For the first time in Olathe’s 168-year history, the city has a resident rabbi. Rabbi Mendel Wenger and his wife, Sheina, arrived in late November on a mission to build a Jewish communal network in a city where no synagogue or Jewish institution previously existed.
The couple are part of the global Chabad movement, which places emissaries — known as shluchim — in communities around the world (including Kansas City, Overland Park and Leawood) to strengthen Jewish identity and engagement. Chabad welcomes Jews from all walks of life and backgrounds, a seemingly ideal fit for Olathe’s diverse, growing community of some 1,200 Jews, Rabbi Wenger said.
“We really enjoy the people and the vibe here in Olathe,” said the 26-year-old native of Montreal, Canada. Rabbi Wenger studied Torah and Jewish theology in Israel as well as in Baltimore, Maryland, and, most recently, Chabad’s home base of Brooklyn, New York.
Roughly three months since moving from Brooklyn, the Wengers have personally met with around 70 of Olathe’s Jews to hear about their lives and needs, learn about their connections to Judaism and provide them with a welcoming space to gather. Their work has taken on added significance in the wake of Hamas’ Oct. 7 attacks on Israel, which set off a troubling wave of antisemitism plaguing Jewish communities worldwide.
The Wengers are currently using their two-story home as a base for outreach work, transforming parts of the property into spaces for gatherings, study sessions and Shabbat dinners. They plan to rent a standalone property in the near future with an eye toward establishing a larger, dedicated Chabad center to serve as a synagogue, educational hub and communal meeting place.
A gathering space in the Wengers' home.
“The goal is to grow as the city grows,” said Rabbi Wenger, who with his wife has two daughters, aged two years old and six months. “We saw an opportunity to create something meaningful for Jews in Olathe, where they wouldn’t have to travel to Overland Park or other parts of Greater Kansas City to engage with their Jewish identity… There’s a lot of Jewish potential here, and we want to help unleash it.”
The Wengers’ early success in community outreach is, in part, a tribute to Sheina Wenger’s challah. The rebbetzin recently baked five to 10 challahs a week for the couple to deliver to local homes.
Challah baked by Sheina Wenger for Chabad of Olathe outreach.
“We used it as an opportunity to introduce ourselves and hear from people about what they wanted to see in their Jewish community,” Rabbi Wenger said.
Sheina Wenger, a Brooklyn native who has a background in early childhood education, said she believes children are the future of the Jewish people.
“The values, traditions and warmth we instill in them today will shape the Jewish homes of tomorrow,” the 27-year-old said. “I also believe that the key to people’s souls is through good Jewish food — there is nothing like the aroma of freshly baked challah or a simmering pot of chicken soup to bring hearts together.”
Hosting a Shabbat meal is one of the rebbetzin’s greatest joys, she said, allowing her to “share the beauty of Jewish life in the most tangible way.”
“To me, the center of Judaism is not just the synagogue, but the home — where mitzvot are lived, songs are sung and Jewish identity is nurtured with love. My passion is to share this warmth with others, inspiring them to create their own vibrant Jewish homes filled with light, joy and connection,” she said.
While still in its early stages, the Wengers’ work has already made an impact. Some local Jews, who had not been actively involved in Jewish life for years, have reached out to learn more.
“We want to meet people at whatever level they’re at and help them get more comfortable with their Jewish identity,” Rabbi Wenger said. “We want them to feel like they have a Jewish community in their city and serve them however we can.”
Olathe has long been home to Jewish families, but they’ve lacked a dedicated space for prayer, education, cultural and community events. Until now, those seeking services or Jewish programs had to drive to Overland Park, Leawood or Kansas City — far enough to deter some Olathe Jews from driving in for services and events.
The Wengers are slowly changing that dynamic with weekly “Wine and Wisdom” Torah study sessions, where they serve cheese and wine; a new Olathe Jewish Kids Club, which helps children connect with Jewish life and holidays; and a festive Hanukkah bash, along with other Jewish holiday parties. More activities, events and gatherings are planned as the Wengers learn more about the needs and interests of Olathe’s Jews.
“We’re just getting started,” Rabbi Wenger said.
The couple’s interest in Olathe — Kansas’ fourth largest city — began with an initial visit to the Sunflower State three years ago. The Wengers traveled from Brooklyn to spend time with their close friends in Kansas: Mushka and Avremi Baron of Overland Park, the daughter and son-in-law of Chabad of Overland Park and Leawood Director Rabbi Mendy Wineberg.
The Wengers enjoyed Kansas so much they took several trips back, visiting Olathe’s parks, neighborhoods and a city library branch in 2024. Rabbi Wineberg had spoken glowingly to them of Olathe and the potential he saw in its growing Jewish community.
“We felt that there was a need, and we felt that the numbers would be there to match,” said Rabbi Wineberg, who has seen more Olathe residents signing up for Chabad programs. “I was looking for someone to start up in Olathe, and I thought they would be a very good fit. So far they have proven me right.”
As the first rabbi dedicated to serving the Jews of Olathe, Rabbi Wenger is now part of Kansas Jewish history — a saga that began when the first Jewish settlers arrived in the territory in the mid-1800s.
The 2021 Kansas City Jewish Community Study estimated that Greater Kansas City is home to 22,100 Jews living in 12,600 households, two thirds of them in Kansas.
Like Chabad adherents across the globe, the Wengers follow the example of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Schneerson (z”l), who stressed the importance of outreach to unaffiliated Jews and taught the importance of loving the Jewish soul in every Jew. The Rebbe grew Chabad-Lubavitch into the largest Jewish organization in the world, inspiring thousands of emissary families to relocate for Jewish outreach in more than 100 counties and all 50 U.S. states.
Rabbi Wenger, who’s made extensive study of the Rebbe’s writings and public talks, said it’s the love taught by the Rebbe that drives his and the rebbetzin’s work.
“It’s through him that we developed a great passion for Jewish continuity and true love for every Jew,” he said. “We’ve turned that love into dedicating our lives to the Jews of Olathe.”
More information about Chabad of Olathe is available at Jewisholathe.org.
