Member Spotlight
It’s Your Legacy
It’s Your Legacy is a collaborative endowment program that benefits St. Paul & Minneapolis Jewish community organizations, schools, and congregations. The program is funded by the Jewish Federation of Greater St. Paul & the Minneapolis Jewish Federation in partnership with the Harold Grinspoon Foundation’s Life & Legacy™ initiative, and enables donors to fullfil their philanthropic goals while strengthening the Twin Cities Jewish community, now and in the future. Legacies left by members of our community help sustain vital programs, services, and institutions that assist the vulnerable and advance Jewish life locally, in Israel and around the world. We appreciate all of the people listed who have joined It’s Your Legacy.
| Agranoff, Ken & Tracey | Harold A. & Sylvia Liefschultz Foundation |
| Abrams, Mike & Sally | Lerman, Mark & Lisa |
| Anonymous x12 | Marofsky, Stuart & Joann |
| Bier, George | Marvy, Bob & Florie |
| Bloomberg, Paul & Lois | Paper, Howie & Emily |
| Braufman, Harvey | Pesses, Sharyn |
| Bream, Eileen | Pogoler, Barbara A. & Andrew |
| Browne, Steve | Portnoy, Gary & Roxanne |
| Martin & Esther Capp Foundation | Rafowitz, Ivan & Tina |
| Devitt, Sherman | Rodman, Scott & Carrie |
| Sylvia Gang Dudovitz Foundation | Rosner, Sue |
| Eisenstadt, Larry & Linda | Saxon, Michael & Polly |
| Farber, Jon & Holly Brod | Schneider, Bart & Margie |
| Fine, Jeremy & Jessie | Segal, Yoav & Roz |
| Fineblum, Joshua & Andrea | Shaller, Steven J. |
| Gale, Neal & Sandy | Silvers, Howard & JoAnn |
| Gantman, David & Kristin | Simon, Jesse & Alisha |
| Golden, Ira & Shelly | Smith, David & Dede |
| Arnold & Sylvia Goldman Foundation | Swartz, Gary & Kristi Bader |
| Kafitz, Stevan & Eve | Waldman, Jerry & Judi Belzer |
| Lane, Harriet | Weiszhaar, Nick |
| Lane, Steve & Nancy | Zaidman, Brian & Enrica |
Meet The Axelrod Family
- What do the various people do in your family? Work, school, retired, hobbies, etc?
The Axelrod Family Bree works for Eagan Wave Soccer Club and enjoys reading, volunteering and watching her kids in their various sporting events. Ben works with business owners to help them sell their companies or find financing to grow their operations. He enjoys spending time outdoors, playing basketball and of course cheering on his kids. Lily is an avid gymnast, enjoys learning, and plays the clarinet. Mason and Lincoln both compete in soccer and basketball and enjoy playing video games in their spare time. They also like school, but would never admit it.
- What brings you all to Judaism? Or what is your Jewish journey?
Ben’s parents joined the Temple of Aaron in the late 1990’s after moving to the Twin Cities from Rochester, MN and we have been members ever since. The Axelrod family’s Jewish journey started in Eastern Europe. The family had been impacted by the Holocaust, Stalinist Soviet Russia, and the Refusenik movement before finally arriving in the U.S. Ben’s parents went through many trials and tribulations to finally have the ability to freely practice Judaism in America. This history serves as a key bond for our family and religiosity and brings us together in our Judaism. - What have you been involved with at Temple of Aaron? Or what is your favorite Temple of Aaron program?
Ben has been a member of the Temple of Aaron Board for the past several years and has served on several committees. Lily is currently working towards her Bat Mitzvah, which we look forward to celebrating in February, and the boys are in Sunday school. We have enjoyed many programs at the Temple, but think our favorite is yet to come as the kids become more involved in Youth Group, the play, etc.
Meet The Baldinger Family
- Who makes up your family, where are you from and where do you live now?
Wendy, Steve, Erin, Jeffrey and Doug and Emily, Granddaughter Sloane. Wendy and Steve live in Mendota Heights and Erin lives in Highland. Jeffrey is a comedian in Los Angeles and Doug, Emily and Sloane live in New York where Doug is the creative producer for Blue Man Group. - What do the various people do in your family? Work, school, retired, hobbies, etc?
Steve works at Baldinger Bakery which has been the family business for generations. Wendy is a music specialist along with her musical show, Wendy’s Wiggle, Jiggle and Jam! Erin is a professor at the University of MN in Math Education. Everyone loves to get together and sing in our music room. - What brings you all to Judaism? Or what is your Jewish journey?
Steve’s family are long time members of Temple of Aaron. Wendy grew up in Duluth at a conservative synagogue. We are Shabbat regulars and involved in a variety of areas. Wendy was the St. Paul Jewish Federation President. As a family we are involved throughout the Minnesota Jewish community and involved heavily with strengthening Israel. - What have you been involved with at Temple of Aaron? Or what is your favorite Temple of Aaron program?
