In honor of the 30th anniversary of the Jewish Foundation of Memphis, we're excited to bring you firsthand stories from the individual donors behind the Foundation's history.
Generous support for this podcast has been provided by Harkavy McDaniel Kaplan & Salomon P.C.
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.
19 Dec 2025
Episode 26: Mark Halperin
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.
2 Dec 2025
Episode 25: Burton Weil — Part 2
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.
2 Dec 2025
Episode 24: Burton Weil – Part 1
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.
10 Oct 2025
Episode 23: Dot and Stanley Bilsky
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.
26 Sept 2025
Episode 22: Ted Cohen
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.
18 Sept 2025
Episode 21: Brona Pinnolis
“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.
10 Sept 2025
Episode 20: Jimmy Ringel
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.
3 Sept 2025
Episode 19: Jeff Goldstein
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.
26 Aug 2025
Episode 18: Andie Uiberall, Jill Shanker & Sydney Shanker
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.
22 Aug 2025
Episode 17: Hal Newburger
Hal is the only "first gentleman" of the Foundation featured on the podcast so far (his late wife Ronna was president). In this episode, Hal tells the story of first meeting Ronna, the couple's decades of support for Ronald McDonald House, and the beautiful legacy he built in his wife's memory: the newly-opened Ronna K. Newburger Adult Day Center at Memphis Jewish Home & Rehab.
14 Aug 2025
Episode 16: Charles Jalenak
Current Jewish Community Partners Chair Charles Jalenak lends his professional financial expertise to this episode. Hear why Charles says the Jewish Foundation of Memphis has the "best Jewish advisory platform in the country" and how the Foundation helps donors invest their money through innovative strategies with a bent toward Israel support and investing Jewishly.
31 Jul 2025
Episode 15: Ken Steinberg
Ken Steinberg is much more than a "pesky board member," as he describes himself. Not only has the lifelong Memphian served as past Chair of Jewish Community Partners, the Memphis Jewish Federation and the Jewish Foundation of Memphis, in this episode, Ken also discusses co-chairing the Maccabi Games and leading the Overton Park Shell. He and his family have made music and Jewish community a core part of their lives — including his young grandchildren, who are sixth-generation Memphians.
23 Jul 2025
Episode 14: Paula Jacobson
Few people know that the Foundation's origin story partly began with a poolside conversation between Ron Belz and Paula Jacobson at the JCC. The founding Executive Director of the Foundation discusses the organization's earliest days in this episode (and gets nostalgic for working on the office floor while waiting for furniture to arrive), plus working with seniors at the Trezevant Foundation, her time as past Temple Israel president and the many strong women leading the Memphis Jewish community today.
17 Jul 2025
Episode 13: Michael D. Kaplan
Michael D. Kaplan went to law school with no intention of becoming a lawyer. Yet, his life journey led him to become the longtime legal counsel to Jewish Community Partners, Memphis Jewish Federation, and the Jewish Foundation of Memphis. As Donor Advised Fund holders, he and his wife Mary Anna and have made their charitable focus feeding the hungry and vulnerable - their family mantra being "you can't just pass through life." He discusses this and more in the latest episode.
16 Apr 2025
Episode 2: Pace Cooper
Pace Cooper, current Chair of the Jewish Foundation of Memphis, discusses learning about philanthropy at the feet of role models like his father and Sam Margolin, how Orthodox Judaism inspires his leadership, and "putting tuchuses in seats" for the Memphis International Airport.
11 Apr 2025
Episode 1: Laura Kaplan Paller
Laura Kaplan Paller, Memphis native and Jewish Community Partners’ VP of Finance & Operations, was among the first participants in teen philanthropy program B'nai Tzedek when it was initiated in 2002. As she recounts in this episode, becoming a teen philanthropist through B'nai Tzedek sparked a passion for Jewish giving that has resonated throughout her life and career.
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