The shelves at the JFS Food Pantry are almost bare. JFS needs the community’s help to re-stock them as soon as possible.

FILL THE SHELVES NOW — When I was a young religious school student, we used to bring cans of food for Sukkot.

Co-Chair Designate Beth Liss speaking at the Jewish Federations of North America National Young Leadership Retreat.

For Beth Liss, accepting the post of co-chair designate and, next year, co-chair of Jewish Federations of North America National Young Leadership Cabinet really came down to two facts. 

Photo by Brian Turner: Taking part in the check presentation ceremony for KC SuperStar winner Keith Klein (center) are Lori Blinn (from left) and Edward Rose, representing the family of Craig Citron, for which the $10,000 KC SuperStar scholarship has been named; Steve Akers of Wells Fargo Advisors and emcee Rob Riggle.

The audience chose Keith Klein, a graduate of Blue Valley Northwest High School now attending Eastman School of Music in New York as the 2014 KC SuperStar on Sunday night, Aug. 24. The American Idol-type singing competition is the

“American Jews and America’s Game: Voices of a Growing Legacy in Baseball” by Larry Ruttman (University of Nebraska Press 2013)

“For American Jews, baseball has been the tent of Abraham, offering many travelers entrance into both American life and Jewish self-identification.” Thus Larry Ruttman writes in his introduction to

World War II vet Maury Dubinsky was invited by the Kansas City Royals to sit in its ‘Seat of Honor’ on Wednesday, Aug. 13. The 91-year-old was a Navy pilot who flew Corsair planes. He still actively speaks to groups about his experiences. Three different times he was shown on the scoreboard — once sitting in his seat with his wife beside him; a group photo of him and some other Navy buddies during the war; and the photo above of Dubinsky when he was 19 wearing his uniform.

 

Photo by Nicholas Sawin/Unicorn Theatre: Cynthia Levin, the producing artistic director of Unicorn Theatre (second from right) stands with Unicorn supporters in front of the new sign for The Levin Stage at ‘A Toast to U: Owning Our Future’ on Sunday, Aug. 17, at the theater. The event celebrated the overwhelming generosity of the donors of the successfully completed Owning Our Future Campaign to buy the building. Levin was honored for her passion and dedication to the Unicorn with the official renaming of The Main Stage as The Levin Stage. Pictured with Levin are Cheryl Benge (from left), Gabrielle Capps, Diane Capps and Manon Halliburton.

 

Israel was represented at the 35th Annual Ethnic Enrichment Festival the weekend of Aug. 15-17. Israel Spirit Committee volunteer Ben Nachum tells us that the Israeli booth and the Egyptian booth were next to each other and shared a craft tent. ‘We made good friends and had a lot of fun. We took a picture together with Mayor Sly James’ (third from right).

Earlier this month Jason Barnett helped issue Israeli IDs to new immigrants who will be joining the IDF in three months.

Throughout Israel’s history, volunteers and supporters from all over the world have played an important role in the establishment and the survival of the Jewish state. That’s still true today with some of the most