Sharon Diamondstein was born in Israel and moved to the United States at the age of three. She grew up in Millburn, New Jersey, with her parents, Michele Franck and Israeli singer Shabi Katzir, and her sister, Daniella. She received her religious education at Congregation B’nai Israel, where she always enjoyed actively participating in t’fillah (prayer) and music.
Sharon serves the Jewish Center of Princeton as Director of Congregational Learning with more than 20 years in Jewish, public, and private education. She has taught at Anshe Emeth Memorial Temple in New Brunswick and at Congregation Kehilat Shalom in Belle Mead. Also, Sharon taught at Yeshiva at the Jersey Shore in Ocean Township and at Temple Beth Ahm Yisrael in Springfield, NJ. Through her experiences in the various branches of Judaism, she has found there are unifying threads and what unites us is stronger than what divides us.
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Susan Kleiner: Hello and welcome to The Think Factory podcast! My name is Susan Kleiner. I’m a partner with OGC Solutions and I’m the host of today’s episode. I am so happy to have here with me today Sharon Diamonstein.
Sharon is the Director of Congregational Learning at the Jewish Center of Princeton. She was born in Israel but she has spent most of her life here in New Jersey where she received her bachelor’s degree in political science from Kean College. She’s been in the education field for about 20 years but has been working at the Jewish Center of Princeton for the past seven years.
She’s had a really interesting career path and has a lot to say, which I think will be interesting for our listeners. Thank you so much for being here with me today Sharon!
Sharon Diamondstein: Thank you so much for having me with you today.
Susan Kleiner: Yeah so I’d love to hear a little bit more about the Jewish Center of Princeton. What makes them different?
Sharon Diamondstein: I mean that’s exactly right. We are a very vibrant community. We pride ourselves on being open to everybody. We welcome people in with open arms. We have so many different types of programs going on no matter what your interest is—whether it’s cooking or academia or playing mahjong or listening to music.
So it’s there’s a lot going on here for the kids, for their parents, and for the adults. We also do really special things for holidays.
Susan Kleiner: I know on your website I saw that you provide a home for teens, empty nesters, and seniors which I think also speaks to the welcoming, warm, and affirming congregation that you have.
Well, turning to your career—which I know has been kind of interesting! How is it that a Political Science major ends up working at the Jewish Center of Princeton as a Director of Congregational Learning? That seems like quite a leap; tell me more.
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