The Jewish Community Center of Greater Kansas City announced that Samantha Hammontree has joined the organization as its chief operating officer. She succeeds Gayle Levin, who recently retired and moved to Arizona.
“I am so excited and happy to be part of The J,” Hammontree said. “When I think about my passion, it is to lead, learn and connect with others so I can make a difference in my community. The J affords me that opportunity.”
World War II medic Bill Pollard witnessed the horrors of the concentration camps as a liberator. As a civilian, he became friends with Holocaust survivors living in his neighborhood. Now, at age 96, his mission is to make sure the Holocaust is not forgotten.
Earlier this year, the Military and Remembrance Library at the Missouri Veterans Home in Cameron, Missouri, was dedicated. It is filled with books about World War II and the Holocaust.
WELCOME HOME — The Temple, Congregation B’nai Jehudah opens its doors at 5 p.m. Friday, Nov. 15, for the first time since the renovation began. All are welcome to take in the physical changes before joining the congregation for a Bisseleh Nosh at 5:30 p.m., followed by the Erev Shabbat service at 6 p.m. The congregation will host an open house from 5 to 7 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 17, with tours, light nosh and a brief program, which will include insights from the architects who created the new space, as well as an opportunity to say thank you to vendors, volunteers, community members and donors who made this transformation possible. All members of the community are welcome at both events.
SUNIE LEVIN’S NEWEST BOOK — Sunie Levin, M.Ed., has just published her latest self-help book, “Senior Orphans: Survival Skills.” It is the fifth book of which she is the author, all of them dealing with the various problems senior citizens face as they cope with what she characterizes as their badly misnamed “golden years.” Levin has been called “the guru of grandparenting” by The Kansas City Star, has been on radio and national television, has lectured on cruise ships and has had her own syndicated national column.
Levin is now age 88 and resides in the Village Shalom retirement community. While living there she learned firsthand the problems encountered by senior orphans having to cope with the problems of living alone. A senior orphan is almost any senior living alone, and most especially one who has no support system — no family in town to help, she explained. Her book is filled with hundreds of well-researched, useful techniques seniors can use to help themselves. The main thrust of her ideas is “seniors who stop kvetching and use chutzpah can of their own volition make their lives more enjoyable,” she said.
The book is available via Amazon and Kindle. Her other books may be found at makenewfriendslivelonger.com.
POWERFUL KANSAS CITIANS — Last week, 435 Magazine came out with its “50 most powerful people in Kansas City” list, and several members of the Jewish community are profiled, including philanthropist Shirley Helzberg, veterans advocate Jacob Kander (who is featured on page 1 in this issue), Block Real Estate’s Ken Block and AMC Theatre CEO Adam Aron. Check out the entire list at 435mag.com.
Although Kansas City isn’t Tal Shabo’s home, the warm reception he’s received since arriving here in September has made it feel that way.
“All the people I’ve met are so nice and kind, and have welcomed me with open arms,” he said.
Shabo, 23, was born and raised in Givat Zeev, a suburb of Jerusalem. He is the newest Israel Emissary for Jewish Federation of Greater Kansas City. Each year or two, a young adult from Israel rotates into the position, which is staffed at Jewish Federation to operate an outreach program dedicated to promoting and strengthening the community’s connection to Israel.
“I love working in education and teaching about Israel; that is my passion,” Shabo said. “I have a lot of knowledge about Israel that I would love to share with the community.”
The emissary (or shaliach) develops and implements Israel-related activities and events for all age groups, working with synagogues, preschools, religious schools, youth groups and other organizations.
“Having someone who is dedicated to bringing Israel to Kansas City is so important, because it adds to the diversity of our Jewish community and fosters a better understanding of Israel,” said Dr. Helene Lotman, Jewish Federation president and CEO. “We are very happy to have Tal here to share his love for Israel and his experiences with us.”
Although Shabo has been in Kansas City for just over a month, he’s wasted no time immersing himself in the community. He’s already delivered food for JFS, taught HBHA students about Zionism, led after-school programming at The J and visited with KU Hillel and the Greater Kansas City Chapter of Hadassah.
He’s also planning his first official event as shaliach — a tribute to Yitzhak Rabin, Israel’s fifth prime minister. Shabo said honoring Rabin, who was assassinated in 1995, was important to him because of how much Rabin still means to his country.
“His character is very connected with the Israeli identity. Israel as it is today is heavily influenced by Yitzhak Rabin,” he said. “This is my first event here in Kansas City, and I think it’s a great example of bringing Israel to the community.”
Shabo will host the tribute to Rabin from 10 to 11:30 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 10, in the MAC Room at the JCC. The event will include a presentation on Rabin’s political career, discussion on current events in Israel and a chance for attendees to share their personal memories of Rabin. The event is free, but attendees are asked to RSVP at jewishkansascity.org/yitzhak.
Parents, want to learn something that will matter in 100 years? Attend Barbara C. Unell’s “Discipline with Love and Limits presentation Nov. 14 at the Jewish Community Campus.
