For many, school is a stepping stone. For some, it’s a place to return home. At Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy (HBHA), four alumni have found their way back — this time as teachers and mentors. Three new teachers join the faculty, and one longtime teacher is celebrating 12 years in the classroom, marking 24 years at HBHA as both a student and educator. 

The City of Leawood, Kansas, and the Leawood Arts Council hosted a dedication event for “Reaching,” a public art piece created by Jewish artist William Nemitoff. Nemitoff, a native of Leawood, is the son of Leslie and Rabbi Arthur P. Nemitoff, rabbi emeritus of The Temple, Congregation B’nai Jehudah.

For weeks after the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks in Israel, Neta Meltzer of Overland Park, Kansas, struggled to sleep, eat and cope with the images flashing across her TV: Footage of young Jews massacred at a music festival, bloodied rape victims being carried off by Hamas terrorists, and photos of once-joyful families who’d been murdered in their homes.