Originally born in Bridgeton, New Jersey, Betsy Kaplan moved to Miami, Florida in 1934 where she attended Miami Edison Senior High. She later graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Speech and Theater Arts from Wesleyan College in Macon, Georgia. She eventually returned to Miami to teach English as a second language at Miami-Dade Community College and served as a member of the Miami-Dade County School Board for 16 years, advocating for the improvement of public school education up until her retirement at the age of 77. She also served as a member of the boards for the following institutions: Actors’ Playhouse and GableStage in Coral Gables; Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network/Safe Schools; WLRN; Miami Children’s Foundation; and Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs. Some of her notable achievements include winning the Wesleyan College's Distinguished Achievement Award and the Jewish Museum of Florida's Breaking the Glass Ceiling Award.
She passed away in Miami in 2017 at the age of 90.
Safeguarding American Values for Everyone (SAVE) is a grassroots nonprofit political advocacy organization located in Miami, Florida. Founded in 1993, the organization's stated mission is to "promote, protect and defend equality for people in South Florida who are lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender."
Ann Rabinowitz is an experienced genealogist and prolific writer based in South Florida. She was born in Manchester, England and has engaged with genealogy since her early years. Her mother’s family is from Boryslaw and Drohobycz, Ukraine. She is the author of the monthly series of articles in the JewishGen Blog entitled "Musings of a Jewish Genealogist."
Her articles were also published in the Jewish Chronicle Blog, as well as in many Jewish genealogy journals, various newspapers, and The Jewish Affairs in South Africa. She is the assistant coordinator of the Jewish Gen Blog, where she often interacts with readers in the comment section or by email. Furthermore, Ann is active in social media, especially Facebook. Ann’s writing also includes fiction, poetry, and essays on food culture and anthropology.
She is a member of the Jewish Genealogy Society of Palm Beach County, Inc., and the Jewish Genealogical Society, Inc., based in New York. She graduated from Florida State University, Emory University, and the University of Maryland. Ann currently serves as an office manager in a South Florida government's IT department.
–Vanessa Rodrigues Barcelos da Silva Graduate Student Assistant for Manuscripts and Archives Management, Summer 2025
