With the economy’s peaks and valleys over the past several years, it’s easy for many in the Jewish community to tune out the economic news. But not for the Jewish Federation of Greater Kansas City. In fact, demand for its Chesed Fund is as high as it has ever been since the assistance fund was created in 2007.

“It is imperative we continue to ask for help, as more and more people in our community need our assistance,” said Shari Stimetz, assistant director of the Jewish Federation. “The amount of money we’re dispersing every month is beyond belief. At this rate, we will need more than $300,000 for assistance by the end of 2013, and this is for people who have nowhere else to turn.”

The Federation’s Chesed Fund helps Jewish residents living in the five counties of Greater Kansas City address chronic financial challenges. These are situations that typically involve extended job loss and medical issues that can’t be helped with one-time emergency assistance.

“All Chesed Fund recipients start out at Jewish Family Services,” said Stimetz. “Once the intake process is completed, the case managers at JFS determine whether or not an individual or family meets the criteria for assistance. Sadly, with the economic problems that have faced our country in the past few years, more and more JFS clients are meeting the Chesed Fund criteria.

“In the first few months of 2013, we have already distributed more than half of what we distributed in all of 2012, and we are facing serious shortages for the fund,” continued Stimetz, who noted $300,000 was distributed by the fund last year.

Chesed Fund is surprisingly spread among a variety of individuals and families — all facing unique issues. The money helps everyone from seniors on a small fixed income to people who cannot work because of chronic illness, to single parents who are not receiving the child support they were awarded upon divorce.

Kansas City is fortunate that the Federation has been able to help area Jews in need to the extent that it has.

“The Federation established the Chesed Fund in 2007 because even then we saw a rising need among people with chronic financial challenges,” Stimetz said.

Chesed Fund also has donors who, as Stimetz puts it, “care about people in need — especially Jewish people right here in our own community continued and understand why it’s critical at this time to give above and beyond their annual gift.

Stimetz encourages others to join the ranks of Chesed’s donors.

“Helping people and saving lives is the highest value in the Jewish tradition,” she said. “And that’s what these funds are doing. Saving lives. Literally!”

To make an online donation to the Chesed Fund, go to jewishkansascity.org/givedignity2013. To make a donation by phone, contact Gail Weinberg, director of financial resource development, 913-327-8123. Or send in a check to Jewish Federation of Greater Kansas City, 5801 W. 115 Street, Suite 201, Overland Park, KS 66211, Attn: Chesed Fund 2013.

One hundred percent of donations will go to Chesed Fund.

ENVIROTHON CHAMPIONS — Jeffrey Rubel, a senior at Pembroke Hill and a member of Congregation Beth Shalom, visited the White House on April 22 to participate in the White House Science Fair hosted by President Barack Obama. Jeffrey and his classmates were invited as representatives of the 2012 North American Envirothon championship team from Missouri. The Pembroke Hill team went on to become the North American champions! The White House Science Fair celebrates the student winners of a broad range of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) competitions from across the country. The president hosted the first-ever White House Science Fair in late 2010 as part of his Educate To Innovate campaign to inspire students to excel in math and science.

MEL BROOKS DOCUMENTARY PREMIERS ON PBS — After 60 years in show business, Mel Brooks has earned more major awards than any other living entertainer; he is one of 14 EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony) winners. Yet, the comedy giant has energetically avoided a documentary profile being made, even issuing an informal gag order on his friends ... until now. Brooks agreed to throw himself into a new documentary about his storied career, giving American Masters exclusive interviews and complete access to his film and photo archives. Premiering nationwide Monday, May 20, at 8 p.m. on KCPT, “American Masters Mel Brooks: Make a Noise” features new interviews with Brooks, his friends and colleagues, including Matthew Broderick, Nathan Lane, Cloris Leachman, Joan Rivers, Tracey Ullman, and his close friend, with whom he created “The 2000 Year Old Man” more than 50 years ago, Carl Reiner. A DVD with bonus material will be available Tuesday, May 21 from Shout Factory.

“When they called me to say I had been chosen as the next ‘American Master,’ I thought they said I was chosen to be the next Dutch Master. So I figured what the hell, at least I’ll get a box of cigars. When I realized my mistake I was both elated and a little disappointed at losing the cigars,” cracked Brooks, who will receive the 41st AFI Life Achievement Award this June.

