Ida Cohen leaves legacy of care with Miami Jewish Health
MIAMI — Her picture is on the wall down the hall from the reception desk at Miami Jewish Health, a 25-acre, lush oasis dedicated to the care of aging Miami residents of all faiths.
The black and white photo is of Ida Cohen.
Miami Historian Paul George can tell you all about Ida Cohen. "Her husband is said to be the first Jewish settler in Florida, Miami, in 1896.
That would be Isidor Cohen -- merchant, community leader. He was one of the signers of the original Miami City charter creating the government structure for "The Magic City."
George says, "She was just a wonder woman. She'd been married, widowed, married Isidor, had a happy marriage. And she was an activist."
Ida Cohen's major project, her life's passion, was what is now called Miami Jewish Health.
She was the moving force behind establishing the institution that has served the Miami area for over 80 years.
Jeffrey Freimark. president and CEO of Miami Jewish Health. describes Ida as "as a ferocious fundraiser and this facility became very well known for treating poor frail elderly folks and it's evolved to where we are today."
Isidore and Ida's granddaughter. Geri Cohen. will tell you Ida was a "tough cookie." But her grandparents, "were very warm and loved us."
To this day people ask, "are you Ida Cohen's granddaughter? That makes me very proud."
Several generations of the Cohen family have been active in support of public and private organizations in South Florida.
Jeffrey Freimark told CBS Miami, "She had to be ferocious in terms of what she did -- women back in the 1940's -- to be taking this on and be able to do the fundraising and drive it in a community in a very different time."
The Jewish Health project was not her only passion. Paul George reminds us Ida had lots of irons in the fire.
"She founded the Miami chapter of the National Council of Jewish Women, she had a hand in the early years of the Miami Lighthouse for the Blind. She used to wear hats with feathers until she learned about how the birds were being decimated in the Everglades by the bird hunters. She pushed hard for setting aside a park in the Everglades."
When asked what he would say if he could speak to Ida Cohen Jeffrey Freimark said, "I would certainly be sure to thank her for the foresight that she brought in getting this place started 84 years ago."