By COLlive reporter
The Florida Jewish community is marking the Shloshim – 30 days since the passing of Rabbi Avrohom Korf, the longtime Head Shliach who devoted his life to spreading Yiddishkeit across Florida.
The event will take place on Wednesday, 12 Av 5785 (August 6, 2025), at the Chabad Russian Center, located at 488 Sunny Isles Blvd in Sunny Isles Beach. Doors will open at 7:30 PM, with the program starting at 8:00 PM.
Organizers describe the evening as an opportunity for men and women from across the community to honor Rabbi Korf’s memory and draw inspiration from his lifelong dedication.
Rabbi Korf, who passed away at 92 last month, escaped Communist Russia as a child. A year after his marriage, Rabbi and Mrs. Rivka Korf moved on Shlichus to Miami Beach. What they encountered was a South Florida community on the verge of a vast transformation with an influx of retirees from out of state and a swell of Jewish immigrants from Latin America and the Caribbean.
By 1960, the state had about 175,000 Jewish residents. Miami had a total of 3 synagogues and only 2 mikvahs in all of Florida. Miami had modern Jewish day schools, but they didn’t suit the needs of frum Jewish families.
He worked tirelessly, and today Florida boasts the third-largest Jewish community in the United States, with about 750,000 Jews. Over 400 Chabad-Lubavitch Shluchim are spread throughout the state in some 230 locations.
The event will be broadcast live on COLlive.com
He told the story of being at the football game
to light the menorah. It was an intermission,
called half-time.
Afterwards – it must have been the first time
he had ever seen American football in action.
“What are they?! Meshugena, jumping all over
each other?” He was used to Russian football,
called soccer in America,
But he took a lesson from how the spectators
were cheering. I forgot what that was.