FREE CONCERT — Violinist Elena Urioste and pianist Gabriela Martinez will perform a free Discovery Concert at 7 p.m. Friday, June 7, at the Folly Theater (300 W. 12th St.), in downtown Kansas City, Mo. The planned program includes works by Beethoven, Debussy and Janacek. The performance will be the 25th free Discovery Concert presented by the Harriman-Jewell Series since 2004. One of the pieces they are expected to play is “Hebrew Melody” by Joseph Achron as one of their short pieces. Tickets for the Urioste and Martinez duo recital are free to the public. “Print at home” tickets are available online at hjseries.org or by phone at 816-415-5025. The David Woods Kemper Foundation sponsors this performance. The National Endowment for the Arts has partially underwritten the 2013 Discovery Concerts.

Rumors have been swirling about the rabbinic situation at Kehilath Israel Synagogue since the last week in April. Senior Rabbi Shmuly Yanklowitz, who joined the congregation in August 2012, did not lead religious services on either April 27 or May 4 and has not been seen in the metro area for a couple of weeks.

The congregation’s president, Steve Osman, has little to say about the situation at this time.

“We’ve agreed that he’s taking some vacation time. We’re in conversations involving his relationship with the synagogue,” Osman said on Monday afternoon.

Those involved in these conversations have signed confidentiality agreements according to Osman, “to allow conversations between the parties to be maintained in confidence.”

Osman said Rav Hazzan Jeffrey Shron has “very graciously agreed to meet the rabbinical needs of the congregation” in the interim.

After 25 years as the Jewish community’s central address, the Jewish Community Campus has a new leader at the helm.

He’s Dan Cullinan, who started on the job May 1. Cullinan takes over the formidable task of overseeing the operations of the 267,080-square-foot mixed-use building that is home to numerous Jewish agencies that incorporate social services, schools, fitness facilities and pools, a state-of-the-art theater, classrooms, meeting and conference rooms.

Cullinan takes over for the retiring Alan Bram, who’s been executive director at the Campus since 1987 — a year prior to the building’s opening. Bram will be available to help during this transition period.

Cullinan, 52, was chosen for the position by a search committee from the Campus board of directors led by Greg Wolf. The board approved the hiring.

Cullinan has more than 25 years of experience in the property management business, most recently with Executive Hills Management, Inc. During his latest association with Executive Hills, owned by Larry Bridges, Cullinan served as property manager/tenant relations manager for One Kansas City Place, Twelve Wyandotte Plaza and One Petticoat Lane.

“This opportunity is a once in a lifetime,” said Cullinan of the new position at the Campus. “To be able to come in after what Alan has done and follow in his footsteps in the class A fashion he operated is just great. I’m very excited, and I’ll hit the ground running,” he added.

After graduating from the University of Kansas with a political science degree, Cullinan jumped into the property management industry. He first joined Executive Hills in 1987 managing a variety of properties and learning from Bridges firsthand. Cullinan also spent time as facilities manager with Harrah’s Entertainment in both Topeka and North Kansas City. Later, he spent a year with Stoltz Management Company working as the maintenance manager for the Corporate Woods Office Park before rejoining Executive Hills.

Cullinan gives credit to Bridges for bringing him to where he is today.

“He’s made this possible for me,” said Cullinan of Bridges. “He’s been a mentor to me — almost like a surrogate father. I give kudos to Larry for training me in this industry. Without his mentorship, I don’t think this would have been possible.”

John Rubenstein, president of the Campus, said Cullinan becoming executive director is good for the Campus. Rubenstein said Cullinan’s boss Larry Bridges was associated with Frank Morgan and Sherman Dreiseszun, patriarchs of two of the four founding families that provided the land for the facility in southern Johnson County.

“Dan is perfect for this job, we are fortunate to have him,” Rubenstein said.

Outside of the work world, Cullinan is the father of three grown children and will be a grandfather this fall. He lives in Olathe, enjoys golf, baseball and NASCAR. At one time, Cullinan worked for the Richard Petty Driving School as a member of the pit crew.

“That was a blast,” he said.

These days, Cullinan is using his high-speed experience to settle into his new position as the Campus’ chief executive.

“This is the next step up for me,” Cullinan said. “I’m going to be very visible with my agency contacts, and I am looking forward to working with Alan’s team.”

The renowned Port House of Fonseca announces the winner of its first “BIN 27 Port & Cookie Rumble.” Dr. Maureen Dudgeon of Kansas City, Mo., wins the grand prize for her Portofignos cookie creation.

