September-October 2024
Faye White-Willinger… Doing What Comes Naturally
by Marcia Muskat
Faye was raised a non-practicing Catholic in Milwaukee. During Faye’s freshman year at U Penn (Nursing ’88-BSN), she found herself close with lots of Jewish friends and their holiday traditions. In 2003, Faye married Jewish. And much to her mother-in-law’s delight, felt the need to raise her children Jewish.
Union Temple of Prospect Heights, Brooklyn (now part of Congregation Beth Elohim/CBE) became pivotal. Faye was so active in the Religious School that she eventually co-chaired and directed (hiring Mindy Sherry). Adding to the momentum, Faye “audited” RS classes, studied Torah and sang Hebrew prayers alongside her son, Robert. And when Faye needed people most – during her separation from Robert’s dad and her bout with several serious illnesses – Faye couldn’t help but think of Union Temple as family and of herself as Jewish. In 2013, in the presence of a three-rabbi beit din, Faye converted to Judaism.
Earlier that year, Faye and Robert went camping at Falcon Ridge Folk Festival in Hillsdale, NY. As beshert would have it, they pitched their tent next to Jeff Hahn, a nice Jewish guy from Westchester County. In 2017, one month before Robert’s bar mitzvah, Faye and Robert invited Jeff to come live with them. This past June, Rabbi Josh did the honors at Faye and Jeff’s wedding.
Robert is active in Hillel at U Mass Amherst, where he studies neuropsychology in hopes of becoming a doctor. Faye is Board Certified in Holistic Nursing and Travel Health, keeping NYU/Langone international travelers safe. Jeff is retired as a H.S./college math instructor and is a current math tutor and volunteer poll worker. And because a nurse’s day is never done, Jeff is their family’s “house-spouse,” keeping everything together at home.
At EET, Faye loves singing with the choir. Jeff loves schmoozing with the Men’s Club. And all things being equal, loves doing what comes naturally.