While in college, the years can fly by so quickly and it is so easy to feel like one is living in a bubble. It is with this in mind that KU Chabad hosts an in depth tour of Jewish Kansas City each semester, with the goal of exposing the students to what it’s like being part of a Jewish community post college.
April is Volunteer Appreciation Month calling attention to those dedicated people who give of their time and talent. John Ball is one of 324 volunteers who donated 6,597 hours of their time to Jewish Family Services last year!
On May 2 at 7:00 p.m, The Coterie will feature nine short world-premiere readings by members of its Young Playwrights’ Roundtable. Tyler Johnson, junior at HBHA, will be one of the featured playwrights. The evening includes 50 minutes of fanfiction monologues inspired from sources such as Marvel, DC Comics, Harry Potter, and even Mary Poppins.
Hadassah Greater Kansas City and its Nurses Council will honor physicians, nurses, and allied health professionals affiliated with Hadassah who have taken care of COVID-19 patients at its 19th Annual Walk for Health on May 9 (Mother’s Day), 9:30-11:00 a.m. on Zoom.
One of the most popular, and well attended events of the year at The Temple, Congregation B’nai Jehudah, is Mitzvah Day, an annual gathering where hundreds of members volunteer in dozens of community projects. This year’s Mitzvah Day takes place May 2.
Yom HaShoah, followed by Yom HaZikaron and Yom HaAtzmaut are all important in the cycle of Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy’s school year.
Join Ohev Sholom Sisterhood at 1:00 p.m. on April 25, for a program with Margie Miller, immediate past president of the Women’s League for Conservative Judaism and stepmother to Ohev Sholom’s own Adam Miller. She will discuss the topic, “Coping with the Challenges of Life.”
The J will reopen the Heritage Center on May 3 following a more than year-long closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In-person fitness, art and educational classes will resume with limited numbers, a pre-registration requirement, plus face mask and social distancing procedures.
While things continue to slowly open up as COVID vaccinations increase, one thing that has not changed is the number of people fighting food insecurity — and that means Jewish Family Services food pantry is as busy as ever. The two locations of the pantry are serving more than 900 families and their pets, and the numbers continue to grow.
Get your forks out, everyone! B’nai Jehudah Sisterhood is offering New York-style, plain cheesecake, with optional strawberry topping or a flavored, variety pack of squares for purchase just in time for the festival of Shavuot.
On December 28, 2017, Martha Gershun read an article in The Chronicle about a woman who needed a kidney. Nine months later, she donated one of hers to Deb Porter Gill at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.
Virtual event with Edgar Mendez is scheduled for April 17
Edgar Mendez of Neiva, Colombia, is a Jew by choice, a former Catholic priest and at one time a high-ranking official in his diocese.
In May, Shira Wajcman and Dini Freed will be installed as co-presidents of Beth Shalom Sisterhood. Shira is currently Sisterhood president and will continue in that role for a second term as co-president with Dini Freed. Previously, Shira served in many positions on the Sisterhood board. She received the Sisterhood Past Presidents Leadership Recognition Award in 2019. Shira is a native of Kansas City. She was married to Michael Wajcman until his death in 2011 and has three children, Jeremiah, Samantha , and Eitan.
Why was this year’s Passover different from all other years?
According to the Pew Research Center, Passover is the most observed Jewish holiday in the United States, with some 70% of its Jewish population of 5.7 million usually participating in a Seder. This year, many restrictions remained in place, even as vaccination rates increased. The threat of infection remained real, and not everyone felt safe enough to venture out just yet.
KU Hillel just finished its second (and hopefully last) pandemic Passover. Passover was celebrated by so many students through various KU Hillel programs over the holiday’s eight days.