Miami Beach Local Customs

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Culture Tip #1 (you will get more from these tips if you read them in order)

Miami Beach has a large Jewish population and is THE place to go to a Jewish deli (I’ll talk about that later). Miami Beach is also one of the few places in the US where you will see Orthodox and the more conservative Jewish people in traditional dress and will also come across some of their customs.

I’ve created several tips on the customs you are likely to see if your keep your eyes open. Please remember that I am a Catholic girl and while I’ve been questioning my friends about these practices for years I am sure my explanations are quite simplistic. I also need to note that ALL of Jewish people (in the world and South Beach) don’t practice these traditions and many of the traditions I will be discussing are those of the most “traditional” and do not necessarily reflect the general population. With that said…many of these traditions have a special place in my heart and memories and are worth discussing here.

The Judaism breaks down into different beliefs and practices just as the various Christian religions do. There are Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, Haredi, Hasidic, Modern Orthodox and Samartianism Jews to name a few. The Orthodox and Hasidic sects are two of the most traditional and are the ones that often stand out from the general population in dress, practices and hair styles.

These various Jewish denominations differ in the degree to which they follow the Halakha or Jewish religious law. The Halakha covers biblical law, rabbinic law, customs, traditions, and even provides rules on daily life. The Jewish population in Miami Beach is quite diverse in their beliefs and practices and to the degree they follow Halakha.

Be sure to check out my other custom tips for information on subjects such as being kosher, the Eruv and the Shabbat elevator.

The pictures below are of the South Beach Jewish Museum. This is a historic site and was once a Temple in the community

Culture Tip #2 (you will get more from these tips if you read them in order)

Miami Beach is one of the few places to see the some of Jewish population following the rules of the Shomer Shabbat. The Shomer Shabbat is a strict interpretation of one the Ten Commandments….to observe and not work on the Sabbath. The Jewish Sabbath or Shabbat extends from between Friday evening to Saturday night.

The Shomer Shabbat has 613 commandments that rule what is done during the Shabbat. Adherents to the Shomer Shabbat are very rare in the United States (and the rest of the world) so being able to see these practices in Miami Beach is a real gift.

Those who strictly observe the laws of Shomer Shabbat do not cook, spend money, write, or turn on or off electrical devises from Friday evening to Saturday night. One of the rules that stands out is the one that forbids creating a spark or using a fire. In modern times this means one cannot operate an electrical appliance, cook a meal, press an elevator button or drive a car during Shabbat.

Since those that follow the Shomer Shabbat cannot drive….on Saturday you are very likely to see Jewish people in traditional dress walking the streets of Miami Beach. It’s a wonderful sight and one that I haven’t seen anywhere else in the US or the world.

Another thing you may come across is what I call the “Shabbat elevator”. Since adherents to the Shabbat cannot cause a spark, they cannot press the button to call the elevator or pick which floor they wish to visit. Therefore some buildings in the area set their elevators to go up and down all day and to automatically stop on every other floor during the Shabbat. I had a girl friend that lived on the 17th floor of such a building. It took FOREVER to get to her apartment during Shabbat.

There are other ways around the rule against creating a spark that some use (depending on how strict they are in these beliefs). Some use “Shabbat clocks” which are timers that are set before Shabbat starts and automatically perform an action that people are prohibited from doing during Shabbat. Uses of the Shabbat clocks include turning on or off the lights and turning on the crock pot so dinner can be cooked. There are also “Shabbat or Kosher lamps. These lamps are left on during Shabbat and use a compact fluorescent tube. Fluorescent tubes are used since unlike incandescent bulbs do not have a “flame”. These lights look a bit like lanterns and have a light blocking shade that turns allows the light to be blocked when desired.

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This is the Versace Mansion where he was murdered on the front step on July 15th 1997. For some people it is a morbid curiosity, for me it is admiring an awesome residence. The medusa heads adorn the iron gates surround this mansion, as is his famous Greek pattern he used on most of his mens clothing designs. I was lucky enough to gain entrance to this amazing estate, finding out that the house is now an exclusive members only private facility with annual club dues in the range of 30,000 with every visit being an additional 3 or 4 thousand. The membership is by invitation only. Sorry about the boarded up windows, the pics were taken when Hurricane Ivan was off the coast of Jamaica.

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Miami Ink is located at 1344 Washington Ave, across the street from most of the clubs, and was made extremely popular by a cable televsion show focusing on the specific customer requests and the artists who fulfill them. I was told by people I met in Miami that, because of the increased popularity, it is hard to get a tattoo here, so you might want to call ahead and make an appointment.

You'll find that Miami feeeeels very different from the rest of Florida. Heavily influenced by South America, and a bit by Europe as well. If you speak Spanish, you're in luck, as so does most of Miami.

Locals (in South Beach/Miami Beach/Coconut Grove) are friendly, warm, and pretty relaxed, probably due to the heat and the hypnotic effects of waves rolling in on their beautiful beaches. Life here revolves around the beach, even if not overt, it's an undertone.

People spend a lot of time outside, rollerblading, sprawled out on the beach, playing volleyball, walking their dogs OR sipping drinks (mojitos!) at sidewalk cafes. Dinner happens pretty late, nightlife often lasts through the following morning.

South Beachers are generally very aware of their appearance, and spend much time doing what it takes to look gorgeous (or at least try, sometimes it's scary).

The music wafting through the streets, shops, clubs and restaurants is mostly latin or house/techno.

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When I imagined a visit to South Beach, I imagined bronzed, beautiful people, parading or rollerblading along the beach, with their personal stereos dictating their pace, tourists left gaping in their wake.

Well, strolling along the South Beach Promenade wasn't quite like this, but close enough to make me happy! There was plenty going on, such as volleyball being played by scantily clad locals, a few bladers swerving around us, along with young couple with prams and tourists wanting to be apart of the South Beach atmosphere.

Continue north from the Promenade and you will come to the Boardwalk. The Boardwalk runs along Mid Beach, from 21st St to 46th St. This is a fabulous place to walk or jog or rollerblade, with the sandy beach and ocean on one side, and the backyards and pools of the glamorous resorts on the other side.

More than cultural guidance for travelers, but advice to anyone who dives into the world of commercial and advertised existance, if anything, the name "South Beach Diet" does not apply to what real South Beach locals eat... sushi and seafood, yes, but not all the overhyped diet meals we are beginning to see at the grocery. A real South Beach Diet consists of seafood, alot of sushi, good Cuban meals and alot of good alcohol to polish a great dinner off.... and dancing into the night, with great sunny afternoons of outdoor activity (boating, rollerblading, golf) before it all started. Its not what you eat, its the lifestyle you live.

Remember what South Beach is- trendy. if you are coming here to be in the center of the absolute party mecca, then the same club you went to in March might be dreadfully empty the same night of the week in July. Actually, sometimes the clubs change names entirely. The trendy spots change from month to month, so it is truly up to you to find out where the party's at.