Elaine Ratner calls it "stick-to-itiveness." Listening to her description of her 35 years as president of the Batim-Union chapter of Jewish Women International and 55 years as a member of the organization, that sounds like an understatement.

Asked what keeps her motivated, this mother of three and grandmother of six said simply, "I'm not a quitter."

Besides, she added with both modesty and pragmatism, "People didn't want the job of president." With members leaving the area or dying, or simply getting too busy, it has become harder to find a replacement. "We used to have about 400 members; in the past five years, we're down to about 30 who come to meetings."

That doesn't mean their gatherings are any less enjoyable. At the Sept. 18 meeting, when they celebrated her 35th anniversary, about 15 women, accompanied by husbands or male friends, gathered in the cafeteria at Burnet Middle School in Union.

"It's very intimate and heimish," Ratner said, and it was, with a buzz of chatter and laughter that she had to quell to be heard. In addition to discussing outings and fund-raising efforts (this past year, chapter members made their allocation goal of $2,500), the members shared mazel tovs for special events in their lives. Included among those was Ratner's granddaughter's wedding in Italy, before which she went on a Mediterranean cruise.

"It was fantastic. I'll tell you all about it afterward if you like," she offered.

The speaker for the evening was also a big draw: Dr. Ken Melman, a retired research biologist who teaches part-time at Kean University in Union and also conducts popular weekly nutrition classes at the YM-YWHA of Union County. Accompanying him was his wife, Anita, who announced — to Ratner's delight — that she was joining the chapter. There was another new member at the meeting.

Melman knows Ratner well because she has been a regular in his Y class for a number of years. "When she's walking, I can't keep up with her." he said.

To keep up that energy level, she works out every morning at a Curves fitness center not far from her home in Union, completing her 30-minute exercise regimen by 7 a.m. After breakfast, she goes to the Short Hills Mall with a friend for an hour-long power walk. "I've been doing it for 17 years," she said. Year after year, Ratner has won awards for walking at the Senior Olympics in Union Township.

She has plenty of other outlets for her energy. In addition to her service to JWI, she volunteers with the Jewish Federation of Central New Jersey, Jewish Family Service of Central NJ, the Newark Museum, the Community Food Bank of New Jersey in Hillside, as a mayor's aide and member of the Union Township Board of Health, at a local nursing home, and with the Jewish War Veterans.

In addition to that, she is politically active — and plays the piano.

But "steering the ship" for JWI is her priority. "It's always been a labor of love, and it's become second nature; it's an integral part of my life," she said.

Ratner joined in 1952 what was then the Batim chapter of B'nai B'rith International (before the women broke away to form JWI) in the Weequahic section of Newark, where she grew up. In 1993, it merged with the Union chapter, and she carried right on heading up its activities.

"I come from a family of volunteers," Ratner said. Both her parents were active in B'nai B'rith and United Jewish Appeal, and an uncle served as national UJA chairman. "They were my role models. I felt this was the only way of life. I couldn't understand how come my friends' mothers weren't involved."

She worked full-time for 25 years as an administrative assistant at a Hillside welding company, but that came later, when her three children were older. Asked whether her children ever objected to her being so busy with her volunteer work, she said, "Oh, no. They were my little secretaries."

All three live within easy reach, her son Howard Guttman in Ledgewood, her daughter Karen Kurtz in Randolph, and her younger son, Steven Guttman, in Denville.

Ratner, who was divorced many years ago and uses her maiden name, said she is learning to say no to further demands on her time, but she has no plans to step down as chapter president.

"There are a lot of responsibilities, and we don't have enough people to do all the jobs, but it gives me a lot of joy. I derive more from doing it than I put into it," she insisted. "I pray that God will give me the health and strength to carry on with these ‘labors in the vineyard of tzedaka.'"

The next meeting of the Batim-Union JWI chapter will focus on Jewish genealogy and the impact of the Internet. The meeting will be on Tuesday, Oct. 23, at 7:30, at the Burnet Middle School, on the corner of Caldwell and Morris avenues in Union. All are welcome. For more information, call Ratner at 908-687-4549.