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Name: Cantor David Amar

Occupation: Cantor of Congregation Ahavat Olam, Lakewood Conservative synagogue

Address: Lakewood

Family: Wife Milen and four children: sons Daniel, 14, attends Moshe Aaron Yeshiva High School; and Aron, 11 attends Solomon Schechter Marlboro; Shalev, 7 attends Solomon Schechter in White Plains, N.Y. and daughter Maya, 10 months. Parents Rabbi and Avrahom Amar and Dina Amar of Brooklyn. Brothers: Kobi is married to Rachel. They live in Jerusalem and have four children. Ofer is married to Rachel. They have four children and live in Ashkelon. Sisters: Ronit is married to Gal Alon; they live Bet Shemesh and have three children; and Miri and husband Raz live in Brooklyn and have three children.

Community Activities: Holds weekly Kabbalat Shabbat services using guitar and keyboard and percussion instruments for students at Solomon Schechter School in Marlboro. Raising scholarship funds for cantorial students as a member of the New Jersey Cantor's Ensemble. Performed with his The Simcha Now Band and his Junior Choir "Shirron" at the Hanukkah Menorah Lighting in Jackson. Teaches rabbinics at Solomon Schechter Academy of Raritan Valley. And all cantorial duties for the congregation -- reading Torah, tutoring students for bar/bat mitzvah, and officiating at weddings and funerals. Co-chair of the USY and Kadima and member of Educational, Fundraising, Ritual, and New Dedication committees for Congregation Ahavat Olam.

Hobbies: "Music is my chief hobby -- singing, playing guitar, keyboard, and using percussion instruments. I am a certified scuba diver and when I have time I love to scuba dive."

Self-portrait: "Friendly, understanding, patient, and creative. I have a lot of educational ideas that I would like to implement. For example, I came up with another way to study the holiday of Shavuot by a game based on the concept of 'Deal or No Deal' with two teams, where the winning has to find the right answer to win one of the Ten Commandments. The winner has to get all Ten Commandments."

Motto: "I tell my bar mitzvah students: 'If you practice right, do what I tell you, you'll do it right'."

Greatest accomplishment: "My blended family made up of my wife's two sons, my son, and our daughter. It's not an easy situation but it's a real accomplishment."

Bad habit: "Biting my nails in traffic."

Favorite TV: "Discovery and History Channels and 'Lost'. My wife's cousin was an assistant producer of 'Lost' who appeared in the last year's last episode. I also love the reruns of 'Seinfeld' and 'Friends'."

Favorite Food: "I love everything my wife cooks, especially a special fish for Shabbat."

Best childhood memory: "At 16, I was in an Israeli military academy and was trained to jump from an airplane. Parachuting from the plane was the coolest experience I had. I served in the Israel Defense Forces for four years and was discharged with the rank of lieutenant."

People don't know that I: "Published a book of poetry at 24 in Israel called 'Almost Touching'."

Last book I read: "The memoir of former Israeli Chief Rabbi Meyer Lau. The Hebrew title is taken from the Akeidah incident in the Bible when Abraham is about to sacrifice Isaac: 'Abraham -- Thou Shall Not Touch That Boy,' about his experiences as a child of surviving the death camp. It's a miracle he survived and had children and his oldest son married me in Israel."

Biggest asset in the local Jewish communities: "It's the generosity of our neighboring synagogues who are offering our congregation the space we need to conduct services while the new building for our congregation is being built in Howell. Also our Rabbi Michael Klein, he is more than a mensch, he is helpful in everything. He is really there for me."

The biggest problem in the local Jewish communities: "The only problem we have now is our location -- we don't have any. My office is my trunk. We are waiting for the completion."

If I had more time I would... "Study. I just registered to take an online course leading to a master's in Jewish education from Hebrew College of Massachusetts. My goal is to receive a Ph.D. in something."