By Carol Katzman

Special to The Chronicle

It’s no coincidence that Purim Gala honors those who epitomize a devotion to the Jewish community and Israel, as shown by Mordechai in the Scroll of Esther — which says that he “...sought the good of his people and was concerned for the welfare of all …” After all, it was Mordechai and Esther who thwarted the threat to the very existence of the Jews in ancient Persia.

Today, those threats are in the form of Iran’s nuclear ambitions and its eerily similar pronouncements to wipe Israel off the map. Add that to the instability surrounding Israel — civil war in Syria, 500,000-plus Syrian refugees undermining Jordan, missiles from Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon, and the continuing clash between Egypt’s army and Muslim Brotherhood.

So who better to highlight the importance of support for the state of Israel than Bonnie and Matthew Siegel at the Sunday, March 9, Purim Gala. It’s that “Mordechai moment” that drives them.

Since arriving here in 1986, the Siegels have immersed themselves in Jewish life. Though Matthew has been an AIPAC supporter since the 1990s, their role became focused in 2008 when their daughter left for college. They reached out to friend and KC AIPAC founder Larry Nussbaum for information about AIPAC on college campuses.

“Not only do our kids need information to defend Israel against delegitimization,” Bonnie explained, “but adults need that as well. AIPAC is one of the only organizations focused on Americans understanding that an anti-Israel campaign is also anti-Jewish.” 

Bonnie chaired the first several AIPAC Israel Forums, which have become annual events drawing close to 500 each year. The forum’s goal is to educate members of the community — Jews and non-Jews, Democrats, Republicans and Independents — about the value of Israel as America’s staunchest ally and to strengthen that relationship by lobbying members of Congress during AIPAC’s annual Policy Conference.

“The Siegels and AIPAC ask you to support Israel, realizing these are perilous times for the only democracy in the Middle East,” said longtime advocate Kathi Rosenberg, who serves on the AIPAC National Council with Bonnie. “Now, more than ever, Israel needs our understanding, our help and our support.”

Rosenberg added, “Regardless of where your politics lie or which organizations you support, we know that the more we educate people about Israel, its democratic institutions and its valuable contributions to the world, the more secure Israel will be.”

“When the Siegels joined the KC Chapter of AIPAC, I thought we were doing well, especially for a community this size, and that we had reached out to everyone who could help,” said Jeff Horen, another longtime activist. “But Bonnie and Matt saw more potential. They underscored advantages we had, such as an unusually large proximity to very friendly members of Congress. They dramatized how much more we could do to help Israel at this critical time.”

Rob and Miriam Glueck have been AIPAC activists for more than a decade. “About five years ago, the Siegels invited us to dinner and wanted to know why we commit to AIPAC,” Miriam explained. “While many organizations contribute significantly to the Jewish people, when it comes to Israel’s safety and security, we believe no organization is more vital and more effective than AIPAC. And the Siegel’s passionate and effective leadership has dramatically contributed to AIPAC’s growth here.”

Brad Fahlgren, AIPAC Midwest area director, added, “K.C. is one of AIPAC’s strongest cities, pound for pound.” Not only does this community consistently send 80-plus people to the annual AIPAC Policy Conference (starting Sunday in Washington, D.C.) but it also has set the bar in fundraising for the bi-partisan, pro-Israel organization in similar size cities.

Horen added, “A lot of this has happened because Bonnie and Matt think big. They are willing to reach out to anyone. They relentlessly push for more, and make me feel truly valued and appreciated. As a result, Kansas City’s Jewish community is helping to protect the modern state of Israel. I cannot think of a better way to change history!” 

And to recognize the Siegels for their Mordechai moment.

Tickets and tribute opportunities are still available for the annual fundraising event, sponsored by Congregation Beth Israel Abraham & Voliner, the only modern Orthodox synagogue in Greater Kansas City. Purim Gala begins at 5 p.m. with a silent auction and cocktails at 28 Event Space, 1300 W. 28 St., followed by dinner and entertainment. For information, contact Barry Rubin at BIAV: 913-341-2444 or .

BETH SHALOM UPDATE — The Kansas City Star reported this week that Burns & McDonnell wants to tear down Congregation Beth Shalom synagogue’s former building at 9400 Wornall Road, and build a $130 million office addition next to its world headquarters at 9400 Ward Parkway.

Beth Shalom sold the Wornall property to VanTrust Real Estate LLC on July 8, 2013. At the time Congregation President Michael Abrams said the purchase price was more than $2.3 million.

When the sale was completed, it wasn’t clear what VanTrust planned to do with the property, but Beth Shalom officials were told the building would be demolished. 

The project is contingent upon receipt of all necessary governmental approvals, incentives and entitlements and a final determination of financial feasibility by both Burns & McDonnell and VanTrust. 

