One Minute With Ted Taub

By Libby Barsky
July 4, 2008

Name: Teddy Taub

Occupation: Retired Supervisor of Social Services for Essex County Division of Welfare and Adjunct English professor at Middlesex County College

Address: Westfield

Family: Married for 48 years to Genie, a retired French/ESL teacher. They have three children: Toni, a veterinarian's assistant living in West Hollywood, Calif.; Georgianne in the office of Hawthorne School in Beverly Hills elementary school and is married to Jacob Yonaty, the founder of a Yemenite Shul in Los Angeles where they live with their four children; Edward is a computer specialist with New Jersey Manufacturers and is married to Donna, who assists caterers. They live in Brick with their three children. Brother Arnold Taub was a broker for Oppenheim and lives with his wife Sue in Westchester, N.Y. They have one daughter, Katie Sue, a pediatric resident in Philadelphia, Penn.

Community activities: Leader of Hazak organization at Temple Beth El/Mekor Chaim, Cranford. Board member of Men's club and temple trustee.

Hobbies: Working out in Gold's Fitness Gym, taking courses at Union County College with wife in the Life program, in Summers they also offer free computer watching track and Boxing on TV and reading fiction many books at a time and listening to classical music and going to the productions of the Shakespeare festival at Drew and George Street Playhouse in New Brunswick.

Self-portrait: "I'm critical, compassionate, warm, witty, very patient, have an insatiable curiosity with eclectic interests and never break a promise, "

Motto: "Observe instead of just looking". "I also seem to say 'This is sweet' in Yiddish as my father did when he saw a cute child or a small dog."

Greatest accomplishment: "My family. Before I married I received an MA in English from the University of Chicago. My most recent accomplishment occurred on a recent visit to Israel in February, when I walked down from the Masada site."

Favorite TV show: "John Stewart and watching track, tennis and boxing."

Favorite food: Lamb chops.

Best childhood memory: "Going to the beach in Belmar with my cousins who were a little older. We stayed during week and my father came down on weekends. My aunt was renting a big house and it was a time our families shared very enjoyable times together."

People don't know that I... "helped my son win a track meet. When South Plainfield had a track meet my son asked me for instructions on how to win and I told him to stay back from the leader for most of the race, then sprint at the end. He took my directions and won the race."

Last book I read: "Bridge of Sighs," by Richard Russo. "It reflects on a town in upper New York state when the factories no longer were manufacturing, the towns began eroding. The protagonist's family holds on to its grocery store and it is an island of security in a town with growing crime and divorce rates."

The biggest asset in the local Jewish communities: "In recent years our congregation, Temple Beth El/Mekor Chaim was aware of the needs for more activities for its older retired members. I took over the leadership of Hazak, an organization sponsored by United Synagogue for seniors. It introduced me to more people and given me confidence."

The biggest problem in the local Jewish communities: "Finding programs that will interest and bring out more members."

If I had more time I would... "Do more traveling."