One Minute With... Sandi Newman
Feb. 1, 2008

Name: Sandi Newman

Occupation: Youth director at Green Lane Y and associate director of Early Childhood Department at the Y and summer Y Camp Director.

Address: Linden

Family: Married for eight years to Michael, an elementary computer teacher at Solomon Schechter Day School of Essex and Union and a religious teacher at Temple Beth Shalom, Livingston. Four daughters: Gabrielle, 5, and 19-month-old triplets Adina, Peri, and Shoshana. Father Larry Kohen of Las Vegas, Nev. Brother Philip Kohen is married to Ilene and living in Las Vegas with their two daughters. Brother Jay Kohen, a substitute teacher, lives in Linden.

Community activities: Co-vice president of Fundraising for Congregation Anshe Chesed, Linden. Youth chair at Congregation Anshe Chesed.

Hobbies: "Reading, swimming, and spending time with the family and friends and going to the beach."

Self portrait: "I'm hardworking, caring, understanding, enthusiastic, fun, charismatic, and eager to learn."

Motto: "Live everyday to the fullest."

Greatest accomplishment: "My family and working full time and keeping it all together."

Bad habits: "Eating chocolate."

Favorite TV: "Gray's Anatomy, ER, and CSI. Those are my top three TV shows. They are taped so I can see them."

Favorite food: "Pizza -- plain and with mushrooms."

Best childhood memory: "Vacationing with my family Ñ going to the beach and having fun and relaxing. We'd go on weekends, or we would rent a house down at the shore on Ortley Beach the last week of August. It would be with our family and sometimes friends would come down on day trips and visit with us. It was really spending family time with my parents and brothers while I was in junior high or high school because I worked as a counselor during the summer. We'd go the beach, go to the boardwalk, play miniature golf and go shopping."

People don't know that I... "Used to be a competitive dancer. I took lessons for many years at a local dance studio in tap, ballet, jazz and gymnastics and competed in national competions. Our team won a couple of national titles."

Last Book I read: "I like all the books written by Mary Higgins Clark; I am a fan of hers and try to read her latest ones."

The biggest asset in the local Jewish Communities: "The community atmosphere. There are always people around if you need help. You can always call on someone in the community on a minute's notice to help prepare a Shabbat meal, clothes for a child. And everyone would It could be through the local synagogue or the Y the federation or the A network of places to turn to if you are in need of anything."

The biggest problem in the local Jewish communities: "Not enough support. Supporting program or the facility as a whole."

If I had more time: "I would take time for myself and my husband."