For Rabbi Shira Stern, the new director of education at Temple Rodeph Torah in Marlboro, Jewish education often begins where life's many trials and tribulations leave off.

Stern is the director of the Center for Pastoral Care and Counseling in Marlboro, which she founded in 2005, and was the director of the Jewish Institute for Pastoral Care from 2002 to 2005.

Her depth of knowledge of pastoral issues — the grief and joy that accompany people through their spiritual journeys — will be invaluable, she said, in her new position at Rodeph Torah, which she began in July following the retirement of Edna Coleman after 24 years in the position.

"As a rabbi and educator, I try to help those who are looking for spiritual guidance and who have a strong desire to learn more, and better understand, the Jewish religion," Stern said. "In turn, this helps them articulate their visions, goals, and needs."

When Stern was ordained at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in New York in 1983, she was perhaps best known as the rabbi daughter of the renowned violinist Isaac Stern.
But in the years since, she has become a pioneer in Jewish pastoral and spiritual care, striving to bring new depth and prestige to the profession of chaplain. She has served as the chaplain at Meridian Home Hospice in Eatontown, Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune, and Stony Brook University Medical Center in New York and as chaplain of pediatric services at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and New York-Cornell Medical Center, both in New York.

But she has always been deeply involved in Jewish education. Before she became the religious leader at Monroe Township Jewish Center (1984-97), Stern was the director of education at Temple Beth El in Huntington, NY. After Stern was named rabbi emerita of Beth El, she became the East Coast director of MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger.

Stern, a Morganville resident, is no stranger to Rodeph Torah. She has been the instructor of the temple's post-confirmation class since 1999 and has been married for 25 years to Rabbi Donald Weber, the Reform temple's religious leader since 1984 (the couple has three college-age children). They met while both were performing chaplaincy work at a New York hospital.

"It's always been wonderful to work with him," said Stern. "Now, we feel like a team that can help make Temple Rodeph Torah even better than it is."

She also is quick to acknowledge Coleman's legacy. "She built a great religious school, and I hope to build upon that terrific foundation," said Stern.

Stern also has served as a guest speaker and panel member of numerous discussions focusing on Jewish spiritual care, healing, and ethical issues. All of her activities have led to a greater understanding of the Jewish religion, culture, and heritage, she said.

"I've seen such a great need for pastoral care and chaplaincy services," Stern said. "I try to infuse my pastoral care sessions with spiritual answers to rabbinic rituals — this helps solve the problems that are causing problems. You try to get from A to B. With chaplaincy services, however, your purpose is to accompany people on their own journeys."

A solid "educational infrastructure" at Temple Rodeph Torah already exists, said Stern, who is eager to share her own visions with the religious-school students.

"My mission is to help the families of this congregation and community to understand the joy and honor of being Jewish," she said. "The religious school is a place where we can communicate information through the children to the rest of the community. The children are vehicles for communicating the essence of Judaism."

And there is a lot at stake, she added.

"Judaism has to survive, and it's up to us to ensure that happens," said Stern. "Teaching religious education in an enthusiastic way will help make sure that it does."

There are 200 children in the temple's preschool through seventh-grade classes. Older students attend eighth- and ninth-grade high school classes and post-confirmation instruction, she added.

Stern grew up in New York City. Her mother, Vera, still lives in New York; her father died in 2001.

"My home was Zionistic and still is," she said. "Jewish values were ‘lived,' not just taught. My parents often opened their house to those in need of food, clothing, or a place to stay. And whoever came to us was made to feel welcome."

By age 16, Stern had already chosen her future vocation. She was inspired by Rabbi Sally Priesand, the country's first female rabbi, who retired last year after 25 years as the religious leader of Monmouth Reform Temple in Tinton Falls. Stern met Priesand at the Stephen Wise Free Synagogue in New York City when the latter was a member of the synagogue's staff.

Stern received a doctor of ministry degree from HUC in 2004. She also earned a certificate in pastoral counseling from the Post-Graduate Center for Mental Health in New York in 1997 and was certified as a chaplain by the National Association of Jewish Chaplains in 2001.

"Gradually, I'm learning to lead by example, rather than by command," Stern said. "I concentrate more on enabling others to achieve their goals, rather than guiding them along a path I choose for them. My joy is teaching on a variety of levels, including adults who are educated and who push me to delve into the text, novices who are discovering their ability to explore their own traditions, and children and teens whose imaginations soar beyond the literal and who also find relevancy in ancient documents."

Achieving her own goals is an ongoing process, she added.

"My goal is twofold," she said. "I want to teach others to teach themselves and to refine my own skills so that my learning continues. As a rabbi, I am challenged to find the vibrancy in Judaism that will ensure its survival within my community."