NJ
101.5's Judi Franco to speak at Anshe Emeth Memorial Temple

By Cheryl Orson
Nov. 9, 2007

Judi Franco, of NJ 101.5's "Dennis and Judi Show," will be the debuting speaker at Anshe Emeth Memorial Temple's new three-part women's lecture series featuring dynamic female guest speakers. The event will take place at 7 p.m., Nov. 14, at Anshe Emeth Memorial Temple, 222 Livingston Ave., New Brunswick.

The topic of Franco's talk will be, as she puts it, "How to be a Jewish Superwoman," or, at least "how to manage being an observant Jew having a large family (she has four children) and work a full-time job in hectic New Jersey."

Franco said the key to doing this "is to balance work and family in an observant manner." She admits though, this requires a little help.

"If your husband and kids ‘get' what you are doing and support you, then you can do it," said Franco saying her husband is on a first-name basis with her children's teachers, dentist and pediatrician.

Franco said another key to this "is to know what your priorities are" and not "sweating the small stuff."

"If my bedroom's a mess on a Sunday it's OK, but not on the holidays," said Franco stating it's a matter of organization.

And Judi Franco's secret for other observant Jewish women also aspiring to "have it all" as she does? One word: Confidence.

"I don't have a lot of confidence in myself, but I do have a lot of confidence in heritage," said Franco stating thinking about "thousands of years people who went before me gives me strength."

"You have to have confidence in perpetuating living an observant life and saying ‘This is who I am,'" said Franco stating "People are afraid to say ‘I have to go home early on a Friday and cook a Shabbos dinner.'"

"I learned to be tough about it. I got people to accept who I am," she said stating she loves all her jobs as a housewife, mother and radio personality and refuses to have to make a choice between these.

"I love it," said Franco stating it is, indeed, worth the struggle to be a modern woman of honor in a modern-day world.

These and other secrets to "having it all" and "How to be a Jewish Superwoman" will be divulged during Anshe Emeth Memorial Temple's three-part women's lecture series that Franco is debuting at 7 p.m. Nov. 14. Individual tickets for this event are $25, for the entire series $60, and to become a friend $100.

Other speakers in the series include Dr. Deborah Toppmeyer, M.D. of UMDNJ and the Life Center-Cancer Institute of NJ who will speak 7 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 16 and Sammie Moshenberg, Director of the National Council of Jewish Women's Washington D.C. office, who will speak 10:15 a.m. Sunday, March 16.

Cost for each event is $25; for the three-part series is $60; "Friend" sponsorships cost $100. Send checks to Anshe Emeth Memorial Temple, 222 Livingston Ave., New Brunswick, NJ 08901. For questions call (732) 545-6484.