FAMILY: Husband Peter; children Jameson (13), twins Jake and Caley (16)

SYNAGOGUE: Cong. Beth El

PETS: Cats Kobe & Tam-Tam

HOBBIES: Dancing, learning foreign languages and shore vacations

FAVORITE FOODS: Italian and “any kind of dessert”

FAVORITE TV: “E! News” and “Chelsea Lately”

Betsy Fischer is high-energy. What else would you expect from a woman who owns and single-handedly operates the Groove Lounge in Voorhees? She describes the Groove Lounge as a “dance and party studio where fun people throw fabulous parties.”

Fischer is also high-energy when it comes to her Jewish activities. She and her husband Peter have made a donation to the Samost Jewish Family & Children’s Service (JFCS) to have the food pantry named the Betsy & Peter Fischer Food Pantry. The Fischers are also active in the Jewish National Fund (JNF). Peter, who was in Israel on a JNF mission at the time of this interview, recently completed a term as president of the JNF’s Southern New Jersey Region. Earlier this year, the couple donated a fire truck to Israel through JNF in honor of their son Jameson’s bar mitzvah. In the spring, the Fischers will be going to Israel over Passover for a family friend’s bar mitzvah. While there, Betsy will do a dance party for the families in Sderot, the community in Southern Israel that has been the target of constant rocket attacks from Hamas in Gaza.

“It blows me away that those people don’t leave,” said Fischer of the resilience of the residents of Sderot. She said that she is so impressed with how dedicated they are.

“My involvement with Jewish life really began about 15 years ago,” said Fischer of her philanthropic efforts. She was playing golf with Sara-ellen Greenberg, a longtime volunteer and leader with the Jewish Federation. Greenberg said to her that there are many worthy causes in this world, and many people will support them, but who will stand up and help the Jews and Israel. “That has stuck with me ever since,” said Fischer, who is also motivated by a desire to be a good Jewish role model for her children.

In addition to her involvement in the Jewish community, dance is also central to Fischer’s life. “My purpose, why I am here, is to serve others by sharing dance,” she said. Fischer said that nothing makes her happier than to see parents and children having fun together and dancing. “When I see parents dance with their kids, it makes me cry,” she said.

Fischer, who was a mobile DJ before opening Groove Lounge two years ago, decided to go into dancing after her twins, now 16, were born. “When I was 12 years old in Springfield, New Jersey, a man named Wes Parsons used to come to all the synagogues to teach social dancing to pre-bar/bat mitzvah kids. Fischer, who earlier had been a special education teacher, wanted to do that. “I wanted to be that guy. That’s how it started,” she said.

From her initial foray into the DJ business, when she used to lug her equipment up and down stairs and in all kinds of weather, to the Groove Lounge, where she has classes in Zumba and belly dancing as well as parties for groups of all ages, Fischer has seen her business and her reputation in the industry take off.

“It is really fun,” said Fischer, who has been featured on the cover of “National Entertainer News.” This past summer, she won “Best New Dance of 2010” at the International DJ Expo in Atlantic City. She was also chosen runner-up as “DJ of the Year.” “I was so pumped up and thrilled to win that competition,” said Fischer. .