As part of the White House’s Building a Better America program, leaders from Kansas, Oklahoma and Missouri were invited to Washington, D.C., to discuss how the government and local leaders can partner to strengthen communities.
Jay Lewis, president and CEO of Jewish Federation of Greater Kansas City, joined about 60 other leaders on Feb. 22 including Mayor Curt Skoog of Overland Park, Kansas; Brian Herstig, president and CEO of Jewish Federation of St. Louis; and Rachel Johnson, executive director of Jewish Federation of Greater Oklahoma City. Legislators, elected officials, and nonprofit and communal leaders were among the others in attendance.
Officially titled “Communities in Action: Building a Better Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma,” the three-hour gathering involved local leaders meeting with policymakers and experts to discuss a variety of topics that affect the represented communities.
Topics such as climate change and the economy were discussed, but Lewis said that the most poignant meeting was with the co-directors of the White House’s Office of Gun Violence Prevention — the meeting was held one week after the deadly shooting at a parade in downtown Kansas City celebrating the Kansas City Chiefs’ Super Bowl victory.
Lewis said he was honored to represent Kansas City and the Jewish community at the White House and underscored the importance of meetings like these.
“Pirkei Avot teaches us, ‘do not separate yourself from your community,’” he said. “Throughout the centuries, it has been so important for the Jewish community to have a close relationship with government leaders.”
Leaders and attendees also met and discussed outside of the designated White House meeting. Lewis said that he and Mayor Skoog spent time together at the White House and at the airport discussing their roles in Overland Park.
“We discussed all things Overland Park, especially the safety and security of Jewish institutions,” Lewis said about his discussion with Mayor Skoog. “I thanked him for the response and partnership of the O.P. police department… It was a terrific opportunity to discuss all kinds of partnerships and explore ways the Jewish Federation and the city of Overland Park could work together moving forward.”
