The Jewish community welcomed Mika Kislanski, Kansas City’s new shalicha (Israeli emissary), last month. The Community Shalicha program is operated by the Jewish Agency for Israel (JAFI).
Kislanski joins the Jewish Experiences team, a collaboration of Jewish Federation and The J. During her time in the Kansas City Jewish community, Kislanski will work closely with many other organizations, including KU Hillel, Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy (HBHA), area congregations, the Israeli community and more.
With the ongoing Israel-Hamas War and all the misinformation and disinformation being distributed, the role of shalicha is more important than ever.
Kislanski, 22, recently completed her mandatory service in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), where she built relationships and coordinated projects between Israel and several foreign countries. Currently, she is not being called back to the IDF.
“I have been in contact with my unit, and for the moment, I am not being called back,” she said. “We don’t know what will happen, we don’t know what it’ll look like, but if I’m needed [in Israel], that’s where I’ll be.”
Despite the shadow of the war, Kislanski’s focus as shalicha is to help people understand that Israel is a multifaceted, multicultural and deeply diverse country.
“I want people to know that Israel is more than just government and legislators, and that there are people who care deeply about what happens here and abroad,” she said. “There are many faces and facets to Israel – there’s a lot to learn about, and there is more than what may be seen in the news headlines.”
Prior to her service in the IDF, Kislanski participated in a gap year program in Jaffa, Israel, during which she and her peers balanced studying and community outreach. Kislanski worked as a counselor for 5th graders in a community of asylum seekers until COVID compromised the program. Ultimately, she and her peers returned, fundraising $5,000 over the course of a few days in order to purchase food to cook and distribute to those in need.
“I love community work,” Kislanski said. “It’s something that drives me and something that I believe in.”
The opportunity to touch many different groups was one of the things that initially drew Kislanski to the Kansas City Jewish community.
“I think what drew me here was the diversity of the work,” she said. “Just being able to come to a community where I’d be able to be in such diverse places and see different viewpoints and perspectives and do different things.”
Kislanski is the second shalicha in Kansas City post-COVID (succeeding Noa Dovrat), and Ethan Helfand, director of Jewish Experiences, appreciates the impact that having an Israeli emissary makes on the community.
“It’s important to note that she’ll be engaging well over a thousand people in our community, which is an incredible feat,” Helfand said. “The best part of this program is that you see people realize they have a connection [to Israel]... This program helps bring that connection to life.”
Kislanski’s placement in Kansas City as the community shalicha was not her first experience with the JAFI program, and this will not be her first time living within a Jewish community abroad. When she was younger, her mother was a shalicha in New York for four years. When applying for and interviewing within the program, she found a natural fit here due to the opportunities available, especially within the educational space.
“I love educational work,” she said. “It’s something that I’ve done for years. I also think I have a lot to learn from this community. I have a lot I want to do and see and figure out while I’m here.”
Through relationships with community organizations ranging from synagogues to schools to youth groups to Federation, Kislanski will be touching the lives of many within the community.
“We are so excited to have Mika join the Kansas City Jewish community,” said Jay Lewis, president and CEO of Jewish Federation of Greater Kansas City. “The Community Shalicha program is so important to help our community learn more about the beauty, history and complexity of Israeli life and adds so much to our city and our Jewish community. I am confident Mika will build on the success of her predecessors in bringing Israel closer to home for Kansas Citians.”
In addition to her responsibilities within her role as shalicha, Kislanski hopes to have the opportunity to travel and enjoy some of her hobbies, which include theater, embroidery and reading. She aims to take advantage of her time specifically in Kansas City.
“I really do want to immerse myself in the community, and I want to learn a lot from being here and taking an active role,” she said. “I want to be here as Mika and not just a shalicha.”
