Coming Home: Sarah Schiavone Shares Her Story on Returning to B’nai Shalom
There’s nothing more heartwarming than seeing our alumni return to B’nai Shalom as parents, entrusting their children to the same nurturing community that shaped their own childhood. We are fortunate to have more than 10 families with second-generation students currently at our school.
One of those special students is Sophia Schiavone, who joined the B’nai Shalom Infant Room over the summer. Sophia is the daughter of Sarah Schiavone, née Nudelman (Class of 2002), and her husband, Matthew, who moved back to Greensboro in 2022. We had the pleasure of sitting down with Sarah to learn more about her journey and her connection to B’nai Shalom.
Q: Can you tell us a little about your family’s history and your own history in Greensboro?
A: Greensboro has always been a very warm and welcoming community, especially the Jewish community. Although small in size, the Jewish community is very active and has played an integral role in the city’s history. My parents moved to Greensboro as young professionals when I was a baby. My sister and I were fortunate that my father’s mother and brother subsequently relocated here to be close to us. I have a lot of fond memories of growing up here. Many of them are intertwined with my time at B’nai Shalom because it played such an important role in my life.
Q: What differences do you see between how you grew up here and how your daughter is growing up in Greensboro now?
A: First of all, the city has grown. It’s larger and more diverse. There are lots of cultural activities and a more vibrant downtown. I think my daughter will be enriched by what Greensboro currently offers. Second, Sophia has already benefited from having my parents here. While I was lucky to have my grandmother move to Greensboro when I was in elementary school, Sophia’s grandparents have been an integral part of her life since the day she was born. That bond is very special.
Q: What stands out the most to you when you reflect on your time at B’nai Shalom?
A: My B’nai Shalom childhood friends remain my closest confidants to this day. Despite living in different places, our friendships have grown. We have a shared history and maintain the same core values. When I reflect on my time at B’nai, I also remember a lot of joy and singing. Singing was a way to express ourselves. It was part of our daily morning prayers and enhanced special occasions. I have vivid memories of singing “Uf Gozal” (“Fly My Chick”) at the end of my 8th grade graduation. It perfectly captured the sentiment of us leaving the shelter of B’nai Shalom to transition to high school. Another unique aspect about B’nai Shalom was that, because it was a small school, you developed friendships with students in different grades. Returning as an adult, I’ve reconnected with friends who weren’t even in my class.
Q: Can you tell me about a specific core memory or defining moment from your time at the school?
A: One memory that stands out is from my 3rd-grade class with Ms. Cox. She assigned elaborate projects throughout the year, including the option to “Challenge Yourself.” This empowered students to be very creative and customize their own project. I distinctly remember presenting on Jane Eyre by creating a talk show where I interviewed the protagonist. I had pre-recorded myself as the character and then interviewed her in front of my class. Ms. Cox gave us a lot of autonomy and allowed us to think outside the box.
Q: When was the first time you came back to the school after graduating?
A: I probably came back while I was in high school, but I don’t have a distinct memory of that time. When I came to tour the school as a prospective parent, I was flooded with nostalgia, but the scale was off. I was viewing familiar spaces but from an adult’s perspective. The hallways that felt so big as a child now seemed much smaller.
Q: Can you share what you did after B’nai Shalom? Where did you go to university, and what brought you back to Greensboro?
A: I graduated from Duke University and then attended law school at the University of Chicago. After law school, I moved to New York, where I practiced law at Sullivan & Cromwell, a large multinational firm. I specialized in white-collar defense, complex investigations, and regulatory and criminal enforcement matters. I loved living in New York, and my sister moved there shortly after I did. However, during the pandemic, my husband and I began considering where we wanted to live long term. My sister stayed in Greensboro during the height of the pandemic and kept telling me how great it was to be back. We both had fond memories of growing up here, but it wasn’t until then that I started considering Greensboro as a place to live as an adult. My husband was very interested in moving to a more suburban environment, particularly in the South. Once he expressed that, I knew I wanted to be with my family in a community that I already knew was a wonderful place to raise children. We certainly made the right choice. My husband is now an oral surgeon at University Dental Associates and I am an attorney at Brooks Pierce.
Q: Any last thoughts or memories?
A: B’nai Shalom has always been a close-knit community where students take care of one another. As we were discussing friendships, I was reminded of one particular memory. Before my freshman year at Grimsley, B’nai Shalom friends from the grade above met with my classmates and me to prepare us for transitioning to a large public high school. Having that support was so helpful. Their pay-it-forward mentality is a tribute to both the values instilled at B’nai Shalom and the sense of belonging that transcends our physical time at the school.
Sarah Schiavone with her daughter, Sophia.
