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Name: Harold Shickman

Occupation: Engineer. Retired as technical manager of cellular communications at Bell Labs, Murray Hill after 33 years.

Address: Scotch Plains

Family: Married to Carol, who works at Merck. They have two sons. Marc, a consultant for a contract company working for government agencies, is married to Jane. They have three daughters and live in Fairfax, Va. Benjamin lives in Los Angeles, where he works as the chief technical officer for iConstituent, a software company that designs legislative communication products.

Community activities: After early retirement, devoted time to Congregation Beth Israel, installing computer technology and software with member Computer Chairman Eugene Reiss. A 15-year member of the board of trustees, five-year chairman of Ritual Committee, chairman of Adult Education Committee.

Hobbies: Spending time making improvements and repairs on his home, and continuing his interests in philosophy, mathematics, and history of thought.

Self-portrait: "I'm an intuitive thinker, which is unusual for an engineer. I'm interested in very fundamental things. I'm not interested in complex arguments. I try to be patient when people get involved in long things but I can get lost with long, complicated discourse. I approach a problem one way then come around another way. Then I'll put it together gradually."

Greatest achievement: "Staying employed at Bell Labs for 33 years. I started there after I completed college and through them I went on to complete my doctorate and developed and published two patents in my name while there. I was there at an exciting time. I knew many famous people and had a chance to work with some of them. I had some really good assignments. I feel very privileged to have worked there."

Bad habit: "Procrastination. Now I feel incredibly lazy."

Favorite TV: " 'Bones'. It's an intriguing program with strong character development. And 'Law and Order'."

Favorite food: "Dunkin donuts and the chicken I make for Shabbat dinner."

Best childhood memory: "Summers in Sullivan County, N.Y., near the Borscht Belt. My folks had a few bungalows they rented from 1944-1964 in White Lake, N.Y. In the summer, White Lake would grow from a community of 250 to 5,000. I learned a lot of handyman skills from my father, who was a workaholic. I helped with painting the bungalows when I was a teenager but not much more than that. We were on a lake. I had a little boat. It was a great way to spend a summer. When I was in college, I worked for the hotels as a waiter and bus boy. I saw some famous people including Alan King and Sam Levinson."

People don't know that I... "Traveled to Abu Dabi twice on business and found the area similar to Israel in the way the Sabbath is celebrated. On Friday, it's very quiet with few people on the streets mostly fathers and sons going to the Mosque. After dark, it becomes very noisy. The same as it is on Saturday in Israel in Jerusalem."

Last book I read: "'Meta Math! The Quest for Omega,' by Gregory Chatin."

The biggest asset in the local Jewish community: "The number of Jewish agencies and organizations. The Jewish Federation, the Jewish Community Center, and the Jewish Family Service. All this emerged since we moved here. When I moved to Scotch Plains, there was no federation at the time. Only the United Jewish Appeal was here, and it was run out of people's homes. Now federation and a JCC are located in Scotch Plains with a staff and programs and there is a program to deliver kosher meals to the elderly."

The biggest problem in the Jewish community: "The biggest weakness is the very low level of interest in religious activities and in Jewish culture, particularly among the young people. It's like going to a symphony concert -- everyone is older. I wonder how these things can survive. There are relatively few young people coming to services with their family. This is what I worry about. I don't see long-term Jewish survival."

If I had more time, I would... "Just keep doing what I do now. I've been privileged to have a long retirement. Time isn't the issue."