Diane was born and raised in       an observant Jewish home in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she majored in Elementary Education with a minor in Vocal Music Performance and years later returned to the UW and earned        a BBA degree in accounting.

    At UW-Madison Diane met her husband Marc. They married in 1972 and made Madison their home where they raised their two daughters.

     Diane, a soprano, was a member of the Madison Symphony Chorus and sang professionally at many weddings in the Madison area for many years. 

     A soloist in the choir at Temple Beth El-Madison, Diane sang and played guitar for many Friday night Shabbat services, as well as playing for many Bar and Bat Mitzvah services.

     Diane also lead the music for Friday Shabbat gatherings held monthly for Jewish seniors at Madison nursing homes and was         also available to conduct funeral      and Shiva services for unaffilated Jews in the Madison area.

    Diane taught music at Temple Beth El’s Sunday School for many years and in 1992 began Bnai Mitzvah tutoring, over the years teaching more than 135 Bar/Bat      Mitzvah students.

     In 2000 Diane began serving as the High Holy Day Cantorial Soloist for Congregation Beth Israel in North Adams, Massachusetts, a relationship that continued for 7 years. 

    Two years later Diane was hired by Holland America Cruise Lines      to serve on their cruises as a           “Guest Jewish Spiritual Leader”      for Chanukah celebrations and Passover Seders.

     For six years Diane served as the Treasurer of the Guild of Temple Musicians (GTM), a multi-national organization with over 500 members. She attends the (American Conference of Cantors) ACC/GTM conventions annually and in 2001 was honored to be chosen to sing in a 16 member Cantorial chorus at the Kennedy Center on July 4th.

How did Cantorial Soloist 

Diane Becker Krasnick

end up in St. Thomas?

     In 1992 Diane was an accountant living with her family in Madison, Wisconsin. She and her husband, Marc went on their first cruise       and one of the ports the cruise visited was St. Thomas. Reading       that there was an historic synagogue in St. Thomas, Diane and Marc and the friends they were traveling with decided to visit the synagogue.     

     Diane felt an immediate connection to the synagogue and       even though at the time she was        an accountant, she predicted that someday she would be the cantor there.

     So Diane decided it was time to start studying for the Cantorate and was accepted into the Hebrew Union College-School of Sacred Music’s, Cantorial Certification program.

     In 2001, not long after entering the Cantorial Certification program, Diane was diagnosed with stage 3B breast cancer, which she spent years fighting and is now a victorious survivor who lives life to the fullest and wants to share her zest for life with others.

     Unfortunately, once interrupted, Diane decided not to finish the program to become a certified Cantor and instead is happy to         serve as an experienced Cantorial Soloist.    

     On one of the Caribbean cruises for which Diane was serving as “Guest Jewish Spiritual Leader” Diane met the rabbi of the St. Thomas synagogue who she told,       "one day I want to sing at your synagogue, I want to be your cantor."

     In April 2006, while working on another cruise that stopped in St. Thomas, Diane once again visited the synagogue and this time the rabbi told her the congregation was ready to hire a Cantor or Cantorial Soloist and asked her to send her resume and other materials, which she did.

     In April 2007, Diane accepted   a two year contract to serve as the congregation’s first year-round Cantorial Soloist. 

     Also in 2007, Diane became licensed by the government of the United States Virgin Islands to officiate at weddings and has since officiated at many Jewish and Interfaith weddings on St. Thomas and St. John in addition to other Caribbean locales. 

     Diane loves the honor and priviledge of uniting two people who love each other. Her spirituality and beautiful voice help to make every ceremony she performs joyous, special, and memorable.

Cantorial Soloist Diane Becker Krasnick

Preparing for a wedding at the Marriott Hotel-Frenchman's Reef-St. Thomas