UPDATE: July 10, 2021
Plans for the 2021-2022 UJS school year are underway!
We welcome our new Cantor-Educator: Cantor David Fair.
Cantor David Fair is proud to have joined the United Jewish School in 2021, as its Cantor-Educator. A native of Baltimore, Maryland, he earned a B.A. in Theater and a minor in Music from the University of Maryland College Park. He received a Professional Studies Diploma and an Artist Diploma from the Cleveland Institute of Music. He received a Master of Sacred Music degree from Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion in New York City in 2020, where he wrote his Cantorial thesis on the topic, “Tsiporah’s Children: The Music and Lived Experiences of Black Jewish Americans.” He was ordained in 2021.
Before coming to Grand Rapids, Cantor Fair served as the Cantorial Intern at Temple Beth Israel in York, PA; Congregation Beit Simchat Torah (CBST) in New York City; and Washington Hebrew Congregation in Washington, DC.
As the Cantor-Educator of the United Jewish School, Cantor Fair guides teachers in bringing innovative ideas and techniques to the classroom. He has taught religious school for well over a decade and specializes in teaching Hebrew, Biblical education, Israel education, and of course, Jewish music. He believes that in every lesson, kids can be engaged through a mix of touch, smells, physical activity, multimedia, taste, and of course, music! He believes kids should be doing most of the talking throughout a class—whether to the teacher, or to each other in small groups. If learning isn’t fun and interactive, it isn’t being done right.
Cantor Fair is an antiracism educator and has given sermons, lectures, and led workshops in this topic at Synagogues, Hillels, and Jewish organizations throughout the country. He believes that this is holy work. He is honored to have the opportunity to speak to people who are interested and open to learning about how we can all challenge our role in systemic racism. This past summer, Cantor Fair taught a three-class series with the children’s educational organization “Tkiya,” where he focused on teaching how to have these powerful conversations in a developmentally appropriate way for children ages 3-10.
Outside of his Cantor-Educator duties, Cantor Fair loves practicing yoga, making vegan feasts, buying cat toys for his cat, Mordechai, and spending time with his partner, Corey.
We also welcome our new administrative assistant, Kreenah Dunsmore.
Ms. Kreenah has earned a Bachelor’s of Music Education from Calvin University, and is a certified teacher in the State of Michigan. She spent 25 years homeschooling her eleven children, and now enjoys twelve grandchildren, who all live in the midwest.
Ms. Kreenah is excited to be involved in the United Jewish School in Grand Rapids. She grew up in Wayland, Michigan, daughter of two musician-teachers. She has followed in the footsteps of her parents. Ms. Kreenah is the owner of KMD Music Studios, from which she teaches private music of all types to all ages. She also enjoys substitute teaching in local school districts during the school year. Ms. Kreenah plays in Sam’s Swing Band on keyboard, and other community bands on clarinet and alto saxophone. You may find Kreenah tickling the ivories in Woodland Mall at Von Maur, too!
A member of Temple Emanuel, Kreenah is active in Torah Study, Mussar practice, and the Social Action Committee. When not making music or working with students, Kreenah practices yoga, hikes, journals, swims, and enjoys coloring books and painting old used musical instruments.
A fresh start after a tough year for everyone in 2020-2021!
We will begin Sunday, September 19, 2021 from 9 – 11:30 am. Note this new time by popular request. Tuition is $308, and Supplemental Hebrew remains at $280 for the year. When you register, you will have access to making payments on the UJS website: https://www.unitedjewishschool.org
A search to fully staff the school is in progress! Keep checking back on the Administration and Teacher page to see our additions.
Watch for more updates to come with a more complete calendar, details about registration, and staff.