An emerging Orthodox Jewish community in rural Florida is attracting growing interest from families in New York seeking more affordable housing, lower living expenses, and a different environment in which to raise their children.

The development, located in Glades County, has reportedly already drawn approximately 60 Orthodox families, while more than 100 additional families are considering relocating to the area.

The movement reflects a broader interest among Orthodox families in establishing communities outside the traditional Jewish population centers of Brooklyn, Lakewood, and South Florida, where housing costs and the expenses associated with raising large families have become increasingly significant concerns.

For families considering the move, the appeal extends beyond real estate prices. The developing community is reportedly working to establish the religious and educational infrastructure necessary to sustain Orthodox family life, including a shul, yeshiva, and kosher shopping options.

The project has also attracted attention amid concerns about antisemitism and public safety in New York, although the reasons families are considering relocation vary.

The community, known as Lakefront Estates, is a $300 million development covering approximately 550 acres near Lake Okeechobee. It officially began welcoming residents earlier this month and is being developed with the needs of Orthodox families in mind.

Yidel Perlstein, the development’s CEO, told the New York Post that the first wave of homebuyers has been predominantly Orthodox Jewish families looking to leave New York. He emphasized, however, that the development is open to purchasers of all backgrounds.

The planned community includes approximately 1,000 single-family homes and hundreds of rental units, together with schools, shuls, commercial facilities, and other services intended to support a growing residential population.

According to Perlstein, four-bedroom homes measuring approximately 2,500 square feet start at $460,000, while seven-bedroom homes of approximately 3,700 square feet are being offered for $585,000.

For families accustomed to New York’s real estate market, the prospect of purchasing a spacious home at those prices has been a major attraction.

But several families interviewed by the NY Post said that financial considerations were only part of the story.

One former Boro Park resident, identified only as Morris, described a growing sense of unease about antisemitism in New York City.

“You could feel the antisemitism everywhere; even my community Borough Park changed after Mamdani came in,” he said.

Another new resident, a mother of four who requested anonymity, said that concerns about antisemitism, together with the cost of housing, contributed to her family’s decision to relocate.

She also pointed to Florida’s private-school tuition assistance programs as an important consideration for families with children attending yeshivos and other religious schools.

The concerns come amid troubling statistics concerning antisemitic incidents in New York City.

According to figures cited by NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch, Jewish New Yorkers were the victims of 245 of the city’s 463 confirmed hate crimes during the first nine months of 2026, accounting for approximately 53% of the total.

The figures have heightened concerns among Jewish community leaders, particularly as families weigh whether New York remains an affordable and comfortable place to raise children.

New York State Assemblyman Aron Wieder, whose Rockland County district includes a substantial Orthodox population, confirmed that approximately 20 families from his district have already relocated to Lakefront Estates.

Wieder said the rise in antisemitism has prompted families to consider leaving communities where they have lived for generations.

“All my grandparents were Holocaust survivors, never would they have dreamed that their descendants would have to face what they faced in the leadup to the Holocaust,” Wieder said.

“For a Jew to have to look over their shoulder when they’re walking down the street, it’s very disturbing,” he added.

The relocation movement is also being driven by the financial pressures confronting Orthodox families in New York, where large households often require additional bedrooms and where the costs of housing, tuition, taxes, and daily necessities can place substantial strain on family budgets.

Florida’s absence of a state individual income tax and its programs assisting families with private-school tuition have added to the state’s appeal.

For Glades County, a largely rural area with a population of approximately 13,270, the arrival of an organized Orthodox community represents a significant demographic and economic development.

Perlstein said that the investment has already brought economic activity to the region and that local officials and many residents have been receptive to their new neighbors.

“It’s a paradise, the weather is nice, the people are nice, everyone is so welcoming,” Perlstein said.

However, the new residents have also encountered antisemitic hostility, demonstrating that moving away from New York has not eliminated every concern that motivated some families to relocate.

Far-right activists Jake Lang and Jeffrey Walstein, who uses the online name “The Jersey Goy,” have visited the area and circulated inflammatory messages targeting the Orthodox newcomers.

In one video filmed outside the development, Lang criticized the residents for maintaining their distinctive religious and cultural practices.

“They don’t assimilate, they eat their own food, speak their own language, they worship their own God, they don’t dress like us, they are not Americans,” Lang declared.

The rhetoric has caused anxiety among some residents, particularly families who moved to Florida partly because they hoped to escape antisemitic hostility.

The mother of four interviewed by the Post said that although local business owners have generally treated the newcomers warmly, she has also encountered hostility from certain residents.

“We’re just a few people in no man’s land,” she said. “We’re here to build our families, build our community, be nice to our neighbors.”

Local law enforcement officials have taken steps to reassure the community.

Earlier this month, senior Florida Highway Patrol officials, Glades County Sheriff David Hardin, and other local government representatives visited Lakefront Estates following reports of antisemitic online attacks.

The visit was intended to demonstrate support for the new residents and reinforce the authorities’ commitment to protecting the community.

Perlstein praised the response from local officials, saying they have been attentive to the concerns raised by the hostile activity.

Meanwhile, development of Lakefront Estates is continuing, with additional homes planned and more families expected to arrive in the coming months.

Developer Yona Lunger has said that hundreds of families have expressed interest in the project, including approximately 900 who reportedly placed refundable deposits to reserve lots.

He has also acquired additional land in the area and indicated that Lakefront Estates could be followed by similar developments elsewhere in the region.

The project represents an effort to establish a fully functioning Orthodox community in an area far removed from the densely populated Jewish neighborhoods of New York and New Jersey.

With a shul, yeshiva, and kosher supermarket already operating, residents are beginning to establish the communal institutions necessary for long-term growth.

{Matzav.com}