One Minute With... Shira Rivlin
Jan. 18, 2008

Name: Shira Rivlin

Occupation: Special education teacher in the North Brunswick Public School district and co-director of Gan B'Kayitz, East Brunswick Jewish Center's Camp

Address: East Brunswick

Age: 24

Family: Mother, Shoshana Rivlin, is a nursery and Hebrew school teacher at East Brunswick Jewish Center. Father, Jonathan Rivlin, is a teacher at Moshe Aaron Yeshiva High School in South River. Brother, Daniel, and sister, Keren, are both attorneys living in New York City. Grandmother, Lillian Rivlin, lives in Somerset.

Community activities: Advisor to the East Brunswick Jewish Center USY Kadima Youth Group and leader for East Brunswick Jewish Center junior congregation.

Hobbies: Reading, organizing, and exercising. "I've just became a member of a gym and working out will be one of my hobbies. I also like to organize my friends and my family."

Self-portrait: "Compassionate, helpful, devoted, loving, organized and hard working."

Motto: "Live Life!"

Greatest accomplishment: "Getting a combined master's degree in both Special Education (K-12) and elementary education (K-8) from Rutgers."

Bad habits: "Organizing everything. Sometimes it's good and not good when things have to be a certain way."

Favorite TV: "Seinfeld and 24 are my favorites on TV."

Favorite food: "I love all food. My favorites are ice cream, fast foods, and all the sweets."

Best childhood memory: "When I was little we lived in California. We lived in Chadsworth and had a pool in our backyard and lived near a beach we visited on weekends. We played in the sand and went into the water. When I was five we moved to New Jersey."

People don't know that I... "Like to play practical jokes on my family and friends."

Last book I read: "'Nineteen Minutes,' by Jody Picoult. The book is about what happens to individuals who view an act of violence and can't or won't recall it when called on to testify about its occurrence in a town where nothing ever happens."

The biggest asset in the local Jewish communities: "The opportunities, events, and experiences provided by the community. For instance, one of the biggest assets is having a Jewish day camp for youngsters 2-5, like East Brunswick Jewish Center Gan B'Kayitz.

The biggest problem in the local Jewish communities: The lack of unity between the different Jewish groups."

If I had more time... "I would travel."