I was born and raised in Wayne, NJ. After college I moved to NYC for 8 years and made a few pit stops along the way before settling back down in good ole Wayne, NJ.

I grew up going to Shomrei Torah (and to my dismay went to Hebrew School 3 times per week.) I was Bat Mitzvahed by Rabbi Richard Eisenberg and after that didn’t come around the synagogue very often.

If someone were to tell me at age 13 that I would move back to Wayne and not only rejoin Shomrei Torah as an adult, but play an active leadership role, I would have never believed them. Fast-forward 25 years and after my husband Greg and I had our son, Jared, we felt it was time to join a synagogue. My husband grew up Reform. However, for me Shomrei Torah was home and the choice was clear (and the fact that my father would disown me if we went elsewhere).

I attended Syracuse University and received my Bachelor of Science degree in Business Marketing from the Whitman School of Management. After college I landed my dream job (or so I thought) at Conde Nast Publica-tions. My job there started as what is accurately portrayed in the movie The Devil Wears Prada...but only worse. After a few other stints in the publishing and media world, I am now a Partner at Lundwall Group, a retained executive search firm focusing on publishing, media, and technology.

As they say on Wheel of Fortune – I am married to my wonderful husband Greg for 7.5 years and we have an amazing son Jared (5). For free time, as many of the congregants know, I can be found exercising at the Y. Other than that I enjoy trips to Target, Stop n Shop, and spending time with my family and friends.

My parents, Rhita & Steve Gastwirth, have greatly influenced me. Both have extremely strong work ethics and I credit them to helping me thrive throughout different times in my life. More recently, I would have to say my son. Part of me feels like I am reliving my childhood through him. His excitement for new experiences, meeting new people, and love of synagogue is influential in making me want to be the best person I can be.

Upon first joining Shomrei Torah, I helped by being part of the programming committee. I was then asked to join the Board of Trustees. After serving on the BOT for a year, I took on the role as VP, Membership and Programming. In my current role, I try to organize fun and engaging events for the entire congregation with a focus on young families and growing our membership.

The past few years have been difficult not only for Shomrei Torah but for the conservative movement. People view religion differently, children and parents are overbooked with school/work commitments, and religion sometimes takes a back seat. To me Shomrei Torah is more than just “going to synagogue.” It’s a second home for me. It’s a place I know I will be welcomed. The Rabbi’s door is always open for a chuckle, lesson in Judaism, or just a place you can feel welcome regardless of what else is going on in everyday life. My vision for the future of Shomrei Torah is for everyone to feel that way. And for those young families that don’t think it is necessary to join a synagogue, I invite them to walk through our doors, whether it be for Tot Shabbat, High Holiday Services, or one of our fun community events; come see what it means to be part of our congregation. I hope many people can experience this at Shomrei Torah for many years to come

To me being Jewish is not about being religious. It has more to do with heritage, tradition, beliefs, and commu-nity. I don’t consider myself to be a religious person (although Rabbi Mark is trying to change that). It is more about my heritage, my own personal beliefs and my desire to grow and instill these values in younger generations. Since I have become actively involved with the synagogue, people often comment “ You’re so Jewish.” My re-sponse to them is: “It’s not about being so Jewish. It’s about having commitment, dedication, and a passion for our beliefs and values, regardless of the frequency of synagogue attendance.