Meet our 2026 Honoree
Born and raised in Atlanta, Shirley Brickman spent her first fourteen years living above her parents’ grocery store in southwest Atlanta with her parents and two sisters. She and her older sister were the only Jewish students in their elementary school, an experience that shaped her early sense of identity and belonging. Shirley moved to the Morningside area in ninth grade and, at just fifteen, met Perry, the love of her life. She and Perry married in 1955 and raised three children, moving eight times in seven years as he served in the Air Force and completed his oral surgery training. In 1962, they settled into the home that would remain their one and only. Alongside raising her family, Shirley served as office manager in her husband’s oral surgery practice for forty years—professionally known as “Gloria Roberts,” a role she still fondly describes as her first acting job.Shirley’s lifelong commitment to Jewish communal life began with Hadassah and synagogue Sisterhood and deepened through her involvement with the Atlanta Jewish Federation’s Young Leadership and Women’s Divisions. Though she learned the importance of giving from her parents, it was through Federation that her dedication to the Jewish community truly expanded, including multiple missions to Israel with Perry. Among her most unforgettable experiences was a mission in the 1980s to Poland and Russia, visiting concentration camps and secretly meeting with Refuseniks, followed in the early 1990s by adopting a Russian mother and her two children into their family’s Shabbat and holiday life—a relationship that endures to this day. For thirty years, Shirley volunteered as a docent at The Breman Museum, educating thousands of students and teachers about the Holocaust, many of whom had never met a Jewish person before. She considers this work her most emotionally powerful and rewarding volunteer experience. A devoted supporter of Jewish education, Shirley and Perry proudly watched the growth of Atlanta Jewish Academy, where their grandchildren’s early friendships and experiences reflected the school’s enduring impact on hearts, minds, and Jewish life.
Dinah and Jonny beautifully embody the AJA story: past, present, and future. Dinah, a Yeshiva Atlanta graduate, now serves on the AJA Board and as Chair of the 2025–26 GOAL program, while also helping lead AJA’s community engagement efforts. Dinah also serves as the Sisterhood Chair of Netzach Israel Synagogue. Her leadership reflects a deep and lasting commitment to strengthening Jewish education and ensuring that AJA continues to thrive for the next generation.Jonny’s journey mirrors that same powerful arc of continuity and impact. A graduate of both GHA and Yeshiva Atlanta and a former member of the AJA staff, Jonny is now a leader in Atlanta’s Jewish cultural and communal life through his work on the board of Netzach Israel Synagogue, Yalla! Productions, and as the organizer of the Atlanta Shabbat Project dinner, which brings together more than 600 community members each year.
Together, as parents of three proud AJA students, Dinah and Jonny represent the very best of what AJA stands for, making the Evening of Honor a meaningful celebration of the legacy they help build every day.
Julie Lefkoff Fine was born and raised in Atlanta and is a proud Greenfield Hebrew Academy alum (GHA’03). She went on to attend The Ohio State University, earning her undergraduate degree in 2011, and later discovered her passion for education. Julie completed her Master’s in Teaching at Mercer University and began her teaching career with a clear sense of purpose and love for working with young learners.Julie joined Atlanta Jewish Academy in 2016 and, after several years, found her true home in Kindergarten. For the past eight years, she has taught alongside her cherished teaching partner, Carmit Shiff, a collaboration she describes as both professionally grounding and deeply joyful. During her decade at AJA, Julie also became a parent to three children—Hailey, Kayla, and Elliot—each of whom attends AJA, further strengthening her connection to our school community. Outside the classroom, Julie enjoys cooking, spending time with her family, relaxing at Lake Oconee (her happy place), and gathering with friends, all of which help fuel the warmth and energy she brings to her teaching every day.