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Name: Amy Naphtali

Occupation: Pre-school director for Temple Beth Ahm, Aberdeen

Address: Morganville

Family: Married 15 years to Ben, a computer consultant, with three children: sons Landen, 12, and Mason, 6, and daughter Sarina, 10. Two brothers: Genn Unger, who is married to Julie; and Jonathan Unger, who is married to Cami. Both brothers live in Tampa, Fla., with their families. Sister Lisa is married to Paul Solomon and lives in Manalapan. Parents Jan and Ellen Unger live in Boynton, Fla.

Community activities: A member of Beth Ahm, involved in the Sisterhood. Co-chair of fundraising for the Sisterhood for the past six years. Retained membership on fundraising committee this year.

Hobbies: "Cooking and reading."

Self-portrait: "I'm very outgoing and friendly and I'm motivated to do my best in whatever task I've taken on. Here at the pre-school, it's to make the best environment for the kids. Not to push academics but to learn to share, how to do things, and care for themselves and have the pre-skills so they can build on those skills latter."

Motto:"Let kids be kids. Let them have the opportunity to play, get dirty and explore."

Greatest achievement: : "Doing what I'm doing now - being the director of Beth Ahm preschool and running Tot Shabbat once a month. Before, when I taught elementary school, I knew I was affecting a few children. Here I feel I am affecting every child who comes through the doors by enabling them to begin their education in a positive loving way. Thirty-five years ago, Beth Ahm had a pre-school run by the sisterhood. Then it was closed five years to reassess the needs of the congregation. The temple took over the pre-school and the pre-school area was renovated. The pre-school opened again in 2005 with eight children. After teaching for the first six months I became the director. Now there are 50 children enrolled in the pre-school.

Bad habits: "Biting my nails."

Favorite TV: " 'Heroes'. I'm a sci-fi buff."

Favorite food: "Vanilla chocolate chip ice cream."

Best childhood memory: "Spending the two months of summer in a bungalow colony at the Catskills with my parents, brothers and sister for 10 years. At the time I didn't really appreciate it as much as I do now. Of course, it was much cooler being in the Catskills than in Brooklyn for the summer. But it was more than weather. We could be free and do what I wish I could do for my kids today - to take walks in the woods, watch the stars in the sky at night, lying on the lawn. I constantly tell my parents 'that's the best thing you ever did for us'."

People don't know that I… "am a former Miss Brooklyn. I applied for the title twice and got it. It was like Miss America. Once you were in the pageant, there was a swimsuit, evening gown, talent competition (singing) and interview. It was fun. I guess I entered because there wasn't community theatre in Brooklyn then. Once I came to Jersey I did community theatre. Last summer I did that with my daughter, who wanted to be involved."

Last book I read: : "I'm reading the book 'Middlesex,' by Jeffrey Eugenides. It's the book chosen for this month's book club meeting. The book is about the life of a hermaphrodite whose early years are as Callie, a girl, then later as Cal, a boy, whose family history begins when the family moves from war-torn Turkey to Detroit in the 1920s."

The biggest asset in the local Jewish communities: "I like the community you join when you join a congregation. To me, temple life fills up so many aspects - the religious, the Hebrew school, and my favorite part is the social aspect. I just clicked with everyone here and I've always felt very comfortable here at Temple Beth Ahm - the congregation itself. Everything I need is here."

The biggest problem in the local Jewish communities: "The people taking alternative routes to bar mitzvah, so people are not joining congregations. The kids aren't getting the right education and congregations are suffering and because of lack of support they fold - and where do people come?"

If I had more time, I would… "I'd spend it with the children. There would be more quality time - to play games and spending time watching TV together or shopping together. That's why vacations are great - no school, no work - without the pressure of everything."