Juggling the many commitments and schedules inherent in raising a young family can be overwhelming, as many can agree, but Stacy makes it seem simple...and even fun. As this vivacious young woman states, maybe it is because her parents made it all look easy!

Stacy grew up in Princeton Junction, New Jersey, and attended the University of Maryland, where she majored in Education and received a Masters in Elementary Reading Education. For 11 years she taught 4th grade, becoming an academic intervention specialist for reading recovery, helping at-risk readers performing below grade level. For the last few years, she is a private tutor for Kindergarten – 5th grade students.

She met her husband, Ivan, at a friend's wedding (she was a bridesmaid...he was a groomsmen) and they married in 2006. Living first in West Orange, they moved to Wayne almost four years ago, looking for a place that had the diversity they wanted, but still had a significant Jewish community within which to raise their two daughters. First grade daughter, Maya, and younger sister, Jocelyn, who is in pre-K, have made friends and are flourishing in the community.

When asked about her interests during her spare time, Stacy laughed at the idea. Besides her increasing role at Shomrei Torah, she is involved at the PTO at her daughter's elementary school and is constantly chauffeuring the girls to their various activities (gymnastics, dance, Girl Scouts, play dates, etc).

She tries to make time for herself by going to the gym, but at the end of a normal hectic day she is grateful to have the chance to "chill, watch meaningless television (she has followed the sagas of "General Hospital" since 3rd grade!) and be "brainless" for a few hours at least!

Stacy credits her parents and her Grandma Frances for having a profound influence on her life. Her parents have a very happy, very strong relationship and the ties between them and her and her sister are strong and comfortable.

Her paternal grandmother, Frances, is still active and vibrant at 93 (going on 83) and inspires her to follow in Grandma Frances' footsteps.

Stacy contemplated the question of what being Jewish means to her. First and foremost, she would say "Family." She elaborated by saying that she never went to Hebrew school andnever became a Bat Mitzvah, but her Jewishness was transmitted by family. Holidays meant being with family and celebrating together. Ivan, she said, was raised in a more traditional Jewish structure and that is what he seeks out and is comfortable with. For her, Judaism and being Jewish is tied with the social and cultural aspects of community. She incorporates Judaism's ethical values as her "moral compass."

The combination of traditional Jewish structure and finding a family-friendly community is what drew them to Shomrei Torah. When they moved to Wayne and sought o be part of a Jewish community, she was impressed by the warmth that was extended to her and her family. She has always felt Shomrei Torah has a welcoming and comfortable atmosphere and her girls are happy. They have friends and Maya enjoys going to Hebrew school. This has encouraged Stacy to become more and more involved – she is on the Education committee and is a co-chair, along with Marissa Smith, for the Chaverim (K-5) youth group. Being involved has become a "family affair," with Ivan on the Shomrei Torah Board and Finance Committee.

She smiles when asked about her goals for the future. She says ,"My life is an open book....no secrets!" She would love to have time to travel, but she laughs and says that a short term goal would be to just survive life when her daughters enter those "pre-teen" years!