THE NEXT TIGER WOODS? — Four-year-old Eli Cowsert, the son of The Temple, Congregation B’nai Jehudah members Cara and Wes Cowsert, likes to hit golf balls, so his father took a video of him doing just that. Next thing you know former Kansas Citian and KSHB sportster Justin Unell saw the video on Facebook and now Eli’s famous! Unell, who now works for the Golf Channel, saw its potential, and the video, along with tips for children who want to play golf, aired Monday night. When local channels learned about Eli’s shot on the Golf Channel, they featured him too, first on Fox 4 and then KSHB’s “KC Live.” As Eli, who starts kindergarten next fall, said on Fox 4, he simply “loves golf.” You can see the Fox 4 story at http://fox4kc.com/2014/02/21/young-golfers-impressive-swing-catches-the-attention-of-the-golf-channel/. His appearance on “KC Live” can be seen at http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=c4-overview&list=UUbsDxIx4FVqccaEKyVxeQvw&v=m5TP-30BKZA&app=desktop. At press time links weren’t available for the Golf Channel.

ATHLETES & ACADMICS — Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy’s Upper School Boys and Girls Varsity Basketball teams were both awarded the Team Scholar Athletes for the Great Plains Athletic Conference on Feb. 20. HBHA’s students had the highest grade point average of all the teams — boys and girls — in the conference. There are nine teams in the conference composed of private and charter schools as well as one state-sponsored school.

In addition to winning these prestigious awards, the boys’ team took second place and the girls’ team took fourth place in the league’s final standings. 

53RD MAYORS’ PRAYER BREAKFAST — Shirley Bush Helzberg will be the featured speaker at the annual Mayors’ Prayer Breakfast that will take place Tuesday, March 4, at the Kansas City Convention Center. The breakfast benefits the Assistance League of Kansas City. For additional information or to register for the 53rd Mayors’ Prayer Breakfast, visit www.kccmpb.com or call 816-863-0992.

ISRAELI FOOTBALL — Two Jewish Kansas Citians, Sagan Zavelo and Jerome Smith, now living in Israel, are associated with the Israeli Football League. The IFL is the not-for-profit home amateur home for American football in Israel. There is currently no pro football in Israel.

Zavelo’s parents, Kim and Scott Zavelo, live in Lenexa and are members of Congregation Beth Torah. Before moving to Israel, Smith’s family, including Eileen and Mikaella, were members of Kehilath Israel Synagogue.

Zavelo is a starting defensive back and star special teamer for the Tel Aviv Pioneers, one of 10 IFL teams. He led the Pioneers’ defense in their most recent win, a 68-0 rout of the Naharya Northern Stars, returning an interception for a touchdown. The Pioneers are on their way to a playoff berth and a hopeful return to the IFL’s championship game, the Israel Bowl, at Kraft Stadium in Jerusalem on April 11, 2014.

Smith is a statistician and spotter for the league. He notes, “It has really been fun, and listening to Perto and Kevin Harlan on WHB while driving around KC really helped me with the transition from fan to participant.”

Zavelo is a KU graduate and moved to Israel two years ago. He is presently in business development with Tamooz, Inc. in Tel Aviv, a marketing and communications agency specializing in wind and solar energy. When not playing for the Pioneers, Zavelo also coaches the Ra’anana Crocs of the Israel High School football league, and will shortly be assuming duties as the general manager of the Israel National Football Team.

Smith and his family moved to Israel this past August. He has continued practicing intellectual property law.

Last week Todd Stettner, president and CEO of the Jewish Federation, announced plans to retire, effective Sept. 15, 2015. Members of the agency’s board of directors were informed of this decision Thursday, Feb. 13, while others in the Jewish community learned the news via email the following morning. A search committee will be convened this fall to engage Stettner’s successor.

Patricia Werthan Uhlmann, chair of the Jewish Federation’s board of directors, said Kansas City has been extraordinarily fortunate to have someone of Stettner’s caliber in charge of the agency.

“He works tirelessly to educate our community on national and international issues that impact the Jewish world,” Uhlmann said.

Uhlmann said Stettner is well respected within the Jewish Federations of North America national system, both for his work locally and abroad. During Stettner’s stewardship of the Jewish Federation, he has been responsible for creating partnerships with communities in Romania and Bulgaria and strengthening our ties with our Israeli partners.

“He has opened the eyes of many in our community to the importance of these relationships,” Uhlmann said, noting that his vision of connection to Jewish people all over the world through these partnerships has greatly enriched this community.

Over the years, Uhlmann said Stettner has elevated the local Jewish Federation’s image within the national and international system with innovative projects. Jerry Silverman, Jewish Federations of North America CEO, has similar praise for Stettner.

“Jewish Federations of North America honor Todd Stettner for his commitment, passion and leadership of the Kansas City community. Todd’s years as chief executive of the Jewish Federation has lifted the community. Todd’s leadership goes well beyond Kansas City as he has been a strong supporter of the Jewish Global agenda in Israel and around the world,” Silverman said.

One of the Jewish Federation’s main purposes is to raise money so it can support its mission of sustaining and enhancing Jewish life at home and around the world. Uhlmann said Stettner has done a magnificent job leading the community’s fundraising efforts.

“Todd understands what giving tzedakah does for the soul as well as for the community. He’s very inspirational in bringing others to the joy of giving tzedakah,” she said.

Stettner has worked in social service for 35 years, coming to Kansas City in August of 1999 and succeeding A. Robert Gast as the Jewish Federation’s top exec. He will celebrate his 15th anniversary with the agency a few weeks before his departure.

