We can honestly say that Birmingham is the best place we have ever lived — and it doesn’t hurt that our congregation is filled with extraordinary sports fans.

In the summer of 2002, we arrived in Birmingham and did not know anything about the Jewish community. One day, Rabbi Miller came to my office and recruited me. As it turned out, Temple Emanu-El became our primary connection to our new home and we have enjoyed so many wonderful friendships, as a result. This is where our daughter, Anna, was married and the spiritual home where our granddaughter, Abigail, is being raised.

Because Rabbi Miller and the congregation have played such an important role in our lives, our family tries to give back in any way that we can. We have helped host several fundraising functions and Anna has served on the Temple’s Board of Directors, as well as co-chaired one of the congregation’s recent visioning efforts. We are very aware of how important it is to think about tomorrow, and have found that the best way to do that is to contribute to the Grafman Endowment Fund. We, therefore, created the Slive Family Fund to do our part in ensuring that the future remains vibrant for generations to come.