“Every Jewish school wants to say ‘yes’ to another family,” said Rabbi Dovid Wechsler of the Yeshiva of Miami. For years, Wechsler searched for a building where the Yeshiva of Miami, a school that serves boys who need a little more than a standard yeshiva day school offers, could expand.
There was always some obstacle, he said, and the space he needed stayed just out of reach year after year. That changed only after a new Florida law took hold and the building he had under contract was finally approved. The law officially took effect July 1.
This came after months of advocacy, pursuing every possible avenue to ensure it would happen before the start of another school year. The law moved from introduction to enactment in record time. Had it not become official, an estimated 40,000 students who deserve a scholarship could have been left without a seat to use it.
And the need is growing. According to Teach Coalition research, enrollment in Florida’s Jewish day schools increased 58% between 2007 and 2023, rising from 8,492 students to 13,379. During that same period, the number of Jewish day schools grew from 40 to 74. Even with that remarkable growth, many schools remain at or near capacity, leaving families searching for available seats.
Teach Florida made the removal of zoning barriers one of its top legislative priorities this year, working alongside Rep. Hillary Cassel and Sen. Alexis Calatayud, who first introduced the provision. It was folded into a broader education bill that Gov. Ron DeSantis signed earlier this year.
“Today, Florida confirmed its commitment to students by removing one of the biggest barriers standing between Florida families and the education they want for their children,” said Melissa Glaser, executive director of Teach Florida.
For years, expanding a Jewish school meant buying expensive property or navigating a zoning process that dragged on for months. Now schools like the Yeshiva of Miami can instead look at commercial spaces that were previously out of reach.
