Havah and Robert Schneider
(Moved to Memphis in 2013)
Where did each of you grow up?
Robert grew up in New York and Havah grew up all over the world (her father was in the military).
Where did you live as a couple before Memphis?
We lived in Washington Heights (NY) and briefly in Bala Cynwyd (PA).
Why did you leave that community?
We left because Havah wanted to live in a smaller Jewish community and Robert agreed to tag along :-).
What attracted you to Memphis?
Affordable cost of living, wonderful career opportunities for both of us and a very warm and hospitable Jewish community.
What clinched your decision to move here?
We moved here because Havah was offered a postdoctoral fellowship at the Memphis VA Medical Center. We stayed here because we fell in love with the city and the Jewish community.
What do you do professionally?
Havah is a clinical psychologist at the Memphis VA Medical Center and Robert is the IT/Facility Manager at the Memphis Jewish Community Center (MJCC).
How old are your children and where do they go to school?
Our children are 7, 5 and 3; our older two attend Bornblum Jewish Community School and our youngest attends the MJCC Early Childhood Center.
What do you like best about Memphis and/or what makes it different or better than other places that you have lived?
We LOVE that there's no traffic (and no state income tax!). Also, because the Jewish community is close-knit, everyone really looks out for one another.
How do you manage being far away from family? Robert's parents visit twice a year, usually for Succot and Pesach and we Skype with them often. Shortly after we moved here, Havah's father decided to retire from the military and her parents needed a community to settle down in. They wanted to live near family in an affordable Jewish community, so we got really lucky and they moved to Memphis.
Where are your favorite places to go in Memphis with or without your kids?
Our favorite places to go with the kids are the Children's Museum of Memphis, the zoo, Yolo/U-swirl/Menchies (all kosher local frozen yogurt places!) and the JCC. Who has time to go anywhere without kids :-)?
Feel free to contact Havah at havahesther@gmail.com for more information about Jewish life in Memphis.