Cookie lovers nationwide were invited to submit their favorite, original cookie recipe that pairs best with BIN 27 Port, for a chance to win two prizes. All recipes were judged by famed chocolatier Jacques Torres and award-winning cookbook author Dorie Greenspan.

Dr. Dudgeon’s recipe was selected from nearly 150 recipes, submitted via BIN 27’s Facebook page. Dr. Dudgeon won the grand prize of a trip to New York City where she received private cooking lessons with Torres and Greenspan. In addition KitchenAid, a contest partner, awared her with a Dual Fuel Double Oven Range and a professional 600 Series 6 Quart Bowl-Lift Stand Mixer.

Judge Greenspan said it was great to see so many home bakers enter the contest.

“Every recipe submitted was a labor of love. Jacques and I baked and tested, tasted, sipped BIN 27, then tasted some more to find winners whose cookies were good on their own and even better with Port. The finalists hit all the flavors we love with BIN 27.

“But it was Maureen’s Portofignos — chocolate cookies speckled with Port-soaked figs and toasted walnuts — that hit them best. Congratulations to Maureen and thank you to everyone who participated — you made our job tough, but delicious,” Greenspan said.

Judge Jacques Torres adds, “Why should kids have all the fun? Fonseca BIN 27 turns the cookie into something sexy and decadent for adults. The pair becomes like Angelina and Brad — each one makes the other even sexier! Judging this contest was anything but tough — pass the port and cookies, please!”

Dr. Dudgeon said she had never entered a cooking contest before this one. She entered because she was interested in the cooking lessons provided by the famous professionals. She likes to bake often and finds it relaxing.

“It is a good way to show love, regard and affection for people,” she said.

Part of Dr. Dudgeon’s work as a physician is teaching medical students and residents. She enjoys having cooking for her students to mark milestones.

“Some of the women have come over to learn how to bake things,” she also explained. “In fact, a bunch of us even made the wedding cake for one of them.”

Fonseca BIN 27, which is not certified kosher, was created over a century ago. Reserved for the winemaker’s family consumption, BIN 27 was released commercially in 1972 and quickly became one of the top ports consumed in the United States. Produced primarily from wines from Fonseca’s own quintas in the Cima Corgo and showing exceptional quality and consistency from year to year, BIN 27 is blended from reserve wines selected for their superb fruit character and depth of color. Its well-knit structure; rich, velvety full body; and luscious blackcurrant and cherry bouquet and flavors finish on an intense, lingering note.

Dr. Dudgeon’s Portofignos cookies are described as a not-too-sweet, chocolate sablé filled with salty walnuts and port-soaked figs echoing and enhancing the flavors of Fonseca BIN 27 Porto.

MAUREEN DUDGEON’S PORTOFIGNOS

Ingredients:

4 ounces dried figs, diced to 1/8 inch pieces

¼ cup Fonseca BIN 27 Porto

4 ounces walnuts, chopped to ¼ inch pieces

½ teaspoon sea salt

1 7/8 cups all purpose flour

½ cup unsweetened, dry cocoa

¾ teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

3/8 cup white sugar

1 cup brown sugar

1½ teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions:

Place diced figs and Fonseca BIN 27 Porto in a small saucepan and bring to a gentle boil. Turn off the heat and set aside until cool, then drain reserving the liquid for another use.

(Pro tip from Jacques Torres:  When I marinate fruit, I like to do so cold, rather than warm. It’s best if the fruit marinates for a few days to absorb a great deal of flavor. The alcohol will still cook out when the cookies are baked.)

Place the chopped walnuts on a baking sheet and toast at 325 degrees F until light brown. Remove from oven and toss with the ½ teaspoon sea salt and set aside.

Sift the flour, cocoa, baking soda and ¼ teaspoon salt together into a bowl.

Using a stand or hand held electric mixer, whip the softened butter until soft and creamy. Mix in the sugars until smooth. Mix in the vanilla extract.

Carefully mix the dry ingredients into the butter mixture until nearly incorporated. Continuing with the mixer, add the toasted, salted walnuts and the Port-soaked figs mixing only until incorporated.

Cut two sheets of waxed paper about 18 inches long, divide the dough into two portions and place on the waxed paper. Using the waxed paper as an aid, form the dough into two logs, 2 inches in diameter, wrap tightly and refrigerate for several hours.

At this point the dough may be kept in the refrigerator for two to three days or frozen.

When ready to bake, line a sheet pan or heavy cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

Slice the chilled or frozen cookie dough into 1-inch slices and place 2 inches apart on the prepared sheet.