Stettner made the decision to announce his plans now after discussing it with Uhlmann and other members of the Jewish Federation’s board of directors.

“This gives them time to conduct a proper search. When you are looking to fill a position like this you don’t know how long it will take to find the right person,” Stettner said.

Knowing he will be stepping down in a year and half gives Stettner and the Jewish Federation a chance to wrap up some initiatives Stettner has been leading.

“For a while now we’ve been working on a new engagement and leadership program, which is currently launching. We also have some additional engagement activities that we’re reviewing and preparing to launch,” he said.

Stettner said a change of leadership in the Financial Resource Development department presented a “perfect time to work on a new three-year strategic plan” regarding Federation’s fundraising. Derek Gale recently took over for Gail Weinberg, who retired as head of that department at the end of last year.

“We hope to have the plan done shortly and begin to implement it,” Stettner said.

Several other staffers have also left the Jewish Federation recently, but Weinberg’s is the only position that has been filled. Stettner said the agency is taking time to regroup and determine what it wants the staffing structure to look like as it moves forward.

“All of these things will begin to take shape in the next year. We want this all to be done and in place before I leave,” he said.

Stettner will be 66 when he leaves the Jewish Federation, but he’s not sure he’s “retiring from the world of work.” He’s considering a variety of options.

“We like Kansas City, it’s our home now. If we move it’s going to be because we’re moving somewhere to retire, not because I’m looking to take a job at another Federation.”

Stettner said he would consider filling in as an interim exec in the Federation system. He’s also looking at consulting opportunities and teaching.

“I’m exploring all my options to see what the next phase of my life will be. I do want to continue putting my skills to good use,” he said.

Stettner’s departure will come at the end of Uhlmann’s term as board chair.

“We have a lot left to do together,” Uhlmann said. “We look forward to continuing to work together on behalf of this great community!”

Success stories and self-help books claim it takes 10 years of continued practice and full-time study to become an expert in one field. Famed Israeli pianist Roman Rabinovich has been playing piano for 23 years. He’s an expert pianist at only 28.

Born to pianist parents, Rabinovich loved the piano the moment he began playing. It didn’t take much prodding from his parents for him to sit down, day after day, tapping those ivory keys.

“I grew up with music,” said Rabinovich, who was born in 1985 in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, and immigrated to Israel with his parents in 1994. “I loved it from the very beginning. It takes all of my being.”

Kansas City will proudly host Rabinovich when he performs Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No. 2 with the Haifa Symphony Orchestra of Israel March 1 at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts as part of the Harriman-Jewell Series. The performance is part of the Orchestra’s first United States tour, which includes 26 cities from coast to coast.

Rabinovich has been playing with the Haifa Symphony Orchestra since he was 10. He earned his master’s degree from the prestigious Julliard School in New York and still resides in New York City. He calls it the “perfect place for a musician.” This will be his first time in Kansas City and he is “very excited.”

Winner of the top prize in the 2008 Arthur Rubinstein International Piano Master Competition, Rabinovich is known for the impeccable clarity of his execution and the vivacity of his performances. He has performed throughout Israel, the United States and Europe in such prestigious venues as Wigmore Hall, Carnegie Hall, the Lucerne Festival in Switzerland, Leipzig’s Gewandhaus, the Metropolitan Museum, Salle Cortot in Paris and the Moscow Conservatory.

In early 2013, Rabinovich’s debut recording, Ballets Russes: selections from Ravel’s Daphnis & Chloe (arranged by Rabinovich); Stravinsky’s Petrushka; and Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet, was released. Rabinovich was honored with the Classical Recording Foundation Artist of the Year award for his new CD, which was also given a four-star review by BBC Music Magazine.

Rabinovich truly loves what he does and said to practice music takes “patience and hard work but when you do it right, it’s worth it. The feeling of playing a piece well is thrilling.”

For him, music also offers a spiritual outlet and is a great means of discipline and focus. One challenge of his career, which he welcomes, is to know the world in which a composer existed and then convey that to an audience.

“The performer brings it to life,” Rabinovich said. “But to do that, he has to understand the composer and connect with the creator of the music.”

Rabinovich plans to keep making that connection and doesn’t plan on a career change anytime soon.

“I want to communicate my passion for music to people who appreciate it and I want to reach large audiences to share my enthusiasm for music,” he said.

Despite his young age, Rabinovich has spent decades studying certain composers.

“After years of working with great pieces by Beethoven or Tchaikovsky for example, I discovered so many layers to the music. When a piece is truly great, I’m in awe. It’s like when you see the Grand Canyon, you can’t help but be affected. Music is like nature. It’s awesome,” he said.

For some people, turning 50 is hard enough. Imagine being told you have Muscular Dystrophy on your 50th birthday. That’s what happened to Larry Haith 14 years ago on Oct. 11, 1999.

Over the years Haith has received support and services from the local Muscular Dystrophy Association office. So this year he has decided to give a little back to the organization that has helped him so much by participating in two MDA fundraisers — the MDA Muscle Walk April 26 at Arrowhead Stadium and the annual MDA Muscle Cure gala in the fall.

