St. Johns County Supports St. Augustine Jewish Historical Society Event
- 24 June 2025
- Category: SJC News District 5
- Tags: 2025
Commissioner Taylor attended the 12th Annual Commemoration of the Mass Arrest of Rabbis.
On Wednesday, June 18, 2025, the St. Augustine Jewish Historical Society (SAJHS) hosted the 12th Annual Commemoration of the Mass Arrest of Rabbis at the St Johns County jail Annex. This is where, six decades ago, 16 rabbis and a Jewish administrator were incarcerated for answering Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s request to come to St. Augustine and help protest racial injustice. St. Johns County Commissioner Ann Taylor attended the event to represent to St. Johns County Board of County Commissioners.
This year’s event featured remarks from local leaders, including the founder of SAJHS, Rabbi Merrill Shapiro, St. Augustine Mayor Nancy Sikes-Kline, who will read the rabbis’ extraordinary letter aloud. Avi Dresner, documentary filmmaker, the son of Rabbi Israel Dresner, one of the sixteen arrested. Avi will read the letter his father received from Dr. King, inviting him to join the protest.
Following the ceremony, guests were invited to step into the Simon Wiesenthal Center’s groundbreaking Florida Mobile Museum of Tolerance: an immersive, interactive space designed to educate students across the state on civil rights, moral courage, and combating hate in all forms. Florida Mobile Museums travel the state leading powerful workshops at schools, community centers, and events.
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