Home

Name: Joy Kuchinsky

Occupation: Franklin Township Special Education Elementary Teacher

Address: Highland Park

Family: Married for almost 23 years to Steven, who works for Cablevision as a reports coordinator. Daughter Michelle is a freshman at Brandeis, and son Reuben, 16, is a sophomore at Highland Park High School. Parents are Robert and Vicki Kleinberg of Monroe. Brother Michael is married to Susan and lives in Monroe and with their 1-month-old son. Also living in Monmouth County is sister Sheryl Jarvis, her husband, and their daughter Sasha.

Community activities: Chair of this year's Third Annual Yom Ha'atzmaut Family Festival held May 3 at Highland Park Conservative Temple-Congregation Anshe Emeth. Served HPCT-CAE as Sisterhood vice president of membership and also on the regular Membership Committee as volunteer and Egalitarian Coordinator. Teaching Hebrew and Torah to ready special education students for their bar mitzvah. Taught an adult Hebrew class to six adult women four years ago in a b'nai mitzvah class to read Hebrew. An active La Leche leader for 13 years, still continuing her association by arranging the meeting times for the local La Leche group at the Highland Park Public Library.

Hobbies: "I like Israeli Folk Dancing when I have the time. I also enjoy bike riding, reading and I love to dance."

Self-portrait: "I'm a doer. I'm very involved and committed in what I do. I like being busy."

Motto: " 'When one door closes another one opens up.' I generally try to look at the positive side of things in all aspects of life."

Greatest Accomplishment: "My family. Living in Israel for two years and working for one year as a special education teacher there, being a La Leche Leader for 13 years and home schooling my daughter for three years. Almost four years ago I had major surgery and didn't let any obstacles slow me down or prevent me from a full recovery. Learning the art of baking challah from my maternal grandmother and keeping that weekly tradition to this day."

Bad habits: "Being too serious, losing my patience -- mostly at my family and procrastinating housework."

Favorite TV programs: "CSI" and "Law & Order-CI".

Favorite food: "I've been a vegetarian for 29 years so some of my favorite foods are pasta primavera, chocolate chip cheesecake, and my own challah."

Best childhood memory: Passover in the home of my paternal grandparents, because my grandmother made all the seder food from scratch -- including the gefilte fish. One aunt bought at least eight different cakes sold on the Lower East Side. Making it extra special were the special coins my grandmother saved for us as reward for the afikomen."

People don't know that I... "Spent two years living in Israel after college. I went on a program called World Union of Jewish Students Learned Hebrew (WUJS) that had professionals from al over the globe. We studied in an ulpan, had Jewish Studies classes for six months, volunteered, and went on trips all over the country. WUJS also helped in finding me a job as a Special Education teacher in a school located in Dimona, Israel. It was an amazing time."

Last book I read: "The Last Lecture" by Randy Pausch. "This is a book written by a young, popular computer science professor at Carnegie Mellon University was asked to write his thoughts after having been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer."

Biggest asset in the local Jewish Community: "That we have some very involved and committed people who are good advocates for Israel and the Jewish community."

Biggest problem in the local Jewish community: "There should be more connection between the reform, Orthodox, and Conservative movements so we can be a more united, cohesive, and powerful group."

If I had more time I would... "Travel to Panama visit relatives. I'd also visit, to Greece, Italy, Australia, Hawaii, and of course back to Israel again. I would also like to organize my house."