Breakfast Event Links Area Jewish Businesses

FORT MYERS, FL — The Jewish Business Network is keeping the area’s Jewish community connected and plans are in the works to expand.

The group, which was created 2007, recently added a new Breakfast & Business event to encourage area professionals to network and socialize at their convenience.

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“There was nothing gluing the Jewish community together,” said Rabbi Yitzchok Minkowicz, who had already created Chabad Lubavitch of Southwest Florida.

He then saw a need for business professionals to do business in a non-religious way. That’s why he created the networking group.

“We saw the potential growth and filled the need,” he said. “The idea was to create a unifying force between all of us and offer certain programs that everyone can benefit from.”

The Breakfast & Business idea has given Jewish Business Network members who can’t make it to mostly night events a chance to participate.

“We have already over 200 people at the events that we’ve done so far. We’ve had 100 people join,” said Minkowicz shortly after hosting a few events.

“New people can come to town and start business and try to get to know Jewish infrastructures in the community easier.”

The network takes that unifying factor one step further by offering a member directory that lists every Jewish business and affiliates.

“They are a wealth of information to the community. They’re wonderful,” said Juli Bobman, who has been involved with Chabad in Fort Myers, Temple Judea and Beth El.

Keeping connected is the basis for the networking events because “some people just want to meet other people,” Minkowicz said.

The sky is the limit for the Jewish Business Network as it works on even more ways to expand its offerings.

“We want to build the Business & Breakfast, continue to build our directory and develop a Web site,” he said.

The idea is to eventually make the networking group a self-run organization that continues to grow as the Jewish community in southwest Florida does.

“Everything we do, we will keep doing it and expand,” said Minkowicz about the group that boasts 120 members. “We will take on more projects and programs.”