Unell, a parent-educator and journalist, has coauthored more than a dozen books on parenting. She has partnered with child psychologist Jerry L. Wycoff, Ph.D., on five of those books. Their latest, “Discipline with Love and Limits: Practical Solutions to Over 100 Common Childhood Behavior Problems,” will be the basis of Unell’s presentation. This book has already sold more than 1 million copies, and the parenting tips Unell will present, she said, will definitely still matter in 100 years.
Recent studies indicate that up to 80,000 Holocaust survivors are living today in the United States — and more than 30,000 are living at or near the federal poverty level. The support these survivors receive does not allow them to afford what they need in order to live a dignified life. Many are choosing between heat or food, medicine or rent. Others have dire living conditions because they do not have the funds needed to repair their homes.
STAENBERG ADDS MATCHING GIFT — Earlier this month the Jewish Community Center (The J) informed its members in an e-blast that “Capital Campaign Visionary Michael Staenberg has added a $600,000 matching gift to his previous challenge.” With this addition Staenberg has increased his pledge for the The J’s upcoming expansion to a total of approximately $3.7 million — $100,000 to spruce up the Fitness and Sports area, $600,000 for renovations to the Theatre Galleria and the main Jewish Community Campus lobby, and another $3 million toward the renovations and additions to the Fitness area, which will be called the Staenberg Family Recreation Complex. Construction on the complex is expected to begin soon.
BROADWAY DELI CLOSES — According to an article in the Kansas City Star last week, Broadway Deli closed Oct. 26. The Chronicle featured the deli soon after it opened in June 2018. It was not kosher, but featured such Jewish faves as matzah ball soup, potato latkes, kugel and sandwiches piled high with corned beef and pastrami. Owner Bill Fromm was quoted in the Star as saying the restaurant was never profitable. A Facebook post on Monday said, “We have very much enjoyed our friends and deli family and all the new relationships and friends we have made through this time that we have been open. Everyone will be sorely missed. We thank you for your patronage.”
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS — Thanks to the support of Congresswoman Sharice Davids’ office, the Jewish War Veterans MO-KAN Post 605 book, “For Those Who Served Our Country: A Tribute to Greater Kansas City’s Jewish Veterans,” is now in the Library of Congress with the control number 2019396604. The book includes historical information about Kansas City and its Jewish community, the military history of our country and the names of almost 5,000 veterans who have served or who are currently serving. It was spearheaded by Roslyn Braeman Payne with the support of the Jewish Community Foundation. The book may be purchased by going to the foundation’s website, jcfkc.org.
JEWISH THEMED COMEDY NOW AT MTH THEATRE — The comedy hit “My Mother’s Italian, My Father’s Jewish & I’m in Therapy!” featuring actor/comedian Peter J. Fogel, opened at MTH Theater at Crown Center earlier this week. It runs through Nov. 24.
We’re told, with “one part lasagna, one part kreplach, and two parts Prozac, you don’t have to be Jewish or Italian to appreciate this show. All you need to know is what it feels like to leave a family dinner with heartburn and a headache!”
Using various dialects and wacky sound effects Fogel introduces the audience to “a myriad of astounding characters we know, love and tolerate from our own families.”
Written by award-winning author Steve Solomon, this comedy is based on his life growing up in a wacky family noted for its bi-ethnic diversity and aptitude for dysfunctional behavior, along with all the people in his life whose sole purpose was to drive him into therapy … and they succeeded!
Performances are on Wednesdays at 7 p.m., Thursdays at 2 and 7 p.m., Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m., and Sundays at 2 p.m.
For ticket information, call 816-221-6987.
One person can to make a difference. Just ask Allison Kort, a local attorney who is volunteering as part of the Dilley Pro Bono Project (DPBP). DPBP volunteers provide free legal services for the immigrant mothers and children detained at the 2,400-bed South Texas Family Residential Center in Dilley, Texas. That’s the largest detention center for women and children in the U.S. The vast majority of families detained there are fleeing extreme violence in Central America and elsewhere and are seeking asylum in the United States.
Coming back to Kansas City to help celebrate the 25th anniversary of Melton classes here is Rabbi Amy Wallk Katz, former Congregation Beth Shalom clergy and director of the Department of Adult Jewish Learning for the Jewish Federation of Greater Kansas City.
Rabbi Katz is excited about coming to Kansas City, which she said holds a special place in her heart.
Civil rights, gospel music, racism, Jewish roots and generational upheaval — it’s all coming to the stage at the Spinning Tree Theatre with the production of “Caroline, Or Change.”
The musical story, set in 1963 Louisiana, chronicles a maid named Caroline and the relationship she fosters with an 8-year-old boy named Noah while working in the basement of the Gellman home. The show takes on the era of the Civil Rights Movement and what it meant for these characters from different cultural backgrounds as the Gellman family is Jewish and Caroline is black.