The diagnosis

For much of his life, Haith was an athlete. He ran long distance fun runs, took part in triathlons — races that involve running, biking and swimming — and long bike rides such as the MS 150. Suddenly he noticed his feet weren’t doing what they were supposed to do when he was running.

“My left foot began slapping the pavement,” he said in an email interview recently.

He was 48 years old when this started, and it took quite a long time and a multitude of tests including X-rays and MRIs to figure out the problem.

“I saw an orthopedic surgeon and for two years I did a lot of stretching,” he said. “Finally I was sent to KU Med for DNA testing and a final diagnosis. Prior to that my speech was slurred and I had a hard time swallowing, but I just thought it was an unexplained problem and it really did not bother me.”

During the past 14 years he has learned to live with the disease, such as altering his workout routine.

“In lieu of running outside, I run in the pool. I get in the deep end and run in place, off the floor. I run as hard as I can for 45 minutes using several different positions to work many different muscle groups,” said Haith, a member of Kehilath Israel Synagogue.

Haith benefits from workouts provided by Tisha Polsinelli, his personal trainer at the Jewish Community Center.

“She continually gives me new ideas to do what I can do, stretches me and makes sure I do not overdue it. I have a tendency to push too hard,” he said. “I do high reps on the weights and just try to maintain.”

Of course he’s had some setbacks through the years. For instance the disease has made it hard for him to play with his grandkids the way he would like. His wife Randi also has to help him do things now as well.

“She has to help me open jars and button my shirt, things like that. But I am lucky, I think,” he said.

The MDA Muscle Walk

This is the first time Haith has decided to take part in MDA fundraising activities. He said it’s because it’s time for him to give back to the organization that has helped him.

“The MDA family is a remarkable group of people. I have really grown to appreciate them more and more,” he said.

He started these efforts a couple of months ago, seeking funds as well as recruiting people for his Muscle Walk team through his extensive list of email contacts.

“First and foremost, I hope you’ll join my team. But if you can’t, please do anything you can — register as an individual or make a donation on my behalf.

Haith has set a fundraising goal of $3,000. He has designated all the funds he raises to stay in Kansas City to help others with Myatonic Dystrophy (MMD), which is one of the 43 different types of MD and the form he has. MMD causes weakness of the voluntary muscles, although the degree of weakness and the muscles most affected vary greatly according to the type of MMD and the age of the person with the disorder.

“The money we raise will help support MDA outpatient clinics, repairs of medical equipment, support groups, MDA summer camp and hope through research,” he said.

Haith will indeed participate in the Muscle Walk.

“I am very lucky, I am still upright. But I do use a cane when I remember to, more as a safety precaution than anything else. However for long distance, my wife got me an electric scooter. I will use the scooter for the walk. I can go a long way without it, it’s just that I am very slow.”

As of Monday, Feb. 17, Haith was more than halfway toward his goal, having raised a total of $1,608. As his fundraising page points out, it takes $800 to send a child to MDA summer camp. A $656 donation is a dollar for each muscle in a person’s body and a $39 donation represents $3 for each healthy muscle it takes to smile.

“The researchers are so close to finding a cure. I want to show the researchers that the MDA is appreciative and wants to help. So am I,” Haith said.

Haith is happy to communicate with anyone who wants to learn more about the walk, and points out that “if my friends do not give to the Muscle Walk, they will be called for the big event,” the Muscle Cure gala later this year.

“I will be trying to sell tables and get sponsors for this really big event. If you want to hear more about these events and the opportunities to sponsor either or both of them, please contact me at .”

Rabbi Judith Abrams knows what most people envision when they think of Talmud and those who teach it.

“Clearly, I don’t fit the image — I am just not a little guy with a beard,” Rabbi Abrams said from her home in Houston, where she also runs Maqom, a nonprofit dedicated to “the spiritually enlightening and intellectually honest study of Jewish texts” via the internet, teaches through distance learning, and leads seminars across the country. “This is my mission in life — to teach Talmud.”

It is a mission that will bring Rabbi Abrams to Kansas City, where she will lead a series of public presentations and study sessions as scholar in residence March 4-6 (see below for schedule). Thanks to funding from the Jewish Heritage Foundation, Jewish Federation of Greater Kansas City, Women’s Philanthropy and a private contributor, all events are free and open to the community.

“I’m optimistic that Kansas City will really benefit from her being here — everyone, even our rabbis,” said Bill Lowenstein, who first recommended Rabbi Abrams to Jill Maidhof, the JCC’s director of Jewish Life and Learning.

Maidhof concurs. “Judy was just as Bill described her: warm, accessible, and very, very knowledgeable. I’m really looking forward to seeing her effect on our community.”

Ordained at Cincinnati’s Hebrew Union College in 1985, Rabbi Abrams served congregations in Texas and Virginia before earning her Ph.D. in Talmud and realizing that teaching was what she wanted to do full time. She established Maqom in 1995, and began leading Talmud study online, via phone and Skype, as well as with “actual living people in Houston and wherever they ask me to go,” she said. “Because that’s my bliss.”

