Shelly Brodie
Shelly Brodie Presented by The Foundation of the Greater Miami Jewish Federation
I was born in Houston, Texas in what I truly believe was the most incredible Jewish community. Blessed to grow up amongst a large extended and very close Jewish family, my parents and my maternal grandmother were most influential in shaping my Jewish identity. My father was very learned in Judaism – how I loved to watch him daven. My mother was the opposite – there wasn’t the money to send the “girls”
to Hebrew school. But she was the one that made sure that I got a strong Jewish education all the way through Hebrew High School. To this day, she can’t read a word of Hebrew, but knows the prayers by heart and loves to participate. My grandmother would tell me stories, in her broken English about what life was like in Parboluch, Russia. Because of her, I learned Yiddish. Through her, I learned about what she left behind to make a new life. From pre-school, to becoming a Bat-Mitzvah and through my teen years, my life was centered around my synagogue,
Congregation Beth Yeshurun, my JCC and BBYO. I loved everything about being Jewish both ritually and culturally. For three years in high school, I taught all of the B’nai Mitzvah kids their prayers. I worked at the Jewish Herald-Voice (our Jewish newspaper) as a typesetter. BBYO was especially amazing – there was no better place for leadership development, ruach, creativity, and “giving back.” One of most influencing factors
in my life, was the Houston Pilgrimage to Israel – where I was lucky to spend six weeks in Israel learning its history, flavors, and people. It was also in Houston where I met my husband, Steve, on a blind date. I was going to be a freshman at Sophie Newcomb College of Tulane University; he was a rising Junior. The rest, as they say, is history. Together, Steve and I chaired the
UJA campaign on campus and were involved in Hillel. We got married very young – I was just 21 and he was 22. I moved to Miami where he was attending law school. He promised we would go back to Texas in two years; 42 years later…… For the past 40 years, I have been blessed to be involved in the Miami Jewish south Dade community serving on the boards of the Alper JCC (where I’m also a Past President), Bet Shira Congregation and the Federation’s Southwest Dade Women’s Division. Through the Greater Miami Jewish Federation, I co- chaired Super Sunday and Steve and I co-chaired two Family Missions to Israel. It was such an incredible feeling to share Shelly’s grandmother, Nanny Eskowitz
our love for Israel with our sons, our family and our community. I continue to serve on the Board of the Greater Miami Jewish Federation and as Chair of the Foundation’s Forever Lion campaign. With Steve, I’m also proud to serve as Chairs of
Miami-Dade County AIPAC. In many ways, I feel like I have been doubly blessed – with the Jewish community I was born into and the one I grew into. Steve and I raised our sons, Bradley and Michael, in Miami who have now blessed us with four grandchildren. As a child, I had no idea the role that a Jewish Federation played in creating the perfect Jewish community. Through my
Steve and Shelly Brodie at their wedding
years of involvement, I’ve learned that it takes a community to build a community. That is why I am leaving a legacy. There is so much more work to do. We must continue to educate, to build, to care for, and to sustain our wonderful Jewish heritage. Our ancestors worked especially hard to protect and pass it down to us – now we must do the same.
Presented by The Foundation of the Greater Miami Jewish Federation
Brodie Family at the beach
Temple Beth Am AND Rambam Day School
Presented by The Foundation of the Greater Miami Jewish Federation
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