Margery Marx Shurberg

Born in Cincinnati, in 1917, just two months before the U.S. entered World War I, Marge was the only child of Arthur and Clara Hirshfield. She excelled academically and attended the prestigious Walnut Hills High School. She earned her bachelor’s degree in early childhood education from the University of Cincinnati in 1938.

Later that year, on Christmas Day, Marge married Rabbi Meyer Marx who had recently been ordained at Hebrew Union College, the rabbinical seminary for Reform Judaism. Little did she know at the time that this was the beginning of a 50-year marital journey that would take her to small cities across the South and Midwest. On each stop along the way, she would make a difference not only to the Jewish community but to the community at large – often working quietly and effectively in the background, as rabbis’ wives often did.

After Marge and Meyer’s wedding, they set out for Natchez, Mississippi, where she sought a job teaching kindergarten. Much to her disappointment, Marge learned that the Natchez school department of the time hired only single women. Why? Because the administrators were concerned that married teachers would get pregnant in the middle of a school year! As she was not one simply to accept such a nonsensical policy, Marge took matters into her own hands and started the first private kindergarten in Natchez.

In the 1940s, Meyer’s career led the young couple from Natchez to Lincoln, Nebraska; Rockford, Illinois; and Dothan, Alabama. In each city, Marge found ways to pursue her own professional interests as a teacher, as well as her personal commitment to contributing to the communities in which she and Meyer lived – especially including the congregations that Meyer served – all while raising their daughter Judy.

In 1951, Meyer assumed leadership of Temple Beth-El in Knoxville, Tennessee. Again, Marge seized the opportunity to make a constructive difference. During the 12 years that the Marx family (now including son Arthur) lived in Knoxville, she established a nursery school at the local Jewish Community Center, contributed her energy to the temple’s Sisterhood and Hadassah, served as a Girl Scout Leader, and worked as a reading disabilities consultant with a local psychologist. Notably, both Marge and Meyer were active in the civil rights movement of the early 1960s – which, of course, was not without risk.

The family came to Sarasota, in 1963, when Meyer became the first permanent rabbi of Temple Emanu-El. Marge taught full-time at Bay Haven School and was an influential teacher and leader at the temple’s Sunday School. Although their first residence in Sarasota lasted only two years, their affection for friends here and the community were long-lasting.

The Marx family moved again, in 1965, when Meyer became the rabbi of Temple Beth Shalom in Middletown, Ohio, which is only about 35 miles north of Marge’s hometown of Cincinnati. In addition to her typically active involvement in the city’s Jewish community, Marge taught in Middletown public schools for eight years until Meyer retired – and they decided to relocate one last time.

Upon returning to Sarasota, in 1973, Marge once again devoted considerable energy to the community. She taught at the Prew Private School for nine years and was active in Temple Emanu-El and the Jewish community more generally. At the temple, Marge was a Sunday School teacher and, with other teachers, organized education for post bar/bat mitzvah kids, leading to Emanu-El’s first formal Confirmation classes. After Meyer died, in 1989, Marge established the Marx Fund at the temple in his memory to help finance the Confirmation class’s annual trips to New York to tour the city and visit important Judaic sites, such as the Jewish Museum and HUC-JIR’s campus there.

As fate would have it, around 1990, Marge was fortunate to fall in love with Merwin Shurberg, a retired civil engineer with whom she had many interests in common. They were married in 1991 and shared a home in Palm Aire until Merwin passed away in 1995.

Also around 1990, a contingent of Temple Emanu-El congregants, including Marge, started Temple Sinai. This endeavor was less an expression of dissatisfaction with Temple Emanu-El than a recognition of the need for a congregation to serve the growing Reform Jewish population on the south side of Sarasota. Marge was active in fundraising for the new temple and co-founded its sisterhood (“Women of Sinai”).

As at Temple Emanu-El, Marge was especially interested in the education of post bar/bat mitzvah students at the new temple. Because she felt that the continued involvement of children in that age group was paramount to maintaining their commitment to Reform Judaism and the vitality of the congregation, she helped create parameters for their religious education in those crucial years. In addition, she generously re-established the Marx Fund at Temple Sinai, which has helped enable the older teens to experience trips to Israel, New York, and Washington, D.C., and to attend Camp Coleman in Georgia.

After her return to Sarasota, Marge and Meyer had become increasingly interested in retirement living for Jewish seniors, and Marge was a leader in planning what would become Kobernick House (now the independent living facility at Aviva). She served as a co-vice president of The Guild (the Sarasota-Manatee Jewish Housing Council’s endowment fundraising arm and volunteer group) and, from The Guild’s inception in 1992 until 2001, Marge was a director or officer. In 1993, she agreed to serve as Coordinator for Volunteers at Kobernick House and spearheaded the Friendly Visitors program and Caring Committee. The volunteers she led also staffed the gift shop and the Bistro, and planned and executed fundraising galas every year.

Even in “retirement,” Marge’s instincts and training as a teacher were never far from her heart. Although she was quite busy with other activities, she managed to find time to volunteer with the Sarasota Literacy Council from 1999 to 2003 and tutored at least six formerly illiterate adult students in reading.

As she entered her 90s, Marge began to experience progressive and significant visual impairment caused by macular degeneration. Alas, the progressive condition gradually interfered with her ability to read, to play bridge and mahjong, and to pursue other interests that she loved. Nonetheless, she maintained her active participation in a book club she joined 40 years ago by listening to audiobooks. She also kept abreast of current events and was a generous mentor, “sounding board,” and valued friend to other community leaders.

In her adult life, Marge had a positive impact in no fewer than seven cities and eight congregations; made a difference in the lives of countless friends, acquaintances, students, rabbis, community leaders, and even individuals she never met personally; and set an example of service, compassion, and leadership that is to be cherished and honored by all whose lives she touched.

She leaves her children, Judy Gee and Arthur Marx, both of Sarasota; a step-daughter, Sue Klein (and her husband Perry) of Washington, D.C.; a step-son, Jon Shurberg (and his wife Dorcas) of The Plains, Virginia; four step-grandchildren; and six step-great grandchildren.

Arrangements are in the hands of Robert Toale & Sons. A memorial service and reception will be held at Temple Emanu-El on April 3 at 3:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations in Marge’s honor may be made to the Marx Educational Fund at Temple Sinai, 4631 South Lockwood Ridge Road, Sarasota, FL 34231, or to the Temple Emanu-El Religious School, 151 McIntosh Road, Sarasota, FL 34232.