice stems from his heritage, and Abe Fortas served in the past. In 1993 as the107th Justice, Ruth Bader Ginsburg said, "I am proud of being a Jew. The demand for justice runs through the entirety of the Jewish tradition." In 1994, Stephen G. Breyer joined the Court. And most recently, Elena Kagan became the third Jew to serve currently on the U.S. Supreme Court.
 
Perhaps you know that at least 270 Jews have served as judges in Florida.The Museum keeps scrapbooks about Floridian Jews who have served in public office. One set is for Judges. The earliest known Jewish judge in Florida was Gus Cohen in Pensacola from 1884-1914, who was a federal judge. Cohen settled there before the Civil War and was the grandfather of Frances Cohen who married Mitchell Wolfson in Miami in 1926. The earliest known Circuit Court Judge was Harry Sandler in Tampa 1935-1964.While in the Legislature (1932-35), he sponsored the Homestead Exemption Amendment. AO Kanner served as 1st chief judge of the 2nd Court of Appeal in 1957; there is a highway named for him in Martin County.
 
Florida has had four Jewish Chief Judges of the Supreme Court: Arthur England of Miami (1978-80); Ray Ehrlich of Jacksonville (1988-90); Gerald Kogan of Miami (1996-98); and Barbara Pariente (2004-06), who is currently serving on the court.
 
Retrieving this type of information and having it available for the public, for research, publications, films, exhibitions and for future generations is what the Jewish Museum of Florida does.