Strangers No More is celebrating its 10th year highlighting the similarities between Judaism and Christianity to build bridges between the two communities.
It held its first program in May of 2014, following the shootings at the Jewish Community Campus and Village Shalom.
Originally planned as a one-time program, the session left the women who attended eager for more such programs. Ten years later, the group ended its programming season with a dinner and a program in Gezer Park in Leawood, Kansas.
The anniversary celebration at Gezer Park included dinner and culminated at the bench donated by Strangers No More and other friends of Nancy Brown, one of the program’s founders. Brown’s favorite psalm and prayer were read and sung to commemorate the organization’s milestone.
Programs held over the years have included a speaker on lynching, a visit to the mikvah, Christian and Jewish holiday celebrations, talks on forgiveness, attendance at Jewish and Christian worship services and more. Community service projects are held once a year and have included collecting birthday party supplies for Jewish Family Services, books for Operation Breakthrough and Della Lamb Community Services, items for pregnant women in prison and personal hygiene products for women in shelters.
Convenors Betse Gage, Linda Hall, Judy Hellman, Sharon Ritter and Marcia Rittmaster have planned programs for the fall season which begins on Sept. 9. Programs will include a speaker from American Public Square and a study of some of the parables from a book by Dr. Amy Jill Levine, “Short Stories by Jesus.” The group has studied and heard from Levine over the years and have found her “informative, educational and entertaining.” She is back by popular demand to talk about her book, which provides an unusual look at the parables as stories presented by a Jewish rabbi to fellow Jews. A purely social event will also be included.
Meetings are held twice a month; on Monday evenings over Zoom and on Thursday during the day in the community room of the Westbrooke Church (9777 Antioch Rd, Overland Park, KS 66212). There is no fee to join.
The group is open to all women of any religion or no religion. Those interested in joining can go to the Facebook page “Strangers No More; Women Building Bridges to Understanding” and request to become a member. More information is available by emailing .
For all ten years, Strangers No More has been co-sponsored by the Jewish Community Relations Bureau|American Jewish Committee and United Women in Faith of the United Methodist Church of the Resurrection.
