One Minute With... Michael W. Miller

By Libby Barsky
Special to The Jewish State

Name: Michael W. Miller

Occupation: Research scientist for the Department of Environmental Protection for the State of New Jersey in the Office of Quality Assurance; responsible for quality of the data submitted to the state to regulate the environment.

Address: Westfield

Family: Married 40 years to Suzanne, a family social worker for the Jewish Family Service in Clifton. Two daughters: Pnina, a seismologist working for Iris Pascal in a division of the Technical University of New Mexico, and Tamara, a wildlife biologist working for a small company evaluating wetlands and animal studies in Georgia.

Mother-in-law Greta Bauer, 95, lives in Highland Park.

Two sisters: Robin Green is married to Kermit Green, Jr., and lives in Berkeley Heights. They have three sons-- David, Joshua, and Susan, and four grandchildren. Sister Irene Lombaro is married to Anthony Lombardo and lives in North Kingston, RI. They have two children-- Tony Jr. and Andrea DeMichele, and five grandchildren.

Community Activities: Former Board member of Temple Beth Or/Beth Torah, Cranford, and in his second term (20 years later) as President of the Men's Club, which organizes shiva minyonim and developed a program in 1986 to bring disabled adults (most living in group homes) to services once a month. The program received a National Men's Club Torch Award after the first year. Most recently, Miller and other members worked with Seth Shaffer, who has cerebral palsy, to prepare for his bar mitzvah ( The Jewish State, July 6,2007). Member in the American Chemical Society and program chairman for the local Eastern Analytical Symposium.

Hobbies: "I like camping in the N.J. state parks, cross-country skiing in upstate N.Y., hiking, and puttering around in my vegetable garden. I read a lot. It's not exactly a hobby, but I go to the gym three days a week and take a yoga class once a week."

Self portrait: "I'm fairly easy going. I stay active... by traveling throughout the world for the state and in the Men's Club, but I rather stay in the background."

Motto: "Basically it's the golden rule. I try to live a Jewish, ethical life and follow the Torah."

Greatest accomplishment: "Having two successful children, and I hope their success continues. Professionally, my accomplishment is being recognized in the department as the person to come to when they have an analytical chemistry problem."

Bad habits: "Procrastination."

Favorite TV show: "I don't watch specific shows. I watch programs on Channel 13. especially the news hour. I watch most TV when I'm at the gym."

Favorite food: "Anything of my wife's kosher and vegetarian cooking. Since I gave up salt, I like spicy Indian food."

Best childhood memory : "Camping with my dad at Lake George in New York state, while my sisters were at Girl Scout camp. We camped on the island in the middle of the lake in platform tents. It was part of the state park system. We camped, hiked, and fished, but the fish weren't worth eating because they were all bones."

People don't know that ... "I met my wife through computer dating in Boston in 1965 while I was at Northeastern University."

Last book I read: "Judaism, Physics and God--Searching for Sacred Metaphors in a Post Einstein World" by Rabbi David Nelson. "It's a book that looks at Torah and connections with science from the point of view of a Conservative Jew. Time in the Torah isn't literal--there's no mention of a 24-hour day. So the Darwinian system can be integrated into an understanding of Torah."

The biggest asset in the local Jewish communities: "The biggest asset are the Jewish organizations like the Jewish Federation, B'nai B'rith, Hadassah, and the network of synagogues that we have. We can't get along without any of them."

The biggest problem in the local Jewish communities: "The biggest problem in all these organizations is that there is a lack of cooperation unless Israel is in danger."

If I had more time: "I would read more and go to a minyon everyday. I'd cut back some of my professional activities. I'd set up my Lionel trains and join the train club. I'd travel more with my wife, and we'd spend winter going cross-country skiing."