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Name: Grace Gurman-Chan

Occupation: Director of education for the Kaplan Family Center, United Synagogue of Hoboken

Address: Berkeley Heights

Family: Married seven years to Kenneth Chan, a securities director. They have one daughter: Jade, 5, who recently finished filming "Foreign Letters," a movie about an American and an Israeli teen who develop their friendship newly in the U.S. despite not being able to speak English when they meet in America. Mother Miki Gurman lives with her and the family dog Riley.

Sister Fayth Krause is an eye doctor assistant who lives in Livingston with daughter Madison. Community activities: As a cantorial soloist, leads services and Tot Shabbat monthly for eight years at Beth Hatikvah in Summit, where she is a member.

Hobbies: Swimming, reading and cooking.

Self-portrait: "I've been working with Jewish families for many years. I was a former assistant director of Eisner Camp in Great Barrington, Mass. for the Reform movement and a regional youth director for the Reform movement. I've also taught grades K-12 in the religious setting for the past 30 years. I see myself as someone who has a lot of vision who is enthusiastic about changing the world for the better every day."

Greatest accomplishment: "Adopting my child from China and my work at the Kaplan Family Learning Center. I've been there seven years. What is really outstanding about our program is it engages people in Jewish study in an authentic, experiential way and helps them fashion an ethical Jewish life equipping them to be committed to the past and future and to be part of a Jewish community wherever they go."

Bad habits: "My time management."

Favorite food: "I'm a lover of Chinese food."

Favorite TV show: "Brothers and Sisters".

Best childhood memory: "Living in the Bronx and having my parents spend a lot of time taking me on many trips to the Bronx Zoo. They taught me to observe how the animals were being treated. They emphasized if we treat our animals right it also shows that we treat human beings right."

People don't know that I... "Worked with Rosalynn Carter in the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment as a college intern for ERA America."

Last book I read: "I am reading curriculum materials for the projects developed with two grants for the past two years. One was a Leadership Institute for Synagogue Educators $50,000 grant for a two-and-a-half year period through the New York Jewish Federation to study educational models in the Reform and Conservative movement."

The biggest asset in the local Jewish communities: "To me, it's Rabbi Robert Scheinberg, who is part of everything I do, including writing the grants. He is an incredible spiritual leader who brings together all -- Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, and Reconstructionist -- Jewish communities and renewing a synagogue 102 years old."

The biggest problem in the local Jewish communities: "I don't have an answer to that. What happens in Hoboken is not what happens anywhere else. The community is very vibrant and enlightened. Our revitalization started seven years ago when we started our pre-school."

If I had more time I would... "I'm very concerned about those people who have lost their jobs and lost their homes. My concern is how effectively as a society are we making sure we are helping them through this difficult economic time. One of the highest rungs of charity is to make someone independent."