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 and Madelyne worked at the camp as an arts and crafts specialist. Five years later, the Robbins family moved to Houston.
“Mom was so progressive. Back when she’d work at Barney Meditz, she ran the ‘Art Shack.’ I remember her creating projects for some of the boys who weren’t into sports or were kind of quiet wallflowers – she wanted them to have a creative outlet. One project was a ‘Buddy Stick.’ The group walked in the woods, and each camper chose a stick. Back in the Shack, they’d take the bark off, then use a special tool to burn their names into it and their friends would sign it, so they’d have a nice camp memory,” remembered Audrey warmly. “She was way ahead of her time and has always been a planner with an unwavering positive attitude. We always had something to do as kids. She truly understands relationships and taught me and my sisters how to be good moms and good people – and that’s being passed on to her grandkids.”
When Eddie and Madelyne divorced in 1970, she and the girls moved back to Memphis. (Eddie died in 1987.)
“Marty Kraar hired me to work at the Memphis Jewish Community Center (MJCC) as a children’s and senior adult worker. I loved working with them all; I said I always wanted to make it better by the time I become a senior adult,” she said with a chuckle. “And in 1972, I went back to school at what was then Memphis State for my Bachelor of Professional Studies. I spent 36 years working at the MJCC, including as camp director for many years.”
Madeline’s next marriage, to Howard Atkins (OBM), ended after 16 years. She later dated Jay Daneman (OBM), who had moved from Chattanooga, for eight years. Neither was in a hurry to rush to the altar, but when they got there, they were happily married for 20 years. Jay passed away in 2020.
“Jay and I loved to travel, especially on Princess Cruise Lines,” said Madelyne, who must have figured out the secret to a healthy long life – she looks at least 20 years younger than she is. “After I retired in 2006, we continued to travel, and I still do. I’m going to California this summer and Morocco in the fall. My daughters have been so helpful since I retired; if I need anything, they’re right there. We’ve done a few trips together. My daughters are everything to me.”
Madelyne makes sure to stay active – physically and socially, which she credits for her longevity and good health. She works part time at Dazzle, exercises weekly at the MJCC, walks with a neighbor regularly, visits with friends, and is even auditing classes at the University of Memphis with friends. “We don’t have tests or papers to write or homework,” she shared, “we just learn, and I’m really enjoying it.”
A book lover, Madelyne enjoys diving into Danielle Steele and historical books. She’s also always been interested in art. Madelyn’s taken courses from a park commission, as well as a watercolor course in Houston. In Memphis, she created posters and flyers for the MJCC. Her creative artworks – drawings, black-and-white ink, and watercolors – began with people, then she segued into scenery, especially trees. She and her daughters have some of her original art in their houses.
“I’m so proud of my mother in all that she accomplished in her professional life of 36 years at the MJCC. She was an integral and essential part of the staff, as well as the community at large,” shared Leslye Robbins. “One friend of mine called her ‘a local legend.’ The way people lovingly talked about her when I was young helped me see her as a committed, enthusiastic, talented, energetic, and incredibly skillful woman who helped shape the Jewish culture of the MJCC. I was grateful to have such a strong and beautiful role model and can only imagine how many lives she touched because of her dedicated work.”
Madelyne continues to live a passionate life of gemilut chasadim – performing acts of loving kindness. She’s been a longtime board member of Baron Hirsch and volunteers there consistently – she and Jay both received the Louis Turetsky Chesed Award from BH; she serves on the board of Creative Aging and attends its events; and while working with senior adults, her committee helped start Plough Towers with Jack Lieberman. “I remember screaming for joy when we got the grant to develop Plough Towers!” she recalled with her radiant smile.
“When the four of us moved back to Memphis in 1970, Mom pulled up her bootstraps. She wasn’t a professional woman yet, but she needed to support her three daughters. So, she went to the MJCC – a place where she could add value and use her talents, where she was comfortable as a religious Jewish woman. She was such a good organizer, a trait that came from her mom, which was passed down to me and my daughter. Mom and I even started college around the same time, while she was taking care of my sisters. She’s always been a hard worker,” said Shelley proudly. “Our great-grandmother, grandmother, and mom also taught us the importance of giving – in time and resources – to our Jewish community. And Mom instilled the importance of keeping a kosher home and being Jewish, which she learned from her parents. That’s how she raised us; it was all a huge influence on my life, which we’ve shared with our own kids.”
Madelyne is still happily living in the Germantown home she bought back in 1976. “It was brand new, and half the street wasn’t even built then!” she remembered fondly. “Barrie and Enid Weiser live down the street; I have good neighbors who keep an eye on me. I just love this house and do yard work when I can.”
“Nanny” to her seven wonderful grandchildren, she visits them as often as possible. Shelley is married to Reed Landau, they live in Memphis and have two adult children, Harper and Ethan. Leslye is married to John Pomeroy, they live in Nevada City, California, with their two sons, Aaron and Gabriel. And Audrey and Greg Siskind live in Germantown and have three daughters, Eden, Lily, and Noa. Til 120+, Madelyne!
