THE EARLY YEARS
COLLEGE & FIRST YEARS OF MARRIED LIFE
PAULA’S CAREER
COOKING, BAKING & HOSTING
LIFE IN ATLANTA
POLITICAL LIFE
Paula's Gifts
WIFE, MOM AND GRANDMA
100
May 12, 1945.
When was Paula born?
100
Paula majored in this subject in college.
What is psychology?
100
Paula has served as this type of social worker for most of her career. Most recently, for over a decade and a half at Families First, Paula has prepared home studies and post-placement reports for domestic and international adoption. Her bosses use her reports as models to train other social workers. More importantly, Paula's families cherish the reports.
What is an adoption social worker?
100
This mom and grandma sets the prettiest tables for holidays and family gatherings. One such table shown here (for Chanukah) includes placemats and napkins from her longtime friend Judy Gutterman.
Who is Paula Budnitz?
100
On average, five times a week, Paula does this type of exercise class lead by instructor Jenny Ford.
What is step aerobics?
100
Paula and Mark canvassed in communities around Atlanta for this 2024 Presidential candidate.
Who is Kamala Harris?
100
This Mom and Grandma is always giving thoughtful gifts to her family and friends, especially her grandchildren. She makes everything fun!
Who is Paula?
100
One reason Judy is probably such a loving and devoted mother is because this woman served as a model for her.
Who is Paula?
200
Forest Park Junior High School, Classical High School, and Pembroke (aka, Brown University).
Where did Paula go to school?
200
A conversation with relative Frida Rabinovitz helped convince Paula to pursue a degree in this field at Boston University. Paula had to overcome stigma that this profession wasn’t appropriate for a Jewish woman.
What is Social Work?
200
In addition to her professional career, Paula was an active volunteer for many causes. Paula and Mark were founders of this, the first-of-its-kind in a synagogue anywhere in the country.
What is the Shearith Israel Women’s Shelter?
200
Paula inspired this person to bake creative cakes. Paula insists that this person’s cake-making skills have surpassed her own.
Who is Judy Budnitz?
200
Once a month, Paula gets together with these friends to read and discuss books.
What is book group?
200
Mark and Paula attended several rallies for this 2024 Presidential candidate. Former President Barak Obama was a speaker at one of the rallies.
Who is Kamala Harris?
200
The best gifts Paula (and Mark) have given their kids and grandkids are the intangible ones, including an appreciation for art, music, and theater. One daughter (an award-winner writer) and grandson (editor of his high school Lit Mag) are particularly talented writers.
Who are Judy and Sawyer?
Shown here is Jacob, who has a deep appreciation for art, due to Paula and Mark's influence.
200
Paula and Mark’s kids and grandkids especially loved playing in this part of their Atlanta home. It's filled with endless books, games, stuffed animals and even a ping pong table.
What is the basement?
300
Paula’s father was a professional viola player. Paula, however, played this instrument growing up, taking lessons from the popular bandleader Eddy Duchin. In fact, Paula and Mark both performed at the same recital as kids, though they didn’t know one another yet.
What is the piano?
300
Paula and Mark flirted with the idea of moving here before starting a family. Little did they realize they’d be visiting their daughter there over 55 years later.
What is making Aliyah to Israel? 
300
Despite having a demanding career, this grandma always made time to babysit her grandchildren as much as she could, spending countless hours reading to them, playing with them, feeding them, and cleaning them!
Who is Paula?
300
Paula has baked countless cakes for her children and grandchildren. Name two or more cakes.
What is a pizza cake for Sawyer, a dog and robot cake for Cassidy, a train cake for Cassidy, a rock climbing cake for Noah, a bearded dragon Spike cake for Noah, a swimming pool cake for Jacob, a Harry Potter cake for Sawyer, a Mario from Mario Brothers video game cake, a Card Cake (Lucky to be 10!), Star wars clone cup cakes, r2-d2 cake, and countless cookie cakes.
300
Paula has a busy life in Atlanta. On rare occasions Paula will relax with Mark on this in the “way” backyard. (Paula is shown here playing a competitive game of ping pong with one of her grandchildren.)
