One Minute With…Bruce Solomon
By Libby Barsky
Dec. 7, 2007
Name: Bruce Solomon
Occupation: Deputy Attorney General for NJ Department of Law and Public Safety in Trenton, in charge of public records for department and office of Attorney General and also legal council for State Office of Emergency Management.
Address: Cranford
Family: Married 17 years to Rhondi, a special education teacher in Colonia in the township of Woodbridge. They have two children, Ilana, 15, a sophomore at Cranford High School and Adam,11, a sixth-grader at Orange Middle School. Brother, Glen, is a doctor and hospital administrator married to Cindy and living outside of Chicago, Ill. Sister, Lisa, is married to George Chrisis and lives in Groton, Mass. with their two children Gregg, 17, and Erica, 15. Mother, Shirley Solomon, lives in Cranford and mother-in-law, Ruth Lobel, lives in Clearbrook in Monroe Township .
Community activities: President for three years of Temple Beth El Mekor Chayim celebrating its 90th anniversary this year. Volunteering time for a program showing and discussing the films Radio Days and Hester Street for TBMC teens. Starting second term as chair of the Council State Records Custodians, an informal group dealing with public records in the state departments and agencies formed to keep up with the law and court cases that meets every two months.
Hobbies: "I do the Sunday New York Times puzzle. I love reading thrillers and mysteries and I like to keep up with American pop culture."
Self –portrait: "I bring a lot of energy and a sense of fun and a different way of looking at a problem. I'm passionate about the things I do, but I'm a dispassionate leader who weighs the consequences and has an eye on the future. I strive for excellence, but I feel you won't get there without a sense of humor."
Motto: "My motto comes from Amazing Adult Comics- the first Spider-man story. ‘With great power comes great responsibility.'"
Greatest accomplishment: "My proudest and most lasting achievement is that Rhondi and I raised two great kids who are funny, smart, caring and will grow up to become outstanding adults. Life is really a series of adventures. We shouldn't get too self satisfied with past accomplishments. I'm proud of my professional accomplishments and of the strides TBMC has taken in past few years in building an outstanding educational program and in increasing its membership."
Bad habits: "Not spending enough time with my family between my two-hour daily commute, job and demands of being Temple president."
Favorite TV shows: " I watch Heroes with my kids and Veronica Mars with my daughter. I also enjoy the DVD's of Popeye and Superman."
Favorite food: "My special Delmonico steak that I make from a recipe given to me when we visited my mom's cousin Joe in California. My wife's signature dish is farfel a dish she made for Thanksgiving."
Best childhood memory: "I was blessed to be in the company of my mother's grandfather and my father's brothers. I was surrounded by the best storytellers during the whole time I was growing up. They would get together to tell stories and jokes and one would try to out do the other and it wasn't just funny - it was magical. Just listening to them you learned to develop a good story, and listening to them you developed a keen sense of humor."
People don't know that I…"Was a disk jockey and my name was used to advertise the show in commercials for radio WIXE in Madison Wis.; wrote a history of Rock and Roll with Dick Clark reviewed in the New York Times Book Review section; and had a comic book character named after me by my cousin Michael Uslin who drew the Beowolf Comic strip in the 1970s.
Last book I read: "Now and Then" by Robert B. Parker. The 36th book about Detective Spenser fighting crime in Boston."
The biggest asset in the local Jewish communities: "Our Temple Beth El Mekor Chayim (TBMC) where everyone brings something to the table. We have members who love to learn and people who love to teach. We have members who have a knack for organizing events and other who love to participate in events. One of the things I think is important in the community is to help people find their passion and share their passion, then we become stronger than the sum of our parts."
The biggest problem in the local Jewish communities: "There are those who feel that if they step foot in a Temple when it's not the high holidays that they will catch a disease. We need to place our synagogues in the 21st century where the synagogue can be the heart and soul of the Jewish community and a place to connect with other Jews"
If I had more time: "I would spend more time with my family and reconnect with old friends. I'd also find the time to write those books and stories buried in my mind and looking for a way out."