Steve is a past president of Temple of Aaron, Wendy was the music specialist for the religious school for 25 years, Erin often helps lead services and Erin, Doug and Jeffrey were involved in USY throughout high school. We loved being at Crossriver Kosherfest with the Baldinger Bakery stand!
Meet The Katz Family
- Who makes up your family, where are you from and where do you live now?
Sherri Jean Katz and daughter Ariana Muriel Katz. Also my parents, Fred and Dianne Katz, but they live in New York. Lots of cousins, aunts, uncles and more. We are from New York. I grew up on Long Island, and Ariana was born while I lived up in Ithaca, NY when I was finishing graduate work at Cornell University. - What do the various people do in your family? Work, school, retired, hobbies, etc?
I am a professor at the University of Minnesota in the Hubbard School of Journalism and Mass Communication. Ariana attends pre-school and has yet to decide her major. - What brings you all to Judaism? Or what is your Jewish journey?
I love sharing Judaism with Ariana. We enjoy the community, customs, and holidays. We are frequent attendees at Temple of Aaron. - What have you been involved with at Temple of Aaron? Or what is your favorite Temple of Aaron program?
We love attending her toddler class each week. I have enjoyed getting to know the other parents and Ariana loves playing with her temple friends.
Meet The Paper Family
- Who makes up your family, where are you from and where do you live now?
Rachael, Joel, Wil (age 9) Levi (age 7), we live in Mendota Heights. - What do the various people do in your family? Work, school, retired, hobbies, etc?
Wil and Levi are in 3rd and 2nd grade, their hobbies are sports (hockey, baseball, skiing and golf), legos and xbox. Rachael is a criminal defense attorney, my hobbies are also sports, and boating and pretty much anything I can do up at the cabin. I also love hanging out with my 3 boys and doing anything they like to do. Oh, and going on vacation we all love that. Joel stays home with Wil and Levi and does construction projects, last year he flipped a house, this year he is remodeling our kitchen. He also coaches the boys in baseball, soccer and football, is on the Mendota Heights City Council, volunteers at the elementary school every week and also anytime anyone asks him. He is in the Cohort 9 Harry Kay Leadership class. His hobbies are playing and watching sports, reading and building things if he ever has free time. - What brings you all to Judaism? Or what is your Jewish journey?
I think what brings us all to Judaism is simply being Jewish and having been raised Jewish. It has always been extremely important to both Joel and I that we raise Jewish children, I don’t think either of us realized how difficult that was going to be in today’s world. Both of us were brought to Temple often when we were growing up by our parents and we are trying to do the same with our kids. Joel and I have been spending more time at synagogue since our children were born as they seem to enjoy being there and it seems like a safe, comfortable place for them and all of us to spend quality time together. It was the first place we ever let them go into a restroom alone. We also started going on Saturday morning more because the Rabbi asked Joel. Joel really has embraced Shabbat morning at the synagogue and he may want to elaborate as to why. I have also enjoyed the few Saturday mornings I can get there as the service seems familiar, comfortable and relaxing. - What have you been involved with at Temple of Aaron? Or what is your favorite Temple of Aaron program?
We have been very involved in the programming for young children and have all enjoyed it; especially the young family Kallah!
Meet The Skadron Family
Our nuclear family consists of Tom, Teri, Emilee, Charlie and David. We live in St Paul and Emilee is just finishing her Senior year at Madison. Tom’s family comes from St Paul, and Tom’s great grandparents, Morris and Alice Lurie joined Temple of Aaron in 1925. Tom’s grandparents Lee and Harry Strimling were married by Rabbi Cohen ( Temple of Aaron) in 1933. They had two children Richard and Nancy. Nancy and Stanley ( Tom’s parents) were married by Rabbi Raskas in 1956, and our children ( 5th generation Temple of Aaron members) each had their B’nai Mitzvot at Temple of Aaron.
Tom and Teri are both veterinarians and met at The Ohio State University looking through a double headed microscope in Veterinary School. Tom loves working with all animals and has a special internest in internal medicine and surgery. Teri loves small mammals and exotics and is certified in Veterinary acupuncture. Charlie is a sophomore at Henry Sibley High School and David is an 8th grader at Friendly Hills. Emilee attends the University of Wisconsin and is interested in Veterinary Medicine. Charlie is also interested in Veterinary Medicine and David would like to be a sports attorney. As a family, we love going on vacations, up to the cabin whenever we can, and spending time with our dogs Sid Hartman, Otto and Petunia, and our cat Hulk.
Family history has kept us on our Jewish path. We hope that our Jewish journey is one that helps our children realize the importance of tradition and faith that need to be passed from generation to generation.
The life cycle events that we have shared at Temple have had the most meaning for our family. We have so many memories from the baby naming of Emilee, the boys Brit Milot and the B’nai Mitzvot of all the children. Celebrating simchas at the Temple of Aaron take on special meaning given the family history and the welcome feeling we feel with the synagogue members.