The community came together for Jewish Heritage Night at The K on Wednesday, Aug. 7, celebrating Jewish heritage and enjoying a Royals win.
Bobby Witt Jr. hit two home runs, leading the Royals to a 8-4 win over the Boston Red Sox at Kauffman Stadium. More than 375 community members joined the festivities as part of a combined Jewish Federation and The J group.
Attendees received a custom jersey with “Royals” written in Hebrew. Nearly 1,000 Jewish Heritage Night tickets were sold overall.
“Jewish Heritage Night with the Royals was such a special night for our community,” said Jay Lewis, president and CEO of Federation. “It meant so much that the Royals did it, and it was a great opportunity for so many in our community to come together for a fun night at Kauffman Stadium to celebrate the Kansas City Jewish community, a Royals win, and two Bobby Witt Jr. home runs.”
The evening kicked off with a pre-game tailgate hosted by Jewish Federation and The J, with approximately 225 guests in attendance. Kim Matsil of Kim’s Kreations catered the event, and guests ate chicken shawarma and falafel.
Prior to the game, multiple community members were honored. Danielle and Sam Levine, Beth Liss, Lynne Melcher and Barry Kaseff were recognized on the field before the game, and Sam Levine threw out the honorary first pitch to Neil Miller. Jeff and Lisa Stolper’s son, Bo, was the Royals’ “Play Ball” kid. Additionally, 2023 KC SuperStar winner Brett Oplotnik sang the national anthem.
“It was so special to see our Jewish community get together for a night of fun at Kauffman Stadium,” said Jim Sluyter, president and CEO of The J. “On top of enjoying a Royals win, we had a fantastic opportunity to recognize and honor individuals who have made a deep impact on our community.”
“The tailgate and attendance for Jewish Heritage Night at The K is something we should truly feel proud of as a community,” said Megan Pener, manager of Jewish Experiences, a collaboration of Jewish Federation and The J. “It was wonderful to see so many people wearing their Hebrew Royals jerseys, all in large groups and being proud of our heritage.”
