One Minute With Mindy Schwartz
Dec. 21, 2007

Name: Mindy Schwartz

Occupation: Special Education teacher at LA Spencer Elementary School Newark

Address: Fanwood

Family: Married 27 years to Stephen Schwartz, warehouse manager for F&S Trucking & Shipping, Roselle. They have two children, Amy, studying child phychology as a junior at Kean University, and David, a social worker in the Lakewood Public School district who lives in Deal. Sister, Karen Jacobowitz, a sales representative for promotional items who lives in North Haven, Conn. with her children, Sara, in high school, and Garrett, 10. Parents, Joseph and Cecile Grubstein, live in Springfield and mother-in-law, Miriam Schwartz, lives in the Westfield Senior Citizen Complex and works part-time for Newark Medical Center.

Community activities: Member of Temple Beth Israel and teacher of KT and first-grade classes. Networking, collecting and distributing used and new clothing, knapsacks, books, art materials to needy children.

Hobbies: "I like to work with crafts and develop new uses for the many unusual materials I receive to use in my teaching. I don’t have much time for hobbies -- I’m always teaching or tutoring. I’m the program director for a camp in the summer at the Gill, St. Bernard School and I do the thematic entertainment -- I hire the entertainment, magicians, inflatables and snow create the themes."

Self portrait: "I’m an enthusiastic, energetic, innovative person. I thrive on creativity bringing out creativity in children. And I thrive on teaching children do mitzvot no matter what religion they are."

Motto: "When you do good, more good comes.’ Pay it forward. I had a brain tumor 10 years ago and it’s in remission, and I feel the more I do for others, the better."

Greatest accomplishment: "My family. My husband understands he probably won’t be able to get to the snow blower out this winter because too many boxes of donated items are in front of it and as soon as they are distributed, more items come in. My daughter, who has her own busy schedule with school and a part-time job at the JCC, does most of the cooking. My son graduated with honors, got his master’s and is working in a public school. Professionally, motivating children to care about learning and making learning exciting. Too many of these children have shut down and I try to motivate them in every way I can using donations to provide incentives."

Bad habits: "Taking on too much. I have to learn to say no."

Favorite TV Show: "I like watching American Idol. I really appreciate how difficult it is for someone to get up there and perform. When you see people go up there and do those silly things."

Favorite food: "I’m a pasta addict. I love pasta too much."

Best childhood memory: "I always wanted to be a teacher when I was in the seventh grade and I volunteered to be in a special needs, low functioning classroom. I would go to the class when I had a free period and tutored a child with Down Syndrome."

People don’t know that I..."had a benign brain tumor. They also don’t know that I was a shy child who had a weight problem and was picked on by other kids."

Last book I read: "I don’t read much. My eyes were affected by the brain tumor and for a while they were not working together. Now I don’t have the patience."

The biggest asset in the local Jewish communities: "There are so few Jewish people in Newark, and I am showing them that when I need something, the members of our Temple get together. I’m showing that when people come together they can make a difference. People are so hounded for money donations, but when people are asked for something in their homes -- they are very generous."

The biggest problem in the local Jewish Communities: "Things get too political sometimes with all organizations. I’ve been to board meetings and I am amazed when people speak up and forget what it’s all about. I’m not into politics. I just can’t go into politics."

If I had more time, I would: "I just came back from a cruise celebrating my and my husband’s 50th birthday. I don’t think I’d go on more cruises (if I had the time.) My daughter, Amy, said ‘My mother will never have free time.’ I’ll read educational magazines, learn about things to enrich my classroom. I can’t stop."