Her bliss has taken her from Boise, Idaho, to Jerusalem, and nearly everywhere in between. She has also published more than 20 books, on everything from Talmud to Kabbalah, the holidays and Jewish perspectives on parenting, illness and disability.

Rabbi Abrams said she’s thrilled to come to Kansas City and share her vision of what Talmud can be: FUN.

“Put the ‘fun’ underlined, in capital letters, with nine exclamation points after it,” she said, laughing — as she often does when teaching texts. “The problem is that when people hear the word Talmud, what’s the visual that comes up in your head? It just doesn’t look like fun at all. I mean, they’re arguing with each other, and you jump into a page of this stuff, and it’s like, ‘okay, so we’re sacrificing one black and one white dove’ — for most people, that’s not going to work.

“What I love to do is take people to the nicest, easiest neighborhoods in the Talmud and introduce them and get them to successfully understand the text in pretty much no time at all.”

The rabbi assures her new students that they need not worry about their background or level of Hebrew. “Everybody is going to be able to get this stuff,” she said. “People are sometimes put off by the idea of what Talmud study is, and they think, ‘well, it couldn’t possibly be for me.’ It’s for them.”

Jewish text study isn’t just inclusive, Rabbi Abrams emphasizes, but comprehensive.

“You don’t have to go be Buddhist to find meditation or Hindu to explore reincarnation,” she said. “I promise, I can find those spiritual journeys in the Talmud.”

“Her teaching style makes [the Talmud] come alive,” said Kansas City native Glenn Lowenstein, son of Bill Lowenstein and Sharon Shoham, who now lives in Houston and studies with Rabbi Abrams. “It is simply fascinating to learn the power and relevance of Judaism through her perspective and enthusiasm. Warning: fasten your seatbelts!”

For Rabbi Abrams, that passion is personal.

“My children joke that the guys in the Talmud are my BFFs — that’s ‘best friends forever’ among scholars of adolescent lingo. To me, they’re living people.”

Another of Rabbi Abrams’ “living people” lives in Kansas City. Cantor Sharon Kohn was thrilled to hear of Rabbi Abrams’ upcoming visit.

“We’ve been dear, dear friends for a very long time. Judy is simply one of the most knowledgeable people I know. She has a special gift for making complex subjects understandable, and she’s fun,” the cantor said.

There’s that word again.

“I almost feel like a matchmaker” Rabbi Abrams said. “I come to a city and meet all these wonderful people, and then I say, ‘Hey, let me introduce you to a whole other set of wonderful people.’ It’s like facilitating a really great party.”

SEE ZACH CHAYKIN — Zach Chaykin , the son of Congregation Beth Torah members Arthur Chaykin and Paulette Giantarra, is starring in Oscar Wilde’s “The Importance of Being Earnest, a Trivial Comedy for Serious People,” at the Just Off Broadway Theater.

Bob Evans of the Independence Examiner raved about Chaykin in his reviewe of the play published last week,  “When watching, be aware of Zach Chaykin as Gwendolen Faifax. Chaykin can steal any scene. He’s absolutely outrageous as Miss Fairfax with his gestures, mannerisms, costumes, high heels and short skirts. The audience can’t help but laugh at his performance.”

The play opened last week and continues through Feb. 22. The evening performances begin at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday’s matinee is at 2:30 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at boxofficetickets.com or by calling 800-494-8497. Just Off Broadway Theater is located at 3051 Central in Kansas City, Mo.

According to Wikipedia, “The Importance of Being Earnest,” was first performed on Feb. 14, 1895, at the St. James’s Theatre in London. It is a farcical comedy in which the protagonists maintain fictitious personae in order to escape burdensome social obligations. Working within the social conventions of late Victorian London, the play’s major themes are the triviality with which it treats institutions as serious as marriage, and the resulting satire of Victorian ways. Contemporary reviews all praised the play’s humor, though some were cautious about its explicit lack of social messages, while others foresaw the modern consensus that it was the culmination of Wilde’s artistic career so far. Its high farce and witty dialogue have helped make “The Importance of Being Earnest” Wilde’s most enduringly popular play.

SEE ALEX BIGUS — You can see Alex Bigus at the same theater, beginning next week, in the title/lead role in the musical “Jekyll & Hyde” with She and Her Productions. The show will be at the Just Off Broadway Theatre Feb. 28, March 1, 7, 8, 10, 14, 15 at 8 p.m.; March 16 at 2 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at http://www.brownpapertickets.com/
ref/81046/event/531522.

The next month Bigus will make his professional directorial debut directing “Watch on the Rhine” for Leawood Stage Company, April 4-6. A moving play by Lillian Hellman, “Watch on the Rhine” is about an idealistic German who, with his American wife and two children, flees Hitler’s Germany in 1940 to find sanctuary with his wife’s family in the United States. He hopes for a respite from the dangerous work he has involved himself with, but his desire for personal safety soon comes into conflict with the deeply held beliefs that have made him an active anti-Nazi. It will be presented in the Oak Room at Leawood City Hall. Tickets will be sold at the door. For more information contact April Bishop at 913-339-6700, ext. 157.

