Home

Name: Marcia Lane

Occupation: Hazan for Temple Beth El, Oakhurst

Address: Long Branch

Family: Single, no children. Father is deceased. Mother Shirley Rabinowitz lives in Waterbury, Conn. Two sisters: Laurie is married to Randy Noe. They live in Bethel, Conn., with their daughter, Erica. Amy is married to Win Bissel and lives in New Britain, Conn.

Community activities: Engaged in the Jewish Chaplaincy Board. Leads Shabbat services every week for residents of The Sycamore, an assisted living facility in Shrewsbury. For the past four years, involved with the Yom Hashoah program. This year, organized the choirs of several different synagogues to sing together and read the words of survivors. As member of the Long Branch interfaith ministers, involved in performances at the interfaith Thanksgiving programs.

Hobbies: "I love to be somewhere nice and cozy and read. So I read a lot!"

Self-portrait: "Outgoing, enthusiastic, and energetic. I tend to be really excited by what other people bring to the table. I'm excited by the children I work with; I really love working with my b'nai mitzvah students. I'm excited by the possibilities within Jewish music and Jewish prayer. There is such a range of what can happen all within the context of Jewish davening. And as someone coming from New York City, I never expected to like the Jersey Shore. By living at the edge of it, I discovered I really love it."

Motto: " 'The goal of a righteous life is to improve the present moment.' However you do it, deeds of compassion improve the present moment."

Greatest Accomplishment: "Being highly adaptable. I've gone through a lot of different careers starting as an actress, then a storyteller, then an arts in education administrator, a director of a nonprofit institution, and now a cantor, and it all seems to be correct and when you look at it now it all looks planned."

Bad habits: "Seriously addicted to chocolate and sweets. The kids know I always have candy in my office."

Favorite TV programs: "I don't own a TV. When I was a cantorial and rabbinic student at school I gave my TV away so I could concentrate on my studies and have never replaced it."

Favorite food: "Chocolate -- especially high-end dark chocolate."

Best childhood memory: "My father was a great teacher. I remember him teaching me how to tell time by using a plate, a fork, and a knife. The paper plate had the numbers on it numbers on it and the knife was the minute hand and the fork, the hour hand. We went over the combinations but the best part was really the time spent with him."

People don't know that... "My last name is really my middle name. When I was born my father, who worked as an accountant but was very active in community theater, decided I needed a stage name and I've been Marcia Lane ever since."

Last book I read: "I'm in the middle of a book called 'A Thread of Grace,' by Mary Doria Russell. It's about WWII and the enormous effort by the Italians to save, hide, and help Jews who had fled over the border. The book details vast underground effort by Italian citizens to save the lives of 43,000 Jews during the final phase of World War II."

Biggest asset in the local Jewish Community: "The enormous diversity of the Jewish community; it's wonderful."

Biggest problem in the local Jewish community: "It's the same thing -- the diversity of the community that doesn't always come together."

If I had more time I would... "Go back to the Academy for Jewish Religion, where I was a rabbinic and cantorial student, and finish my rabbinic studies."