A man of many professions and interests – rabbi, author, spiritual advisor, poet, scuba diver, Navy lieutenant, to name a few – Mitch Chefitz died recently. He was 84.

Before the pandemic, Chefitz was a familiar face at the LNB produce and rainbow smoothie stand at the Pinecrest Gardens farmers market, joining the extended family – his son, Walt, and daughter-in-law Adena, and their colleagues – to sell bananas, jackfruit, avocados and other produce from their farms. 

Chefitz could talk about tropical fruits and Jewish spirituality, among other topics, with grace and ease. Said Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava: “His extraordinary life of service and personal counsel has reached legions, deepening their understanding of life and their own journeys.”

According to his website, Chefitz wrote three novels, including The Seventh Telling: The Kabbalah of Moshe Katan, a Los Angeles Times bestseller. He served as chairperson of the National Havurah Committee, editor of a nationally syndicated weekly Torah column, and was a frequent teacher at Havurah institutes, rabbinic conferences, and other gatherings with a focus on Jewish renewal. 

In LNB’s popular newsletter profiling their customers in the community, Chefitz once shared a bit of his philosophy: “The world inside is as great as the world outside. You can find as many wonders in a small environment as you can by going to the Grand Canyon or Yosemite. All one has to do is learn how to look.”