It’s simply impossible to describe everything the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee has done to save Jews from all over the world over the past 100 years. As a JDC online campaign says, JDC ensures Jewish life can be passed from one generation to another.

Known as JDC or The Joint, since 1914 it has been considered the world’s leading Jewish humanitarian assistance organization. Today, JDC works in more than 70 countries and in Israel to alleviate hunger and hardship, rescue Jews in danger, create lasting connections to Jewish life, and provide immediate relief and long-term development support for victims of natural and man-made disasters.

Kansas City will celebrate the JDC’s centennial at two events — tomorrow night (Feb. 14) at Congregation Beth Torah with a joint Shabbat service featuring a speech by Patricia Uhlmann, chair of the Jewish Federation of Greater Kansas City and JDC board member, and Sunday, Feb. 23, when JDC CEO Alan Gill speaks. (For more information, see below.)

Jewish Federation’s President and Chief Executive Officer Todd Stettner said these two events, and others similar to it all over the country, are celebrating 100 years of JDC’s good deeds.

“The JDC started out helping those who were in distress in Palestine and in Russia,” Stettner said. “That role has continued to change and evolve over the past 100 years and the JDC still plays a very vital role beyond the wonderful history that it has in the rescue and the care of those Jews who were in Europe in pre-, post- and during World War II.”

He said the fact that the JDC helped our grandparents and our great-grandparents survive and get out of war-torn Europe as well as helping other Jewish immigrants from around the world is not the only reason we should care about the JDC today.

“If we truly believe as a people in tikkun olam and repair of the world and taking care of one another, then the JDC’s role over the last 100 years is very important and therefore the centennial should be celebrated by everyone who cares about humanity: Jews and non-Jews alike,” Stettner said.

Many people know about the JDC’s history — including many survivors who were literally saved by the JDC before they settled here after the Holocaust — but don’t know much about the role the JDC plays around the world today and the connection our local community has to JDC. For instance, when there’s a natural disaster somewhere in the world or in the United States, such as the earthquake in Haiti or Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, the JDC provides non-sectarian assistance. During many of these disasters, our local Jewish Federation begins a special fundraising campaign to collect money, and then hands it over to the JDC to distribute.

“Those donations go directly toward assisting that particular crisis,” Stettner said. “Those funds do not come from our annual campaign.”

JDC helps provide basic assistance such as shelter, food and clothing for Jews in many parts of the world. Funding for some of that, Stettner said, does come from the Jewish Federation’s annual campaign and is managed through its Israel and Overseas Committee. But JDC does more than provide money and services to Jews around the world, it also helps them learn to do for themselves. Jewish Kansas Citians do so as well, in partnership with the JDC and Jewish communities in Bulgaria and Romania as well as the Ramla-Gezer region in Israel.

The Eastern European partnership began in 2000. A few years later, approximately 10 years ago, Stettner put together a professionals’ exchange program where leaders from Romania and Bulgaria, Ramla, Gezer and Kansas City met each other and learned about each other’s programs. Several local programs — including what used to be called the Simcha Box program that delivered food every month to those in need in the Jewish community and Jewish Family Service’s Help@Home program — evolved from those professional exchanges.

That’s how the relationship between JDC and Kansas City’s Heart to Heart International, a locally based humanitarian aid organization, began as well. Stettner said that Steve Israelite, who at the time was the executive director of the Jewish Heritage Foundation, was a part of that professionals exchange program. After visiting Romania and Bulgaria and seeing their needs first hand, Stettner said Israelite believed these people could be helped by Heart to Heart. Since Israelite already had connections with the organization, Stettner said Israelite “made an introduction for Trish Uhlmann, who serves on the board of the JDC and is currently the Jewish Federation’s president, and I to Heart to Heart,” Stettner said.

Stettner explained that Heart to Heart has good relationships with large pharmaceutical companies, and through Heart to Heart’s connections, JDC was able to get much needed medications to people — both Jews and non-Jews — in Bulgaria and Romania.

“We saw there was a great deal of need in Bulgaria and Romania because the medical systems in those countries really were not very good,” Stettner said. “Heart to Heart was able to get thousands and thousands of dollars’ worth of medication for us, which we then sent to Bulgaria and Romania.”

“Heart to Heart also helped provide medical items to the Gaza Strip and in Israel,” Stettner continued.

Because Heart to Heart and JDC already had a relationship, the Jewish organization was able to assist Heart to Heart immediately following the 2010 earthquake in Haiti.

“Heart to Heart was having trouble getting transportation because any vehicle that was in working condition was already taken,” Stettner explained. “Through the JDC connections in the Dominican Republic, which is on the same island as Haiti, they were able to get a truck for Heart to Heart to use to transport its equipment and its personnel. In fact we saw a picture that showed a sign on the truck that thanked JDC for assisting them.”

Stettner is thrilled the JDC continues its relationship with Heart to Heart and that the Jewish Federation has a part as a partner and a broker in that relationship.

“There’s been all of these things that have happened over the years between us and it’s been a wonderful partnership in that way. Both organizations have benefitted from it,” Stettner said.

