Phyllis Grusin Weinstein

Phyllis Grusin Weinstein, age 100, passed away on Wednesday, January 6, 2021. Phyllis was born on January 4, 1921 to Jennye and Sam Grusin in Evansville, Indiana and was the oldest of three children. In 1940, Phyllis married Leon “Chink” Weinstein, and they were married for 61 years, until his death in 2001.

Phyllis was a visionary civic leader and builder her entire adult life, and Birmingham’s Jewish and general communities are enriched today by institutions she helped to build.

When she arrived in Birmingham as a young bride, Phyllis quickly became involved in her new community. She served as president of the Sisterhood of Temple Beth-El, the Birmingham Chapter of Hadassah, Birmingham Jewish Federation and Jewish Family Services, now Collat Jewish Family Services; she led the Women’s Division of State of Israel Bonds, and she worked to build bridges across cultural divides as leader of the Jewish Community Relations Committee.

Phyllis was the founding president of the Southern Branch of National Women’s League, and in 1975, an award was created in her name: The Phyllis Grusin Weinstein Leadership Award. She was founding chair of the Birmingham Jewish Day School, now the N.E. Miles Jewish Day School, and she served as the school’s board president for four years. Generations of Day School graduates fondly remember being greeted with fresh doughnuts by Phyllis on each year’s first day of school.

Phyllis was a member of the 1988 Class of Leadership Birmingham.

For 17 years, Phyllis served as chair of the Emergency Food and Shelter Program of FEMA for Jefferson, Shelby and Walker counties, administered through the United Way of Central Alabama.

In 1999, she was appointed by Gov. Bob Riley as commissioner to the Alabama Holocaust Commission, and she served as the Commission’s chair for seven years.

In 2002, Phyllis, founded the Birmingham Holocaust Committee, now the Birmingham Holocaust Education Center, which has facilitated the education of thousands of Alabamians about the Holocaust’s horrors and the dangers of bigotry and hate. In 2012, the BHEC honored Phyllis for her years of service, and in the same year, The Women’s Fund honored her at its first annual Smart Party for “creating positive social change for women and girls.”

Phyllis and Chink built a strong and loving family, which often gathered around her table for Sabbath dinners featuring her home-baked challah and famous mint brownies.

She is survived by her sister, Judy Rattner of Knoxville, two daughters, Janie Feldman, of Atlanta and Lynn Raviv (Arie), of Birmingham, seven grandchildren and 19 great grandchildren, and a number of nieces and nephews.

Phyllis was blessed to have loving and passionate caregivers for the past three years: Cynthia Davis, Brenda Williams, Corina Snell, Princess Hawkins, Shernester Shanks, Cheryl Austin and Sharon Hollingsworth.

In lieu of flowers, charitable donations may be made to Temple Beth-El, the Birmingham Holocaust Education Center, the N.E. Miles Jewish Day School, the United Way of Central Alabama, or a charity of your choice

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