A LAG B’OMER TO REMEMBER — Lag b’Omer this year fell on Thursday, May 26. There were many planned outdoor activities, including Chabad and The Shul-Leawood.
Here’s how the day progressed at Chabad, as Esty Perman posted on Facebook:
“(Thursday) was quite a day. We spent the entire morning preparing food, activities, and set up for over 100 expected guests … all outdoors. True, the weather was forecasting rain and storms, but we had faith that it would all blow over at the last minute (as it has for every Lag b’Omer I can remember.) The party was off to a beautiful start, until the big black clouds came rolling in. And then that siren that we all know too well started blaring. Except it wasn’t a Wednesday, and it wasn’t the beginning of a new month. We quickly herded the kids and elderly inside, and then all the able-bodied young came running back out to rescue the food. The rain was blinding, and we lost one pan of coleslaw and two pans of pickles to the crazy winds. But thank G-d everyone was safe inside with plenty of food to ride out the storm. As we set up another room with the few activities we had managed to salvage, I was working hard to find the silver lining to this big, black cloud. We had spent a few weeks planning, preparing, finding sponsors, making food. ... I had spent the day (and I know I wasn’t the only one), sending up desperate prayers to G-d asking for the weather to hold out until after the event, and I truly believed that it would. But it didn’t. A story came to mind of a little boy whose favorite toy truck fell and broke. The little boy turned to his older brother and with hopeful eyes said ‘it’s okay, I’ll ask G-d to fix it!’ The cynical and more experienced older brother doesn’t reply, but after finding the truck still broken the following day he asks his little brother, ‘so, G-d didn’t answer?’ Wise beyond his years the little brother replied ‘He answered, but this time His answer was no.’ G-d hears our prayers always, but sometimes, like yesterday, his answer was, ‘it won’t be quite as you expected. You might lose some food and fun along the way. But instead you’ll be witness to incredible teamwork, great kindness, and awesome attitudes. And one thing is for sure, yesterday’s party was certainly unforgettable.”
36 UNDER 36 — A member of our extended Jewish community, 21-year-old Evan Traylor who graduated last month from the University of Kansas, was listed as one of The Jewish Week’s ninth annual 36 Under 36. From Manhattan to Myanmar, three dozen innovators were chosen who are reinventing the Jewish community as “Leading a Movement in Millennial Engagement.” Traylor grew up in Edmond, Oklahoma, was very active in his Reform congregation and NFTY, eventually serving as NFTY’s national president. He was the first teenager ever included on the Union for Reform Judaism board of directors and has been chosen to be the first person to fill a new high-level fellowship to strengthen the URJ’s engagement with millennials. Traylor will work alongside URJ President Rabbi Rick Jacobs and leaders of the Reform Movement to develop a toolkit for engaging millennials as partners in creating a more just, whole and compassionate world. Read more about Traylor and The Jewish Week’s 36 Under 36 at the jewishweek.com.
