More than 100 Orthodox Jewish families, feeling overwhelmed by increasing antisemitism and an unstable political climate in New York, plan to join 60 families who have already relocated to Florida. Unfortunately, they are also encountering far-right figures who have begun targeting their new community with hateful rhetoric aimed at Jews.
Lakefront Estates, which spans 550 acres and is valued at $300 million, opened in Glades County this October and has since attracted a steady stream of new residents.
This community features a kosher supermarket, a synagogue, and a yeshiva catering to the Orthodox Jewish population.
The CEO of Lakefront Estates, Yidel Perlstein, noted that Orthodox Jews comprise the initial wave of buyers, as many seek to leave New York. He clarified that homes in Lakefront Estates are available to anyone interested.
Currently, the town offers four-bedroom houses at around $460,000 and seven-bedroom homes for about $585,000, according to Perlstein.
Several families who spoke with the press revealed that a surge in antisemitism, particularly heightened during Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s tenure, was the final impetus for their departure from New York.
One former Brooklyn resident, who requested anonymity, shared, “You could feel the antisemitism everywhere; even my community, Borough Park, changed after Mamdani came in.”
A mother of four, also preferring to remain unnamed, mentioned that the combination of rising antisemitism and expensive housing in New York pushed her family toward Florida. “New York has become increasingly antisemitic; we’ve been facing that a lot,” she stated, adding that Florida’s voucher program for private school tuition was also a significant factor in their move.
According to NYPD data, hate crimes in New York City have jumped nearly 16% since last year, with assaults on Jews making up half of those incidents.
New York State Representative Aron Wieder (D-Rockland County) has observed that 20 families from his densely Orthodox district have relocated to Lakefront Estates. He believes that the rise in antisemitism has led many in his community to search for homes outside New York.
“All my grandparents were Holocaust survivors; they never would have imagined their descendants facing something similar to what they experienced before the Holocaust,” Wieder remarked, adding, “It’s very disturbing for a Jew to feel like they have to look over their shoulder while walking down the street.”
Wieder also expressed that high taxes and the burden of housing costs in New York have driven many Orthodox Jews away.
New York currently holds the title for the highest state and local taxes in the country, with an average collection of $13,000 per person, as per a study by the Citizens Budget Commission.
The state ranks lowest in housing affordability and home construction, according to the 2026 Realtor Housing Report Card.
Because Orthodox Jews typically have larger families, they often need bigger homes or renovations that are becoming increasingly unattainable in New York.
Perlstein reported that the local population of Glades County, which stands at 13,270, has warmly embraced their new neighbors, and that his investment has positively impacted the local economy.
However, the aforementioned mother said that while local business owners have been friendly, she has faced some hostility from certain residents. Adding to their concerns are the online campaigns being waged by figures like Jake Lang and “The Jersey Goy” Jeffrey Walstein, who have targeted the Jewish residents with harsh rhetoric.
Lang visited the community on October 13, followed by Walstein the next day. “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 proclaimed in a now-viral video.
Perlstein commended the local authorities for their protective efforts, but he acknowledged that residents remain anxious. “Millions of people are watching him; it only takes one unhinged individual,” he commented.
“We’re just a few people in no man’s land. We’re here to build our families, foster our community, and be good neighbors,” said the local mother of four.