Steve Weber, executive director of Heart to Heart’s Haiti division, said the partnership between Heart to Heart and the JDC has been phenomenal. He said he works very closely with JDC personnel in both Israel and New York.

“In fact a group of Jewish doctors will be coming to Haiti through JDC very soon,” Weber said.

In addition to helping Jews in need, Stettner pointed out that JDC is also helping train Jewish leaders of tomorrow through its Entwine program for young adults. Entwine offers a continuum of service opportunities for young Jewish adults who want to make an impact in overseas Jewish communities, in Israel, or in other locations where JDC is involved in non-sectarian development work. Service experiences take place in countries around the world, including in Argentina, China, Ethiopia, Germany, Haiti, India, Israel, Russia, Rwanda, Turkey and Ukraine. It was through this program that KU Hillel students recently visited Romania and Bulgaria.

“So JDC is also helping develop the next generation of Jewish leaders by having a program like that,” Stettner said.

DID YOU KNOW — Congregation Ohev Sholom’s weekly email to members included this little piece of info from Rabbi Scott White:

The non-Jewish occasion of Valentine’s Day falls this Friday (tomorrow, Feb. 14). Did you know that our ancestors celebrated a Jewish “Valentine’s Day?” When the Holy Temple stood, the 15th of Av marked the end of wood chopping season, when the young men would bathe and don fresh clothes and the maidens would dress in white and love was in the air. Tu b’Av comes and goes nowadays with one lone impact: the day’s Tahanun prayer is omitted. Incidentally, such is also the case this Friday, Little Purim — the 15th of First Adar. Whenever we have a leap year, Purim is observed in Second Adar.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS —Last week we told you that Samantha Agron is appearing in “Company,” the show currently being presented by the White Theatre. Since that article published we learned that Agron was named Best Supporting Actress for the 2013 season by the Barn Players for her performance in “Chess.” The Barn Players open its 2014 season Feb. 28 with “Bloody, Bloody Andrew Jackson.” We hear our dear friend, colleague and publicist Ruth Bigus will be appearing in “Follies,” a Stephan Sondheim musical that will be produced by the Barn Players April 18 through May 4. She will play Vanessa, one of the Follies girls.

COSTCO MITZVAH CAKE — Costco shoppers will soon notice that Costco now has a cake design suitable for Jewish mitzvahs. It was designed by former Kansas Citian BelleAnne Curry. She moved to Saint Louis six years ago and began working for Costco about four years ago in the bakery as a cake decorator. Last year a member came in and ordered a Bat Mitzvah cake. Costco didn’t have a design for that, so Curry made one herself. She snapped a photo of it, showed her boss and then proceeded to send it up the ladder for the design to be approved as a permanent design available at any Costco. It was finally approved and now any member in any Costco in the United States can purchase a Mazal Tov cake. Curry wants everyone to note that while Costco has some kosher bakeries, there are none in Kansas or Missouri. “The other thing to note is that 90 percent or higher of the items that we get in the bakery do have a hechsher. Most are kosher dairy; the breads come in frozen and are pareve.”

FUN FACT — I found this interesting, courtesy of the Consulate General of Israel to the Midwest: Israel Exports more than 60 million flowers every year to Europe for Valentine’s Day.

FUNNY OF THE WEEK — Here’s an oldie but goodie from a colleague of mine:

Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream is now available in Israel in the following flavors : Wailing Wallnut, Moishemellow, Mazel Toffee, Chazalnut, Oy Ge-malt, Mi Ka-mocha, Bernard Malamint, Berry Pr’i Hagafen, Choc-Eilat Chip.

The Jewish Community Center of Greater Kansas City is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. The 100 More Celebration, being led by Shanny Morgenstern, actually kicked off at the Jewish Arts Festival in October. Several other events are planned throughout 2014 with the 100 More Celebration culminating with a family Chanukah celebration in December.

The JCC opened in 1914 in midtown Kansas City, Mo., and has grown and adapted over the past 100 years to serve the changing needs of Greater Kansas City’s Jewish and secular communities. According to an article published by The Chronicle in a special commemorative issue celebrating the opening of the Jewish Community Campus in 1988, a small group of men got together in 1914 to establish the Young Men’s Hebrew Association as a program with which Jewish people could identify. The YMHA’s first home was on Admiral Boulevard. The JCC moved to 3123 Troost in 1917 and then to 1600 Linwood Boulevard, which served as its home from 1924 to 1961.

Plans for relocating the JCC were initiated in 1954. The JCC’s new home at 8201 Holmes Road was opened on May 28, 1961. In the spring of 1984, the JCC purchased the Nall Hills Country Club at 6201 Indian Creek Drive (where the Chabad House Center is now located) as its temporary headquarters and closed its Holmes location. The JCC moved into its current home at the Jewish Community Campus at 5801 W. 115th in October 1988.

Similar to the YMHA’s original mission, today the JCC’s mission is to “enrich our diverse community by cultivating an inclusive environment built upon Jewish values, heritage and culture. We offer programs of excellence that enhance wellness, meaning and joy from generation to generation.”

