Posted on March 17, 2026 in Neshamah Shabbat Stories
You Just Moved to South Florida. You Want Jewish Community. Start Here.
Moving to a new city is exciting and disorienting in equal measure. You’ve traded your familiar rhythms for sunshine and palm trees — but you’ve also left behind the synagogue where everyone knew your name, the friends who’d do Shabbat dinner on a moment’s notice, the fabric of Jewish community you didn’t realize you’d miss until it was gone.
South Florida has one of the most vibrant Jewish communities in the world. The question is how to find your corner of it.
Our answer: start at the beach.
Why Beach Shabbat Is the Perfect Entry Point
Neshamah Institute’s monthly Beach Shabbat is, without exaggeration, the easiest, most natural way to step into South Florida Jewish community life. It’s free. It’s outdoors. It’s informal. And it’s led by Rabbi Amy Rader, one of the most welcoming, relationship-centered rabbis in the region.
You don’t need to know anyone. You don’t need to have a synagogue membership. You just show up at the water’s edge, and within an hour you will have met people — real people, your people — who live within ten miles of you.
About Neshamah Institute
Neshamah is a dues-free, synagogue-without-walls serving Boca Raton, Delray Beach, and greater Palm Beach County. We were founded on the belief that Jewish community should be radically accessible — no financial barriers, no membership gatekeeping, no judgment about where you’ve been or how you practice.
We offer High Holy Day services, lifecycle ceremonies, adult education, Hebrew school, and our signature monthly Beach Shabbat. Come find your home here.
Visit niboca.org to learn more, or reach out to Rabbi Amy directly. She actually responds. That’s the kind of rabbi she is.
About Rabbi Rader
Rabbi Amy Rader is the Founder and Executive Director of the Neshamah Institute in Boca Raton, a vibrant Jewish community offering meaningful Jewish education for kids, Bar and Bat Mitzvah preparation, High Holiday services, and inspiring Jewish events. Ordained by the Jewish Theological Seminary, Rabbi Rader brings over 25 years of experience helping families connect deeply with Judaism in modern, authentic ways.
