New Member Profile: Judi Gleeman

BASICS: What are your names and any nicknames? 

Judi Gallop Gleeman

YOU: Tell us about you and your family.

I’m the oldest of three children all raised in Duluth. My brother is Jon Gallop (Minnetonka) and my sister Jane Gallop lives in Milwaukee. I grew up going to the 4th Street Synagogue in Duluth. I have lived in the Twin Cities since fall of 1967 when I started at the University of Minnesota. I spent many years (a total of 52 weeks of my life) at Herzl Camp, and when I lived in St. Paul I went to Temple of Aaron, where I always saw lots of people I knew. I’ve lived in Minnetonka for 24 years now.

I worked for many years in the mortgage business as an accounting manager. My last job was for a non-profit, the WCA Foundation (now a Signature Fund of the Minneapolis Foundation), as the office manager. They gave grants to help women's organizations. I worked for 50 years and was good at work. I retired in January 2020, but I am not good at retirement.

My son Aaron Gleeman, 42, is a sportswriter, writing mostly about the Twins for The Athletic, is on KFAN periodically, and has a podcast “Gleeman and The Geek.”

BELONG: What does belonging to a synagogue mean to you?

I am a revolving door Jew… in for Rosh Hashanah and out on Yom Kippur plus going twice a year to say kaddish for my parents Mel and Eudice Gallop.

HERE: Why did you choose Bet Shalom?  

I moved to Minnetonka in October 2000 and joined Bet Shalom that November. I resigned in 2007 when my salary at my job was materially reduced. I joined again because my sister-in-law Stacy Gallop suggested it. Maybe she wanted to be sure there would be someone to officiate at my funeral since I turned 75 this year! But so far I see very few people who I know at Bet Shalom.