Jacob Schreiber, who has served as the JCC’s president and CEO since the summer of 2009, said today’s JCC, and other Jewish Community Centers around the country, has “really taken the Jewish community from its infancy to where it is right now, which is really a very strong, impressive and influential force in America.”

“One hundred years ago when this JCC was built, its mission was to help turn Jewish refugees into Americans,” Schreiber said. “Now we say our mission is to better help Americans become more engaged Jews. So I think if you ask anybody here around town, the Jewish Community Center has tremendous name recognition and it’s very positive.”

When it was first established, Schreiber noted that the JCC was the place where Jews had to congregate, in addition to the synagogues, because they really had no other options. It was a place where Jews built their identity and built a strong sense of self.

“Just sit downstairs (by the fitness facility) with the 70-year-olds, the 80-year-olds, the 90-year-olds and they’ll tell you that everything was done at the JCC. All the Jews used to come. I even know somebody who met her husband at the JCC,” Schreiber said.

In addition to the active seniors who still spend much of their time at the JCC, Morgenstern, the 100 More Celebration chairman, believes everyone in the Jewish community should be very proud of the JCC.

“Lots of other communities have JCC’s and I bring people from out of town here and they say, ‘Wow. I just can’t believe the ruach that you have here.’ That is a tribute to the staff,” she said.

Morgenstern is proud to be chairing the 100 More Celebration, and said the JCC has played a critical role in her own Jewish development.

“As I was growing up in high school I was at the JCC weekly getting together with all my friends. When we came back to Kansas City after college we joined the JCC immediately. I exercised here, I’ve taken classes here, and I continue to meet friends here on a regular basis. It is a central part of my life,” she said.

Now the JCC is a central part of many non-Jewish people’s lives as well.

“That is a big thing. Did you imagine that 20 years ago nobody wanted to go to Israel, even Jews were afraid to go to Israel, and now gentiles from all countries are clamoring to get into Israel and I feel it’s the same way with the JCC now. Thirty years ago this was just a place for Jews. Now there are other people who really want to be a part of us because they like our culture, they like our values and they really feel that we are all part of one big positive community,” Schreiber said.

From his standpoint as president and CEO, Schreiber said things at the JCC are going very well.

“Membership is growing like crazy. In the past two years we are up nearly 11 percent. January was our best month I believe since we opened the new renovation. We had close to 160 new members join just in January, which blew away everything.

“We are firing on all pistons. All our programs are up. In the past four years our agency has grown 20 to 25 percent. Our budget has gone from $6.3 to $8.3 million. Our CDC has expanded participants by 25 percent, our membership is up about 15 percent. Our camps are up. This year we changed our model for Jewish Life and Learning and we’ve had over 3,000 people come to our programs.

“Frankly I think the Jewish environment here has really gotten a boost and all our benchmarking surveys show that our members are happier, our staff is happier and the environment here is just positive all around,” Schreiber said.

That doesn’t mean the JCC doesn’t get complaints.

“We are the JCC, which means where Jews can complain. But that’s our birthright. Most of it is done in a constructive way. People have been very good to us and very positive,” he added.

“Our staff is second to none right now. They are fantastic.”

The JCC is spending a little more than a year marking this special occasion. Morgenstern said more than 100 different programs have been scheduled throughout the year.

The next big program is the Night of 100 Shabbat Dinner. It is being overseen by the JCC in partnership with local synagogues and the Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy and is set for Friday, Feb. 21. There are no rules to the event other than to host or attend a Shabbat dinner.

Morgenstern said a reunion for “those of us who remember the Holmes building and for the generation who remembers the Linwood JCC,” will take place June 8 at the JCC. Details are still being worked out under the direction of Bob DeWitt, who is planning the event.

The annual pool party, slated for July 13, will include special giveaways for people who have participated in the 100 More Challenge.

“It is a challenge that we have set up to reward people for being active at the Jewish Community Center. It includes people who exercise, go to classes and volunteer,” Morgenstern said.

Each person who participates has a tracking sheet. For every hour of participation that can be verified by a staff member, a paw print is added to the tracking sheet. The paw print comes from Latke the Lion, the 100 More Celebration mascot.

“Once you get 100 paw prints, you get entered into a raffle that includes great prizes, including a one-year membership to the JCC,” Morgenstern said. These individuals will also be recognized by having their photos hung in an area of the JCC that will be called the Hall of Champions.

The celebration’s finale, “Spin 1,000” will take place just before Chanukah on Sunday, Dec. 14, at Pinstripes (opening this spring in the new Prairiefire development at 135th and Nall). Plans are not yet finalized for this “big family Chanukah event” being chaired by Beth Liss and Morgenstern.

“We’re going to break the world’s record for the most number of spinning dreidels at one time,” Morgenstern said. “We want to get at least 1,000 people spinning dreidels at one time.”

Schreiber said a series of recognition events will also be held during the year for those who have supported the JCC both “consistently and generously.” Among those will be a night at “Monty Python’s Spamalot,” which will be presented at the White Theatre in July.

The 100 More Celebration is a large undertaking.

“All of these programs require a lot of volunteers. We encourage anyone who feels passionate about the JCC to raise their hand and we will find a role for them,” Morgenstern said.