Jody Blyveis 2010/2012 Jody moved from Monroe, MI to Grand Rapids, MI in 2001. She and her husband Jason married in 2002 and now live in Rockford with their two children Gabriel and Bailey Sue.  Jody worked for the Pepsi corporation as a sale representative and is currently a stay-at-home mom.  Jason is the proud business owner of Polar Seal windows in downtown Grand Rapids.  Jody and her family have been members of Temple Emanuel in 2009 and both Gabriel and Bailey Sue attend the United Jewish School.

Paula Bojsen 2010/2012 was born in Paris, France, and as the daughter of an Air Force officer and pilot has lived all over the world. While working in Stavanger, Norway, she met and married Tommy, a Danish national,and the family moved to Michigan in 1999. Paula currently works in Regulatory compliance for a global medical device manufacturer. She has a BA in English and is a technical writer. She is also a Reiki Master/Teacher, Shamanic Practitioner, and is studying Kabbalah and Jewish Shamanism with Rabbi Gershon Winkler and Ravi Miriam Maron. Paula, Tommy, and their daughter Joanna are members of Ahavas Israel. Paula has taught in Ahavas' Hebrew school, and has served on their Board of Directors.

Michele Young 2011/2013 moved from West Bloomfield, MI to the Grand Rapids area in August 2007 with her husband, Joel who works for Priority Health. They have been married for 12 years and have two children who attend UJS, a daughter, Morgan and a son, Michael.  Michele has a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Wayne State University.  She has worked in both public accounting and in private industry.  She had her own small accounting business in West Bloomfield and will bring that experience to the UJS board.  Since coming to West Michigan, she has worked in the Accounting Department at Beacon Hill at Eastgate.  She has been involved in B’Nai Brith, Women’s American ORT and is a lifetime member of Hadassah.

Allyson Cole-Strauss  2010/2012 recently moved to Grand Rapids with her husband Ken, and two children Benjamin and Rachel. Allyson is a scientist at the Van Andel Institute in the department of Translational Science at Michigan State. Prior to their move to Michigan, she and her family were active members of Adath Israel Congregation in Cincinnati. Allyson enjoys cooking, reading, traveling and gardening.

Barb Duchemin (Curriculum Director/ex-officio) 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.

Rabbi Michael Schadick (ex-officio) has been rabbi of Temple Emanuel since July 2000.  He was born in southern New Hampshire and received his Bachelor’s Degree from Connecticut College.  He received his rabbinic ordination from the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in May 1994.  He has served congregations in Orlando, Florida and Plantation, Florida.  Rabbi Schadick lives in Cascade Township with his wife Susan and his daughter Shira.

Rabbi David Krishef (ex-officio) grew up in Minneapolis and graduated from the University of Minnesota with a degree in Hebrew and Jewish Studies.  Following two years as a program director at the University of Minnesota Hillel Foundation, he entered the Jewish Theological Seminary of America.   He received ordination in 1994.  Since then, Rabbi Krishef has served as Rabbi of Congregation Ahavas Israel, and in 2003 became the longest serving Rabbi in the history of the congregation.  He also serves as one of the volunteer rabbis on Jewish.com’s AskaRabbi service, has edited a section on Judaism for a World Religions textbook; and serves on the Spectrum Bioethics committee.  He is married to (Cantor) Marisa.  They have four children, Zachary, Solomon, Harrison and Sarah.

Pam Rush (School Director/ex-officio) grew up in Memphis, TN and graduated from Christian Brothers 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 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 band “TOO”.  She has a deep understanding of the mission and philosophy of the school and has been a binding force for its continued success.

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