(Pro tip from Jacques Torres: Refrigerate the dough for more than just “several hours” – 24 hours is ideal. Pro tip from Dorie Greenspan: Cut the cookies ½-inch thick and bake just one sheet at a time as the cookies will bake more evenly.)

Bake 10-12 minutes turning the sheet one time until the cookies are just set and barely brown on the bottoms. Cool on wire racks. (Pro tip from Dorie Greenspan: Because the cookies are still very soft when you remove the baking sheet from the oven, allow the cookies to remain on the sheet for a couple of minutes, just until they’re firm enough to handle, before transferring them to a rack to cool completely.)

Enjoy cookies with a glass of Fonseca BIN 27 Porto. The baked cookies may be stored in a tightly closed container or bag. Makes more than four dozen cookies.

(Pro tip from Dorie Greenspan: the yield is approximately 18 cookies if you cut the dough 1-inch thick; approximately 36 cookies if you cut the dough ½-inch thick.

HBHA ON TV — Last week 41 Action News (KSHB-TV) covered HBHA’s Destination Imagination, Inc. team as the students prepared to attend the DI Global Finals at the University of Tennessee beginning May 22. During the week-long competition, these teams will present their regional project and compete in open-ended challenges. These challenges require the team to solve a problem using a holistic approach of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) knowledge, improvisation, theater arts, writing, project management, communication innovation, teamwork and community service, in one of seven challenge categories. Here’s the link to the complete story: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5uT2q_rIc4&feature=youtu.be.

BRGR BURGER BATTLE — Our own David Small’s burger creation is one of six chosen to compete in BRGR’s Burger Battle. The burgers will be on the BRGR menu through the month of May. The burger ordered most often during that time will be added to the restaurant’s menu and its creator will receive one free burger a week for the rest of the year! Small’s burger is called the KC Butcher Burger and features a BRGR patty, hanger steak (cooked medium), Boursin horseradish cream cheese, caramelized onions, roasted garlic, sourdough and an onion ring.

MOTHER’S DAY IS SUNDAY — We all know mothers are the true heart of a Jewish family and If you didn’t get an appropriate card or gift for your mother yet, there’s still time to send her a Jewish Women International Mother’s Day e-card. Each $25 contribution allows JWI to send a Mother’s Day card to the woman of the sender’s choosing as well as for JWI to send bouquets of flowers and baskets of OPI beauty products to domestic violence shelters. SAFEHOME in Overland Park is one of the beneficiaries this year. Cards can be ordered at jwi.org/fp or by phone at 800-343-2823. Established in 1999 and officially known as the Flower Project, each year an average of 6,500 women and children who live in domestic violence shelters across the country have been positively impacted. Over this 15-year period an estimated 100,000 women and children have been touched, encouraged and inspired by the project.

LIBRARY FEATURES PAUL RUDD — In recent years the Kansas City native, featured in the Chanukah Jewish Life magazine, has become a comedy icon, thanks to his regular gig on TV’s “Friends” (he played Phoebe Buffay’s boyfriend, Mike) and high-profile roles in big-screen hits from the likes of Judd Apatow (“Knocked Up,” “Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy,” “This Is 40”). This summer the Kansas City Public Library will celebrate Rudd’s career with “Paul Rudd: Home Town Hero,” the “Off-the-Wall” series shown on the third Friday of the month at the Central Library on the Rooftop Terrace, 14 W. 10th Street in Kansas City, Mo. All the movies are free and the first is set for Friday, May 17. Most titles are recommended for adult audiences only. For more information visit kclibrary.org or call 816-701-3407.

I wear my overalls

I feel incredible

I’m plantin’ vegetables

For the hungry in the world

You may not know the tune to “Thrift Shop,” a Macklemore song that goes with these lyrics penned by Mitzvah Garden volunteer Gabriella Sonnenschein. But one doesn’t have to know the tune to understand that the lyrics express in simple words just how volunteers feel when they work in the garden.

This is the fourth year the Mitzvah Garden has used a parcel of land owned by The Temple, Congregation B’nai Jehudah to grow food to feed the hungry in our community. The garden now covers nearly half of an acre, having expanded from 10,000 square feet to 15,000 square feet since its inception. In the past three years it has yielded more than 15,000 pounds of food that have been donated to a variety of pantries including the JFS Food Pantry, Yachad-The Kosher Food Pantry, Grandview Assistance Program and the Blue Valley Multi-Service Center.

