Southwest Florida School Thrives

By Mindy Rubenstein –Chabad.org

Galit and Joe Friedman recently moved with their four young children from the heavily Jewish Southeast Florida city of Boca Raton—several hours away and across Alligator Alley—to the slower-paced western part of the state. A cardiologist, Joe Friedman had a job opportunity that he was able to accept thanks in part to a small but thriving Jewish day school nearby. That made all the difference, says the couple, because they wanted their kids to have a Jewish education.

Maimonides Hebrew Day School in Fort Myers—the only Jewish school in Southwest Florida—serves about 30 students in kindergarten through eighth grade. Started by Rabbi Yitzchok and Nechama Dina (Nechamie) Minkowicz, co-directors of Chabad Lubavitch of Southwest Florida, the school boasts a thriving secular and Jewish education with highly experienced teachers.

This year marks the 40th anniversary of the Chinuch campaign endorsed by the Lubavitcher Rebbe—Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, of righteous memory—which spotlights the importance of Jewish education for every age group and the role of Chabad-Lubavitch emissaries in helping to provide it.

“The school serves Jewish families in Fort Myers, Cape Coral, Bonita Springs and Punta Gorda,” says Rabbi Minkowicz, noting that some travel almost an hour each way to attend. Another family moved to the area from New York, in part because of the existence of the day school.

Nechamie Minkowicz, who serves as principal, affirms that “the school has a positive and loving environment for children. The kids want to come to school; parents see that.”

As a Florida educational institution, Maimonides also receives “Step Up for Students” vouchers from the state government for eligible families, making it easier for parents to get financial aid and “helping the school keep its doors open,” notes the rabbi. The school draws upon teachers from higher-end private schools, which provides the school with more credibility in the community because “parents want to make sure that the academics are good.”

The Friedmans live in Cape Coral, near Chabad of Cape Coral, co-directed by Rabbi Yossi and Rivky Labkowski. They send two of their children 20 minutes northeast to Maimonides.

Originally from Israel, the Friedmans had been living in Southeast Florida, an area known for its large Jewish population and abundance of Jewish resources, including schools, synagogues and kosher food. Though the state’s west coast is different geographically and culturally (it’s more spread out, with no kosher stores or restaurants), they did their research and found Chabad. “In a place like this, where you don’t have that many Jews around, you come to the shul and it’s like family to you,” says Galit Friedman. “It’s so welcoming.”

But that’s typical of Chabad, she says: “They don’t care about your background; they just want to bring you closer to Judaism. That’s a big thing for me. Nobody is judging you. Everybody is accepting you with open arms.”

Their two boys, ages 10 and 8½, are in fifth and third grades, respectively. Their previous school had 450 children, so they are enjoying a smaller setting where “everybody knows each other.” The Friedmans also have a 3-year-old in the preschool, as well as a 1-year-old.

‘We Built It From There’

The roots of the school came right from the ground level.

Debbie Rothenberg and her husband, Curt, moved to Fort Myers in 2002. Shortly afterwards, Rabbi Minkowicz called to invite the couple to Shabbat services.

She recalls feeling a little apprehensive at first. But after stepping through the doorway, and then meeting the rabbi and his wife, she remembers the warmth emanating from the Chabad center. And the rest is history. “Who else in the world can make you feel like this?” she says. “They are amazing people; it’s amazing place!”

When her first child was ready for preschool, Debbie Rothenberg and another mother helped Nechamie Minkowicz open a preschool. At the time, there were just four children enrolled.

“We built it from there,” says Rothenberg, who served as the school administrator, adding that eventually, other Jewish children came and people moved to the area. As the children got older, the preschool grew into an elementary school.

As for her own family—the Rothenbergs have five children—she notes that they also developed their own Yiddishkeit at the same time: “You see G‑d’s hand guiding you with where you need to be, and with your children and what you need to do.”

Personal and professional matters eventually caused the family to relocate six years ago to Toronto, where she is from originally. She says they still keep in touch with the Minkowicz family, even traveling back to Fort Myers for the Chabad couple’s daughter’s wedding. For their part, the Minkowiczes went to Toronto for the Rothenbergs’ son’s bar mitzvah.

“You see the special uniqueness of the Lubavitcher Rebbe’s shluchim in a place like Fort Myers. They are doing the work of the Rebbe [Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, of righteous memory] in such an exceptional way,” attests Rothenberg. “You learn from them, develop yourselves and your children, and then move on and share it with others.”

That said, the rabbi notes a reality; as families become more religious, they often move away. “We become a springboard,” says Minkowicz. “We don’t yet have that nucleus. I would like to see families stay, but I support them when they leave. Hopefully, at some point, we will have the infrastructure here.

“Still, when you plant a seed, sometimes you don’t see the blossom,” he continues. “It’s not just about providing a Jewish education on a day-to-day basis; it’s about transforming families.”

For more information about the school, click here.