What is the porch swing?
300
Alongside Paula, Mark holds a one-of-a-kind sign by this talented cartoonist, protesting Trump's policies during his first term.
Who is Judy Budnitz?
300
Paula and Mark have given their kids and grandkids so many intangible gifts, including a love for this country, where their youngest lives now.
What is Israel?
(Paula and Mark shown here in Israel is 2017.)
300
Over the years, Paula and Mark have delivered sweet remarks to each child and grandchild on special occasions, often adapting lyrics from this song by a famous folk singer.
Dan and Tina shown with Mom and Dad on one such special occasion.
What is Bob Dylan’s “Forever Young?”
Mark and Paula shown here reading their Ode to Jacob on his Bar Mitzvah.
The family on Cassidy's Bar Mitzvah celebration.
400
When they were little girls, Paula would follow this person around. When Paula would get left behind, she’d say: “Me is coming, me is coming.”
Who is Paula’s older sister Sandy (aka Aunt Sandy)?
400
During college, Professor Lewis Lipsitt inspired Paula’s pioneering experiment on infants. Paula tied a baby’s ankle to this toy, so when the baby kicked, this toy moved, too.
What is a mobile?
400
In addition to raising three kids and having a challenging career, Paula made time to learn this “language.” Hint: “On top of spaghetti, all covered in cheese" and “The itsy bitsy spider.”
What is sign language?
400
Name a secret ingredient Paula uses in her salmon to make it especially tangy and sweet. (More than one answer is correct.)
What is orange juice or apricot jam?
400
The type of tree shown here in front of Paula and Mark’s home in Atlanta, GA.
What is a cherry blossom tree? (Note: Japanese Maple from Mark and Paula's backyard shown here.)
400
Mark and Paula attended a women's march in 2017 with long-time friends shown here. Paula became particularly politically active during Hillary Clinton's 2016 Presidential run.
Who are Terry and Chip Epstein?
400
Mark and Paula are exceptionally kind and generous. They lead by example. And once in a while, Paula also shares this quote about being smart and nice.
What is: “It’s nice to be smart. But smarter to be nice!”
400
Paula’s true love and soulmate.
Who is Mark Budnitz?
500
Paula met this friend in junior high. They went to the same high school and college, too. One summer in college, Paula joined this friend for a weekend of parties in Cape Cod. This friend became an accomplished textile designer and collector, even designing unique snakeskin pants for Jimmy Hendrix.
Who is Andi Aranow?
500
Paula’s first child, who was born in 1971. Apparently, Paula made caring for him look like a breeze. According to longtime friend Abby Chill, Paula was a natural. Even all these years later, Abby remembers Paula’s advice on childrearing (shown here during Paula's February 2025 trip to Israel).
Who is Danny Budnitz?
500
Paula had beloved co-workers at Illien Adoptions Agency, where she counseled pregnant mothers and facilitated domestic and international adoptions. Name any of Paula's co-workers or bosses at Illien.
Who are Valerie, Christine, Anna Belle, or Ann Bell? (Also acceptable is Mary Ann, though she worked with Mom at Families First.)
500
To make this dish, in a large soup pan, stir oil, onion, carrot and lemon peel. Add broth and filled pasta. Stir in peas and spinach; cook just until spinach wilts. Top with chopped parsley, chopped dill, and/or grated or shaved parmesan cheese.
What is Paula’s Tortellini Soup?
500
Paula and Mark had this piece of art designed especially for their kitchen. Name the type of art and/or any colors in it.
What is a stabile? What are green, blue, white, red, yellow, pink, magenta, brown, and black?
500
Mark and Paula campaigned for this librarian turned Congresswoman. Following her son's murder, this now Congresswoman became a vocal advocate for gun control.
Who is Lucy McBath?
500
Quote excerpted from this newspaper article, October 18, 1962: "The kind of girl you go to with your problems, Paula Robbins is always willing to listen because she is genuinely interested in people."
What is the Recorder, Classical High School?
500
The most loving wife, mom and grandma.
Who is Paula Budnitz?