Kansas City native Ethan Helfand was announced as the new director of Jewish Experiences, a collaboration of Jewish Federation and The J, and joined the team in October.
Helfand, who graduated with a Master of Arts in Judaic Studies at Brandeis University and with a Bachelor of Arts of Judaic Studies and Philosophy from The George Washington University, has focused his efforts in Jewish community programming and organizational and leadership development.
He was most recently the associate director of programs and leadership at Jewish Life at Duke, the Hillel at Duke University and was the regional teen engagement director of EMTZA Region USY with the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism.
The Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy graduate sat down and shared a bit more about himself, including which side he’s on in the age-old debate, latkes or hamantaschen.
What does it mean to you to return to Kansas City and The J in this role?
In so many ways, it’s returning to my childhood home. Having grown up in the building, it’s amazing to come back and see the growth that’s happened here in over the last 15 plus years since I’ve been a full time Kansas Citian.
What are you most excited about in your new role?
A lot, actually. Our community has grown so much, and I still think we have a lot of space for innovation, change, and growth. I’m excited to get to ask a lot of different people some big questions. I’ve been thinking a lot about how we might make The J a place where we can hold space for conversations about big ideas and the difficult questions facing us.
I’m also excited to have the opportunity to really think about what it means to expand our reach beyond our building. How might we reach those Jews in KC who don’t think there is a place for them under our tent? How can we extend the tent to be truly welcoming of marginalized communities within our own: interfaith families, the LGBTQIA+ community, our local Israeli community, Jews of Color, and others. How can we create a community where no one ever thinks about the idea that someone is “not Jewish enough” to be welcome. There is real power and opportunity in taking the time to understand the full breadth and depth of the Jewish Community in Kansas City and make everyone feel welcome in our community, both at The J and far beyond our walls.
What is one thing about yourself that you’d like to tell readers?
I don’t think we should think about being involved Jewishly the way we think about riding a rollercoaster, where there is a sign that says “you need to be this tall to ride the coaster.” We should never, ever say “you need to be this Jewish to be involved!” I want folks to know that I’m interested in having an open and active conversation about what it means to be involved in our Jewish community.
Have an idea for a program or an organization or an audience we should be engaging? I want you to reach out to me and say, “Hey! Let’s have coffee and talk about what it means to be Jewish in Kansas City!” I want to engage in those conversations. And maybe we have ice cream or a Diet Coke? I don’t drink coffee.
What is your favorite word or phrase in Hebrew?
Two words come to mind. Kumzits – okay technically it’s Yiddish but it’s fun to say. It’s the combination of the words kum (come) and zits (sit) and most typically is used to describe gathering in a circle around a fire and sharing songs and Torah with your community. The other one is – balagan – it conveys a sense of craziness, of messiness. And yet, for me, I like to think of it in terms of disruption in a positive sense. What might it look like to create a balagan, to intentionally disrupt things?
If you had access to a billboard that millions of people could see, what message would you share on it?
‘Do good things.’ It’s actually a sign that hangs on the wall in my office.
What are you most proud of in your career so far?
My proudest moments, undoubtedly, are when I see my former students, campers, and program participants, all the amazing folks I’ve had the privilege of working with and learning from over the past decade, seeing them become leaders in their respective Jewish communities. When I get that random text or call to say, “hey, I used that thing we talked about one time,” it’s a real moment of validation for the work that I’ve done.
Your background is in Judaic Studies – if you could meet one person from throughout Jewish history, who would it be and why?
Just one? There’s a tradition on Sukkot of welcoming ‘ushpizin’ (Aramaic for guests), those who are lost and wandering and in need of a place to feel welcomed, and we invite them into our sukkah. We want to fill our temporary home with these wonderful spirits and voices. When I think of who my ushpizin would be, I think of those in our history who have always felt maybe a little lost or misunderstood, like my literary idols Philip Roth, Kurt Vonnegut, Isaac Bashevis Singer, and Grace Paley. I think of my grandparents, who were all active leaders in our Kansas City Jewish community but who passed when I was younger. I think of my favorite Talmudic characters, Rabbi Elisha ben Abuya, and the ever-feuding Hillel and Shammai. My teachers and mentors like Rabbi Max Ticktin and writer Faye Moskowitz. And, Anthony Bourdain. I want to be witness to their conversations and interactions at my Sukkah, or at my Shabbat table every week.
What’s your favorite place to be?
A baseball game. I’m still holding out hope I’ll be a professional baseball player when I grow up. Or a kitchen. I actually used to cook professionally.
What Jewish teaching or lesson do you try to embody most in your day-to-day life?
Wow, there are a lot that come to mind. Two that I think about frequently: aizeh hu ashir? Ha’sameach b’chelko, meaning “who is rich? One who is happy with his lot.” The other is avodah b’lev zo teffilah, meaning “work of the heart is prayer.”
What is one of your earliest Jewish memories?
Maybe not the earliest, but one of the proudest was when the Israeli flag was finally hung at HBHA and The J. The entire HBHA was dancing and singing and celebrating the fact that we felt proud to hang that flag. Even now more than 30 years later, I recognize that Israel is a complicated topic, but I want people to know that The J is a place where we can have an open discussion about it.
What is the book that you gift most often?
“The Little Prince” by Antione de Saint-Exupéry. I first studied it in Hebrew translation at HBHA with Edna Meltzer (who is still the Hebrew teacher there). It’s a book about never forgetting the importance of your imagination and letting your imagination guide you.
Latkes or Hamentashen?
Finally, an easy question! I’m solidly team latke (and team sour cream). And I believe the only way that we as a community can understand why I am right is by potentially having the very first J latke/hamantaschen debate. Stay tuned for details!
