Obituary: Miriam Belger, 98

Miriam Belger, 98, of Alpharetta, a prolific and gifted educator, devoted wife and mother, inspirational grandmother to five, and great-grandmother to 10, died of pneumonia Monday, March 23, 2015.

Throughout her long and productive adult life, she poured out her heart and soul as a cornerstone of Jewish education in Atlanta. Born to Abraham and Annie Sepersky of the Bronx, N.Y., Miriam was her family’s first university graduate, earning a degree in education from Hunter College. During her tenure as an early-childhood educator at Ahavath Achim Synagogue, she lovingly taught and inspired generations of Atlanta’s Jewish youth, only moving on after 45 years to spend her retirement serving as a reading instructor and teacher mentor in several Atlanta public school systems. In the course of her life, Miriam taught thousands of children to read and inspired just as many by extolling the virtues of a giving nature, hard work and an unceasing desire to be successful.

She takes her leave of a family that will always feel united by her love and devotion to them: daughter Susan Belger Scheinfeld; son-in-law Morray; grandchildren Harris, Todd and Jennifer Barton, Ryan Scheinfeld, and Alene Scheinfeld Mosher; 10 great-grandchildren spread out in Atlanta, Gautier, Miss., and Palo Alto, Calif.; and a sister, Pearl Cohen. She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Morris Belger; a sister, Bella Vogel; a brother, David Sepersky; and a daughter, Joan Belger Barton. To know Miriam was to be inspired by her — to always go with your right foot forward. Despite her innate modesty, there are few who can claim as lasting a legacy or as deep an influence on so many others; may her life and accomplishments always be celebrated.

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An online guestbook is available at www.edressler.com. Graveside services will be held 2 p.m. Wednesday, March 25, at Greenwood Cemetery with Rabbi Donald Tam officiating. In lieu of flowers, contributions and remembrances may be made to the Cohen Home, 10485 Jones Bridge Road, Alpharetta, GA 30022, or Weinstein Hospice, 3150 Howell Mill Road NW, Atlanta, GA 30327. Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999.