Felix Hirsch
Founder of Tri-County Unitarian Universalists
The Man Who Gathered Strangers
In the 1970s, a few liberal-thinking Marion County residents began seeking each other out. Leading them was Felix Hirsch, an Ethical Culturalist who saw the need for a progressive religious community in conservative Central Florida—and spent a decade making it real.
Hirsch organized sporadic public meetings for prospective Unitarian Universalists, gathering people in living rooms, at the Ocala Library, and even in a motel. At a time when attendance was usually just six to eight people, he persisted.
His philosophy shaped the congregation from the start. As a member of the Ethical Culture movement, Hirsch brought its foundational principle—"deeds, not creeds"—to these early gatherings. That phrase still defines TriUU today, appearing prominently on the congregation's website and materials over four decades later.
From Meetings to Movement
In 1982, Hirsch invited Sid Peterman, the UU Inter-District Representative, to meet with the group about affiliating with the Unitarian Universalist Association. Peterman encouraged them to keep growing—twelve members were required to apply—and to establish a regular meeting schedule.
The group decided to formalize with a picnic on August 29, 1982, in Cherokee Park in Belleview, Florida. By June 1983, they had grown enough to meet twice-monthly at the Friends Meeting House in Ocala.
Finding a Permanent Home
But Hirsch's impact didn't end with the fellowship's founding.
As a resident of Silver Springs Shores, he learned that the General Development Corporation—the company that had developed the community—had reserved land for religious organizations to purchase. He brought this information to the fellowship, and they made a bold decision: buy land and build.
The congregation purchased a one-and-a-half-acre lot for $10,000. With a $20,000 UUA loan, donated labor, and creative fundraising (including selling coffee and donuts at I-75 rest stops three times a week for six months), they built their first permanent home.
The Ethical Culture Connection
Felix Hirsch's identification as an "Ethical Culturalist" places him within a specific intellectual and religious tradition. The Ethical Culture movement was founded in 1876 by Felix Adler, emphasizing:
- Deed before creed: Ethical action matters more than theological belief
- The inherent worth of every person: A principle shared with Unitarian Universalism
- Social justice as religious practice: Ethics lived, not just professed
The Ethical Culture movement and Unitarian Universalism have been described as "liberal religious cousins" since Adler's founding. UU ministers have historically led Ethical Societies, and the Washington Ethical Society maintains dual affiliation with both organizations.
No Ethical Culture Societies have ever existed in Florida. This absence explains why Hirsch, relocating to Marion County, would establish a UU fellowship rather than an Ethical Society—there simply was no Ethical Culture infrastructure in the state. Unitarian Universalism was the closest philosophical home available.
The congregation he founded still embodies his legacy. TriUU explicitly describes itself as "Committed to 'deeds, not creeds'"—the Ethical Culture motto Hirsch carried with him to Florida.
Sources
- TriUU History Document (October 2024)
- TriUU website (triuu.org)
- Florida Division of Corporations records
- UU World Magazine, "Ethical Culture's Humanist Legacy"
- Wikipedia: General Development Corporation, Ethical Movement
- American Ethical Union records