Pam Rush, School Director grew up in Memphis, TN and graduated from CB University with a B.S. in Business Administration.  A member of the Grand Rapids community and Temple Emanuel since 1989, she has taught music at the Temple religious school since 1995, private piano instruction for over 25 years and is currently lay cantor and music director for Temple Emanuel. She is married to Jeff and they have two daughters, Samantha and Alex.  In her spare time she enjoys tennis, golf and playing in her rock band “TOO”.  She has a deep understanding of the mission and philosophy of the school and has been a binding force for its continued successs.

Barb Duchemin, Curriculum Director has been a teacher at Temple Emanuel and has been on the religious school committee since 1995.  She has a B.S. in Biochemistry from Wayne State and a B.S. in Health Science from University of Detroit.  She also has a Master in the Art of Teaching from Aquinas College.  She is married to Steve and they have three children – Adam, Brian and Lauren.  Currently, Barb works as a Physician Assistant at Grand Valley Health Plan.

Gan Katan/Hebrew  Cantor, Marisa Krishef Cantor Marisa Bear Krishef was ordained from the Academy for Jewish Religion, New York, in 1994.  She has been teaching religious school since she was a cantorial student.  She has taught students of all ages from pre-school to adults.  Her specialty subjects include Music, Hebrew, and Jewish holidays.  As an undergraduate, Cantor Krishef majored in Theatre Arts and Secondary Education at the University of Minnesota.  She grew up in the small town of Superior, Wisconsin.  Cantor Krishef loves singing in the local Shir Shalom Choir and occasionally performing with the Jewish Theatre of Grand Rapids.  She is married to Rabbi David Krishef, who is the rabbi at Ahavas Israel and they have three sons and a daughter who also attend Beit Sefer B’yahad.

Pre-K Sylvia Herman Sylvia was born in Indonesia and came to America from the Netherlands in 1983.  She is a member of Temple Emanuel where she is involved with several committees.  She is also a board member of Jewish Theater and her passions are reading, knitting and cooking international cuisines.  Sylvia is also fluent in Dutch (her first language).  She has raised two wonderful sons. Both are grown up now and live way too far away!!!  Sylvia is excited to teach at UJS and is looking forward to meeting all her students and parents.

Kindergarten Rhonda Pappas moved to Grand Rapids in 1996 and immediately got involved with the Temple Emanuel Sunday School program.  She has been teaching or subbing in the religious school ever since.  Rhonda is a member of the Temple Emanuel Board of Directors.  She works at One Stop as an Inside Sales Representative and does taxes at H & R Block during tax season.  In her spare time she enjoys the company of her dogs Yoshi and Hamish and cats Jake, Simon, Raphael, Stella, and Gideon.

1st Grade Linda Zizos Linda Zizos is VP of Membership Development for the Grand Rapids Area Chamber of Commerce.  Off time, she and her husband, Gregg enjoy working in their garden, spending time with family and friends and pampering their Shi Tzu Lily.  Linda has been teaching at Beit Sefer B'yhad for several years.  She enjoys the curiousity and fun of first graders, and loves helping them connect to Judaism in a way that is meaningful to them.  Linda's students are the reason she looks forward to Sunday mornings!

2nd Grade  Melissa Popour Melissa Popour will be teaching 2nd grade in the fall.  She has taught 2nd, 3rd and 4th grades at Temple Beth El and Chaye Olam in the Detroit area.  She moved to Jenison from Rochester, MI five years ago to start a family with her husband Tim; they now have two boys.  Melissa earned a BBA in Business Information Systems from Western Michigan University, and is currently working full time at Senior Neighbors as a Database Administrator and Web Developer.

3rd Grade  Maryanne and Aaron Katz  Aaron and Maryanne recently moved to Grand Rapids from Lewisville (suburb North of Dallas), Texas in December of 2010 with their three children, Eric, Ellie and Matthew. They will team teach the 3rd Grade class this fall. They have team taught 3rd grade at their previous Synagogue in Texas for three years before moving to Michigan. Aaron works at Sysco, Grand Rapids. Maryanne returned to the work world as a substitute teacher with LISD, after staying at home to raise her three children. They enjoy teaching Torah lessons through hands-on activities (i.e. arts & crafts, games) and lessons that involve interaction from the children. They are looking forward to meeting the new 3rd grade group that they have heard so much about!

4th/5th Grade Lindsay Baker and John Wofford   Lindsay Baker is a recent graduate of Aquinas College in the field of sustainable Business and with a minor in Spanish. Currently a Global environmental Sustainability Intern at Steelcase, Inc., Lindsay originally hails from Jupiter, Florida. She has a wide range of experience working with young people, including summer camps, Girl Scouts, and as a Big Brothers Big Sisters mentor. She moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan, afterstudent tenure at the College of the Atlantic in Maine.                      John Wofford moved from a small farm town in Georgia to Grand Rapids, Michigan, in 2009. A student at Aquinas College, John studies communication application and theory. John has previous experience in journalism and public relations, and has covered everything from the Grammys to the Bluegrass Hall of Fame. He currently writes for NewVoices, a Jewish student magazine, and occasionally the Union for Reform Judaism. John has also worked as a elementary-level substitute teacher, and as a tutor for students with learning challenges.

6th Grade Jan Fonger grew up in Grand Rapids and attended Temple Emanuel Religious School.  She is fund-raising director of the Kent District Library.  She is married to Lindsay and they have a daughter Celia.  They also have three cats and a great dog named Buttons.  Jan has taught in Temple Emanuel religious school for over 15 years. 7th Grade Rachel Katz/Rabbi David Krishef   Rachel Katz Rachel Katz grew up in Ann Arbor and is currently a 2nd year Pharmacy student at the Ferris State College of Pharmacy. She recently moved to Grand Rapids, and is excited to reenter Jewish life after living in a small town for four years. Growing up, Rachel was an active member of her synagogue's religious school and youth programs, serving as a madricha in both the Hebrew and Religious schools, as well as spending a year as a member of the AARTY board. Rabbi David Krishef   Rabbi David J.B. Krishef grew up in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and graduated from the University of Minnesota with a degree in Hebrew and Jewish Studies.  Following a two year stint as a program director at the University of Minnesota Hillel Foundation (serving students at Carleton and Macalester colleges), he entered the Jewish Theological Seminary of America, where he received ordination in 1994.             Since then, Rabbi Krishef has served as the rabbi of Congregation Ahavas Israel, a Conservative synagogue in Grand Rapids, Michigan.  In addition, from 2006-7 he taught Beginning and Intermediate Biblical Hebrew at Grand Valley State University; and in 2008 he is teaching Jewish Life, Literature, Culture, and History at Kuyper College.             He is the author of a CHAI curriculum revision published by URJ Press revising the CHAI Judaic curriculum to adapt the Reform curriculum for use in a Conservative or joint Reform/Conservative religious school; and edited a section on Judaism for a World Religions textbook (published by Teacher Created Materials).             His interests also include BioMedical Ethics.  He serves on the Spectrum Bioethics committee, and delivered an address on “The Beginnings of Life” at the DeVoss Medical Ethics Colloquy in Grand Rapids.  He also serves as one of the volunteer rabbis on several internet AskaRabbi services.             He lives in Grand Rapids, MI with his wife (Cantor) Marisa, and four children, Zachary, Solomon, Harrison and Sarah. More Teachers

Teacher Resources