About Us

The Tampa Bay Area is the heart of West Central Florida. It is the second most populated metropolitan region in Florida and second only to South Florida in the number of Jewish residents.

Bordered on the west by the Gulf of Mexico, the metro area encompasses Pinellas County and its 24 municipalities including St. Petersburg and Clearwater; Tampa and surrounding communities in Hillsborough County including Carrollwood, Temple Terrace, Brandon and Sun City Center; Pasco County communities including New Port Richey and Wesley Chapel; in Hernando County, Spring Hill; and in Polk County, Lakeland.

The area has an active, year-round Jewish community of more than 45,000 Jews.

The Tampa Bay Jewish Community is served by:

• 34 synagogues and other religious institutions
  • 2 Jewish federations
  • 2 Jewish Community Centers
  • 2 family service agencies
  • 2 Jewish day schools
  • 6 preschools
  • 5 Jewish college campus organizations
  • 1 regional nursing home
  • 2 kosher assisted living facilities
  • 1 Jewish-sponsored senior residence

The Tampa Bay area is also home to the Florida Holocaust Museum and offices of the Jewish National Fund and Israel Bonds

The independent bi-weekly Jewish Press of Tampa Bay, Pinellas edition (est. 1986) and Tampa edition (est. 1988), are the only Jewish community newspapers in the Tampa Bay area.

The Jewish Press Group of Tampa Bay, Inc., wholly owned and operated by local journalists Jim and Karen Dawkins, publishes the newspapers. While editorially independent, the Jewish Press is published in cooperation with the Jewish Federation of Florida’s Gulf Coast and the Tampa JCCs & Federation.

The papers are, by circulation, the largest in Florida exclusive of the South Florida Gold Coast.

The Pinellas County edition of the Jewish Press is mailed to an average 7,700 households. An additional 200-300 copies are delivered to synagogues, community centers, restaurants and businesses.

The average, by mail distribution of the Tampa edition is about 6,800 households. About 100-200 additional copies are delivered to synagogues, businesses and community centers in Hillsborough County.

It is estimated that the combined readership of the Jewish Press/Pinellas Edition and Jewish Press/Tampa Edition is more than 35,000 people. According to a national Jewish Media Network Demographics/Readership Survey (which included a sample from the Jewish Press), it is estimated that 70 percent of readers spend 1.5-3 hours reading their Jewish newspaper. The study found that Jewish newspaper readers’ average annual income is $120,100.