Our School Board
Board chairs
Elisabeth Rosewall (2022-2023) co-chair
Rebecca Charbauski (2021-2023) grew up in Plymouth, Minnesota before attending journalism school at the University of Missouri-Columbia where she met her husband Jim. She moved to Grand Rapids in 1999 and spent 17 years at WOOD-TV as a producer and later as news director. Her time in news also included a 3-year stint in Kansas City and working with one of the four largest media groups in the U. S. to coordinate national coverage. She has spent the last nearly six years in brand communications at Steelcase. She and her husband are raising two daughters, 14 and 12. They love to hike, travel and occasionally slow down enough to watch a good movie.
Board members (temple Emanuel)
Sharlena Lovy, Temple Emanuel (2019-2021) was born and raised in upstate New York and, after spending time in the Chicago and Detroit areas, moved to Grand Rapids in 2008. She works part-time as a Physician Assistant and full-time as a wife and mother of 3 active boys. When she finds the time, she enjoys reading, watching movies/ tv, traveling, and spending time with her 2 cats.
Rebecca Charauski, Temple Emanuel
Olga Sukenik, Temple Emanuel
Heather Hefer, Temple Emanuel
Board members (AHAVAS ISRAEL)
Jennifer Cohen (2019-2021) is a native of Grand Rapids and lives with her husband Abe and 3 children. She is a special education teacher and BCBA that works with young children with Autism. In her free time, she likes to spend time with her family, explore new places, and read.
Amy Winkelman, Congregation Ahavas Israel
Stephanie Jesin, Congregation Ahavas Israel
EX-OFFICIO BOARD MEMBERS
Rabbi Michael Schadick (Temple Emanuel) 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 J.B. Krishef (Congregation Ahavas Israel) received ordination as Rabbi from the Jewish Theological Seminary of America in 1994. Since then, he has served as the rabbi of Congregation Ahavas Israel, a Conservative synagogue in Grand Rapids, Michigan and blogs at EmbodiedTorah.com. He writes the popular weekly “Ethics and Religion Talk” column for therapidian.com and the Grand Rapids Press and serves on the Spectrum Health Bioethics committee. He has also taught Biblical Hebrew at Grand Valley State University, and Introduction to Judaism courses at Kuyper College and Aquinas College. He is a contributing author for the Judaism chapter of a World Religions textbook (published by Teacher Created Materials) and a set of revisions to the URJ CHAI Judaic curriculum for use in a Conservative or joint Reform/Conservative religious school.
