Walking around a Florida neighborhood looking for signs of Jewish life - a mezuzah near the front door?
Thinking that, based on the visual evidence all the talk about southeast Florida being the #2-in-the-country Jewish haven?
Well, we're here, and we have mezuzot.
On the inside.
Why?
Florida exterior doors must, by law, open OUT.
All exterior doors.
On homes, on businesses, all doors.
When I was in (then) junior high, I had a drafting class and I remember drawing exterior doors opening out. When I later lived outside Florida, doors opened in and I found that strange.
The REASON doors open out in Florida is because of frequent hurricanes.
The 'cane's winds PUSH against the door; if the door opened INWARD, the 'cane might push it open, and that would not be a good thing.
Another problem for many homes in Florida is what I call Builder's Folly.
On many houses, mine included, the doors open to the right; the door's hinges are on the right side as you face the door from the outside.
This makes it convenient for a right-handed person, but is a handicap for an observant Jew.
Since the mezuzah is placed on the right side of the door - the left side is reserved for the hanukiah ! - trying to touch the mezuzah while opening the door can result in badly pinched fingers.
Up north, where the snow blows, people have storm doors. Storm doors open out, so by default, otherwise external doors must open INWARD. Given that, it makes no difference where the door hinges are located: left side or right side.
In Florida, even synagogues (of all levels of observance and minhagim) have their mezuzot affixed to the INSIDE.
There ARE ways, even following the "Florida Minhag," to let people know you are Jewish.
Most garages in Florida have overhead doors, the kind that raise up out of the way.
Many observant Jews put a mezuzah on the right door post of the garage. The left side seems to be resaved for an override switch if there's a power failure, or for a key safe.
Then there are those fortunate enough to have a sheltered entrance way.
The "makpeed" can affix a mezuzah on the entrance way.
If I was handy - I am not - I might consider re-hanging the front door so the hinges are on the left side. The door still would open out, but there would be no pinched fingers.
Parting thought
A couple retire to a Jewish elder care facility.
As the couple enters the building, they note the LACK of a mezuzah on the door.
The husband asks the manager: "Where's the mezuzah?"
The manager replies with a question (it's a Jewish property, remember): "Do you know about central tv antenna located on the roof?"
Husband: "Yes; we know about central antennas."
Manager: "Well, we have a central mezuzah."
It was funnier when I head the joke many years ago.
הריני מקבל עלי מצוה עשה של ואהבת לרעך כמוך, והריני אוהב כל אחד מבני ישראל כנפשי ומאודי
