Captain Dana Hall

By Meryl Feld / Editor

The world is at war with an invisible foe. Those on the front lines, medical professionals and public health experts, are risking their lives around the world to help those infected with COVID-19 and to protect those that are not. They are determined and dedicated to saving lives, exhibiting remarkable selflessness and bravery.

Paula Shoyer

By Meryl Feld / Editor

 

 Passover will look different this year for our community. We will not be gathering how we traditionally do. We won’t be welcoming guests. Many will be hosting seder for the first time. We may cook less or more food than past Passovers. Some have never experienced Passover in their own homes.

Kim Matsil preparing food for those in need (Aleck Bratt)

“I don’t know if this is that big of a deal – I am just doing what I love to do – feed people,” Kim Matsil told The Chronicle. She has been preparing free kosher-style food for those in need.

Melissa Berger wrote on Facebook, “Are you worried about your grandma who lives eight states away going to the grocery store? I know I am. If I could, I would make every trip to the store for her myself right now. But luckily, I know from years of playing Jewish Geography, someone out there lives by my grandma, and maybe I live near yours.”

By Gilad Katz / Guest Columnist 

Passover – חספ , is one of the most sacred holidays for the Jewish people, a holy day where we come together to celebrate our national liberty and freedom. As we continue to face the coronavirus crisis as a community, we all have had to make difficult adjustments, this includes even the way we observe Passover. During this time where we celebrate our ancestor’s liberation from slavery in Egypt, it is customary for Jewish families to gather around the Seder table, read from the Haggadah, remember our exodus from Egypt, and to reflect on the transformation that the Israelites have undergone since our emancipation. This year, Jewish families around the world are displaying their ingenuity by recreating what we know as a “traditional” Passover seder. From video conferences to intimate gatherings with one’s nuclear family, Jewish communities around the world are showing yet again, our ability to persevere through challenging times.

By Chronicle Staff 

The controversy between Village Shalom and a resident regarding the senior living community’s decision to involuntarily discharge him is continuing. A hearing that was set to take place March 13 before a Kansas administrative law judge was expected to resolve the issue. However, an official ruling was never made as Village Shalom withdrew their request for the involuntary discharge. Village Shalom plans to refile the involuntary discharge, with additional evidence, with the State of Kansas sometime in the next couple of weeks, according to Village Shalom President and CEO Matt Lewis.

We are sorry to hear that many Class of 2020 celebrations and lasts have been cancelled. The Chronicle wants to help you celebrate by recognizing members of the Class of 2020 in our May 14 issue. Are you proud of a high school or college senior in your family? Send us your photos of your children, grandchildren, niece or nephew. These seniors do not have to live in the Kansas City area, but need to have a connection to KC. That means that even if your loved one lives in Israel, Florida, here in the greater Kansas City area, or Any Town USA, we’ll feature the photo.

Due to the short window of time there is to provide the option of having prepared Passover meals to go available for the community this year, and in order to eliminate printing and mailing of order forms, the Rabbinical Association is going to an online only ordering system this year.