Generations of Giving

Lee Harkavy shares his unique perspective on sustaining Jewish identity in an increasingly globalized world, informed by his extensive leadership including as a past president of Memphis Jewish Federation. In this episode, he also discusses two of his most important influences: his father, also a past president of the Federation as well as a founder of the Jewish Foundation of Memphis, and his mother's role with Jewish Family Service, helping to resettle Russian Jews to Memphis in the 1980’s. 

Mark Halperin knows all about dedication. In addition to working at local commercial real estate firm Boyle Investment for fifty-three years, he has served as President of Memphis Jewish Home & Rehab and Temple Israel and board member of Union for Reform Judaism. Mark is particularly proud of spearheading The Temple Israel Cemetery Sustainability Fund with a group of six families who collectively donated $2 million to ensure the financial stability of the Temple Israel Cemetery. In this episode, he also recounts the time he sat in President Bush's pew at the National Cathedral with a 102 degree fever to hear Rabbi Greenstein speak.

Burton Weil is frank when it comes to wealth: he "never dreamed he would make this much money" and didn't want to gift his entire fortune to his children. He credits the Jewish Foundation of Memphis with showing him how to utilize his family foundation to support organizations like the University of Memphis and New Memphis. This is part two of a two-part interview. 

Burton Weil says he was a "terrible" student. Yet the Memphis entrepreneur's lifelong journey led him to become a stalwart philanthropic supporter of college students and young professionals across the city. Through “move the needle” grants from the Burton Weil Family Foundation, Burton and his adult children, who run the Foundation with him as a team, have burst onto the philanthropic scene and are now strengthening Memphis by investing in young talent. This is part one of a two-part interview. 

When they arrived in Memphis in 1968, Dot Bilsky says she and her husband Stanley only intended "to go Temple to pray" — until Beth Sholom Synagogue's Rabbi Becker encouraged them to step up. Ever since, the Bilskys have been a force in Jewish philanthropy. In this interview, they share their lifelong story of leadership with United Way, Beth Sholom, the Memphis Jewish Federation and the Jewish Foundation of Memphis.

Tampa may have more Jewish residents, but the strength of the Memphis Jewish community drew Ted Cohen and his wife Andrea back to the city where he grew up after 8 years in south Florida. He explains how and why he finds time to be so involved in the Jewish community as a young professional growing his family. “It’s our turn,” Ted says about the previous generation of Memphis Jewish leaders. 

“With arms wide open and big smile,” is how Brona Pinnolis describes her late son Aaron, who, prior to his death,  decided what he wanted his legacy to be.  “He wanted other kids to experience the magic of camp, like he did.”  Through Aaron’s Awesome Adventure Fund of the Jewish Foundation of Memphis, annual grants are made to support scholarships or other needs at Camp Sabra.  

Wondering who is the "world's greatest fundraiser?" In this episode, Jimmy Ringel, Chair of the Memphis Jewish Federation, shares this story and more from the community's history, of which the Ringel family has been an impactful pillar. His late father was President of the Foundation during the launch of “Create Your Jewish Legacy," Jimmy and his wife are active current leaders, and, thanks to their early education at Bornblum, Jimmy's sons are proudly sustaining their Jewish heritage. 

Notice anything different about the MJCC these days? The beloved community center recently expanded to include the new Sandy and Jerome Goldstein Lodge. Jeff Goldstein talks about the new building and its namesakes (his parents) in this episode, plus the origins of B'nai Tzedek and why he and his wife Bunny have sponsored the teen philanthropy program for 23 years.

Giving truly runs in the family - especially when it comes to the Uiberall/Shankers. In this episode, grandmother/mother/daughter trio Andie Uiberall, Jill Shanker & Sydney Shanker talk about their history of charity and Jewish leadership, from the iconic blue JNF tzedakah coin boxes that Andie grew up with to Jill's and Sydney's time in BBYO. They also discuss the joy of being Jewish at summer camp and what life is like for Jewish college students these days.