Twenty- three years ago Michele Marcowitz left New York and headed to the suburbs of New Jersey. Transitioning from a home where her cousin’s window was only at arm’s length away, to a spacious suburban neighborhood was difficult to get used to. This among other things made it difficult for Marcowitz to get used to her big move. On Hylan Boulevard in Staten Island, it was easy to walk to the local pizzeria, the deli. and even to school; this made it convenient to travel.
Even though she felt Marlboro was safer for young children, as an adult she felt trapped. In New Jersey, a car is a necessity and even driving laws were different. When she first moved to Marlboro, there were little to no sidewalks to keep a “country” feeling so it was hard to go from a place where all you heard were cars honking, buses passing, and the conversation of the family next door. Initially, it felt too quiet for Michele. However, over the years, though, she learned to appreciate the occasionally deer that like to cross your path and the acres of tall oak trees.
Although it is hard to believe, Michele Marcowitz went through a great deal of anti- Semitism. In middle school she lost a friend who through peer pressure, joined a group who made fun of Marcowitz for her religion. Since these incidents occurred, Michele knew she did not want to raise children in Staten Island if they would not be proud of their being Jewish. The Jewish population makes up 2.1 percent of the United States and of that 504,000 live in New Jersey. She wanted her children to have a sense of their Jewish identity and to embrace it. In Marlboro, all five of her children were bar/ bat mitzvahed. Living in an area that is so diverse and one that is accepting of all religions she, too, has learned how to embrace her religion.
A mother of five children, 4 in college and 1 in high school, Michele describes being a mother as “the most important job.” Instead of working in an office building she had the luxury to stay home and raise her children. Even though it was hard to leave New York, looking at her five children and how they were raised in a town with open farmland, “clean air” and great school systems makes Michele;s job that much more fulfilling. Not only is Michele a mother of 5, but she also takes the role of a mother to over 50 young girls; not in her home but at the Marlboro Pop Warner fields. She has been a coach for the Marlboro Mustangs cheerleading program and has done an excellent job of being a mentor to these girls. She is an icon to a community with a population of 36,398.
It seems old fashioned, but you can find most of the town at a Friday Night football game at Marlboro High School. Football, baseball, and soccer really bring the community together. When Michele first attended some of these games, she looked over at the sidelines and noticed the cheerleaders. As they screamed and waved their pom-poms in the air, people paid little to no attention. Since Michele Marcowitz was a cheerleader for her brother when she was a young girl, it was easy for her to see that the cheerleading program needed some changes.
Despite the opinions of many, Michele has strong belief that cheerleading is a sport. ” Just go on YouTube,” she explains to see the work cheerleading consists of. In 1999 Michele became cheer director and head coach of the youngest team, the 6-7 year old division girls. Two of her three daughters, were on the team and they would cheer for her oldest son who was on the football team. Having her motherly instincts, Michele grew an attachment and a love for the team. She moved up with the same group of girls till they were 14 years old and grew an extreme bond with this “family.” She completely reconstructed the cheerleading program by setting up fundraisers and making the girls “can” by the local bagel store and pharmacies.
“It really gives a sense of community when you see everyone at the games cheering on the boys. But then you also see how excited parents get to see their daughters performing a routine.” she said.
From 2000 to 2006 Michele won more national cheerleading titles then any other coach at marlboro Pop Warner Cheerleading. She was the first coach to ever bring a group of girls to a competition. Today many of her old cheerleaders who are in college continue to tell her how big of a role model, mother and coach she was.
Reflecting on her old life in Staten Island, to her current established life in Marlboro, she wouldn’t change a thing. She feels that her children would not have been educated as well as they have been, due to over population in New York school systems. Making a decision to move to a completely different area was difficult for Michele and her husband but, together they got to design their dream home and have a life they always wanted.
Although many people believe being a mother is not a real job, for Michele it was and still is. Taking care of five children all within 7 years, driving them to all their activities, Hebrew School, and managing a cheerleading organization; Michele has has a lot on her plate. She has learned time management and organization, both skills useful in everyday life. Four of her five children attend well known universities such as Maryland, Penn State and NYU. Michele has made a great program that was once not recognized into a popular sport. She is a role model and has made a great impression in Marlboro, New Jersey.