Sandra Jaffe, Cofounder of New Orleans Institution Preservation Hall, Dies at 83

Sandra Jaffe, cofounder of Preservation Hall in New Orleans, died peacefully on Monday, December 27 at the age of 83, her son Ben Jaffe confirmed via Instagram.

By opening Preservation Hall, Jaffe played a major role in preserving the unique blend of African, Caribbean, and European music known as jazz, for which New Orleans is famous for today. The famous jazz auditorium also helped to integrate the city by welcoming all audiences and artists regardless of their race during a time when the South was largely segregated. After 60 years in business, Preservation Hall remains an integral part of New Orleans' culture.

Courtesy of the Jaffe family

Sandra Smolen Jaffe was born to Russian immigrant parents on March 10, 1938. Raised in public housing in Philadelphia, Jaffee attended nearby Harcum College, where she studied public relations and journalism. After graduating, she worked for a Philadelphia advertising agency while taking night classes at the University of Pennsylvania.

During that time, she met her future husband Allen Jaffe while watching a play in Philadelphia's Fairmount Park. The couple married on Christmas day in 1960 and set off on a Kerouac-style adventure to Mexico City. On the tail-end of their extended honeymoon, as they made the journey back north, they stopped in New Orleans to look for jazz records. The decision changed their lives—and the fate of the city—forever.

In an Instagram tribute to his late mother, Jaffe's son Ben wrote this about his parents' fateful trip to The Big Easy: "They stopped off in New Orleans and, like others before and after, found themselves swept up in the beauty, romance, excitement, mystery, freedom, history, and charm of the city."

While in the city, the couple attended a traditional jazz performance at Larry Borenstein's art gallery in the French Quarter. Entranced by what they heard, they decided to extend their stay if only to take in a few more performances.

"When I heard the music for the first time, it felt like a total transformation," Jaffe wrote in a blog post on the Preservation Hall website. "We found this whole new world… the music was just so wonderful."

After a few days, Borenstein came to the young jazz lovers with an unexpected proposition. He wanted them to take over hosting jazz performances in the space, while he moved the art gallery next door.

"We didn't even think about it," Jaffe told Patches, the alumni magazine of Harcum College. "It wasn't even a thought. 'Of course,' we said, and that was the beginning of Preservation Hall. We never left New Orleans."

Sandra and Allan ran the venue together for the next 26 years before Allan died in 1987. During those years, Allan played the sousaphone for the venue's house band, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, and served as the venue's booking agent. Meanwhile, Sandra handled the ins and outs of keeping the business running, including acting as both the venue's hostess and bouncer on especially rowdy nights.

As creative director for Preservation Hall, as well as leader of Preservation Hall Band, Ben will continue the incredible legacy left behind by his parents. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to Preservation Hall Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting, preserving, and perpetuating New Orleans music and culture through music education experiences.

Jaffe is survived by her two sons Ben and Russell Jaffe, her younger sisters Resa Lambert and Brenda Epstein, and her four grandchildren Alaina, Rebecca, William, and Emma Lena.

Our thoughts are with Jaffe's family, friends, and jazz lovers everywhere.