Author: Shoshana Cenker

Passionate Educator Shapes Generations of Jewish Students Sally Baer ~ Empowering Young Minds

For nearly four decades, Sally Baer has been and continues to be a guiding light in Memphis, inspiring countless Jewish students with unwavering dedication, wisdom, and a profound love for working with kids. This year, Sally celebrates 36 remarkable years (double chai!) at Bornblum Jewish Community School – originally called Solomon Schechter Day School, Sally’s been there since Day 1. Born in Memphis to parents, Bill and Ruth Rhodes, she and her brother, Barry, lived in a wonderful “neighborhood with other kids. I was very social, roller skating, exploring the outdoors, biking. We always played outside,” Sally remembered of...

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Artistic Mom with a Huge Heart

A loving family, lifelong Baron Hirsch Congregation member, and a fulfilling career dedicated to the Jewish community are some of the many wonderful ways to describe Memphian Madelyne Daneman. Born to Esther (née Strauch), from Memphis, and Lou Rafael, from Brooklyn, they met when Esther went to work in New York, living with her Great-Aunt Lilly. The happy couple ended up back in Memphis and married in 1939 at the original Baron Hirsch (BH) on Washington Avenue in the historic Pinch District downtown. In 1940, Madelyne came into the world; her brother, Charles, followed in 1945. While Lou worked downtown with Sam Fortas, the siblings had a lovely childhood growing up in the Bluff City. Madelyne attended Christine School, Vollentine Elementary, Snowden and Central High School. When Baron Hirsch moved to Vollentine Avenue in the 1950s, her family continued attending services and volunteering there. “In the late 1950s, I married Eddie Robbins (OBM), and we had three daughters, Shelley, Leslye, and Audrey, who are all now very accomplished women and were close growing up and still are,” said Madelyne, who exudes class and poise. “Eddie ended up getting a scholarship to study social work at the University of Tennessee at Nashville, so we moved there for two years.” Then, the family moved to Atlanta, where Eddie worked on the staff of Camp Barney Meditz at the Jewish Community Center...

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Cross Country Match

How do two people who live on opposite sides of the country find each other, date, then later stomp a glass in wedding bliss? You could say it’s because of their emunah in Hashem (faith in G-d), with a bit of modern technology mixed in. Memphian Jamie (née Levy) was living in New York City, while Azi Farr was in California, where he was born and raised. The two matched on a dating app in November 2022, began to get to know each other long distance, then met in person a month later. “Azi flew to New York for...

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Wedding Weekend Bliss

Photos by Rob + Deanna Photography Teamwork makes the dream work, as the saying goes, which is exactly what made Sam and Ashley (née Vogel) Teper’s fabulous wedding weekend a memorable experience for all. Both were “heavily involved” in the planning. The happy couple was married in downtown Memphis at The Kent on Nov. 11, 2023, which also happened to be Ashley’s dad’s 60th birthday. “I felt a little guilty,” Ashley noted, due to the tragedy in Israel a month before. “But I was reminded that we need more simchas, more celebrations.” In fact, to keep the country, soldiers,...

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