It’s estimated between 400 and 500 people volunteered in the garden last year alone. These volunteers are shepherded by Andrew Kaplan, Larry Lehman and Ken Sonnenschein. The three co-chairs work together hand in hand, with Kaplan managing the garden’s administration and finances, Lehman overseeing the gardening and Sonnenschein providing the Jewish education. Almost every time a group visits the garden to volunteer, a mini-Torah lesson relating to the season or the activity itself is provided.

The garden has been such a success, according to its co-chairs, because it’s one of the rare communal activities that is multi-generational. Volunteers range from children to seniors and come from every synagogue in the community, summer camps, organizations, the Jewish Society for Service and most youth groups.

There are two other reasons why the garden is a success according to its co-chairs.

“People can actually see the fruits of their labor and everyone loves to get their hands dirty!” Lehman said.

Volunteers are there every Sunday starting in early March by 9 a.m.

“By the time the August heat hits, we’re here by 7 a.m.,” Lehman said.

Regular volunteers will notice several new things this year at the garden. The first is the new path leading from the parking lot to the garden built by Tommy Poskin as part of his Eagle Scout project. He is a fourth-generation member of B’nai Jehudah who will be confirmed later this month and has served as a madrich at the congregation.

“Without this path, it was difficult to actually get to the garden from the parking lot,” Kaplan pointed out.

The garden has three planting seasons and produces such crops as lettuce, beets, Swiss chard, onions, potatoes, spinach, peppers and tomatoes. In a year or two it will produce apples and pears as well. Eight semi-dwarf apple and pear trees were planted in April. They are expected to bear fruit over a span of 25 to 30 years and yield about 12,000 pounds of fruit. Kaplan said it should take a year or two before they bear fruit and will be good producers by years four and five. “We hope, someday, to have an entire orchard,” Kaplan said.

True to his duty as garden educator, Sonnenschein led the group in the Shehechiyanu prayer as the trees were being planted.

“Blessed are You who has kept us, sustained us and brought us to this special moment,” Sonnenschein said.

Last summer’s drought was tough for the garden and some of the crops didn’t survive. The crops that did survive yielded much less useable produce than normal. Even the bees didn’t produce any honey.

Bees were brought to the garden a couple of years ago to help pollinate the plants. The bees make up a total of three colonies, which Kaplan said is all that the city of Overland Park allows. The hives will be maintained by Aaron Pfefer this year.

The drought meant the crops needed to be watered a lot. So B’nai Jehudah donated a considerable amount of water to help the garden. For that reason the congregation received the garden’s Golden Trowel award earlier this year.

“B’nai Jehudah is extremely generous when it comes to watering the garden and last year it was expensive,” Sonnenschein said.

This year a drip irrigation system is being added to help lower watering costs. This water capture system required the construction of a 30-feet by 40-feet open air structure. Plastic totes hold 4,000 gallons of rain water that can be distributed through a solar powered pumping system through several thousand feet of drip irrigation hoses that will provide approximately 25 percent of watering needs for the garden.

Kaplan said that $23,000 was raised from the community to build and install this system, which was developed by an Israeli company formerly run by Kibbutz Na’an in Israel and now owned by NanDanJain, a company in India. It took volunteers a year and a half to take this from an idea to reality. It was paid for by grants from BBYO, J-Lead, Flo Harris Foundation, B’nai Jehudah’s Brotherhood and Sisterhood and individual donors.

Funds for the garden itself have come from a variety of sources including Menorah Legacy Foundation, the Herman Levikow Foundation and the B’nai Tzedek Shuk.

Among other things, that money has paid to fence, plow, organically fertilize, seed, weed, and mulch the crops in the garden. During that time the “farmers,” as Kaplan refers to the volunteers, have also developed a leaf compost process to naturally incorporate much needed nutrients back into the soil. As a testament to its success, the garden was named Johnson County’s best community garden by 435 South magazine.

Kaplan attributes a lot of the garden’s success to Ben Sharda of the Kansas City Community Gardens.

“We needed help and he was that guy who taught us how to garden. He has a wealth of knowledge that helped us get to the next level,” Kaplan said.

The original Mitzvah Garden, a 640-square-foot plot of land located on the North side of Village Shalom, is also still active. Established 13 years ago, Sonnenschein said this year squash, gourds and herbs will be planted in it to be used for a sukkah project being organized in conjunction with the Kansas City Jewish Museum of Contemporary Art.

The battle for women’s rights in Israel has been making so much news recently it’s hard to keep track of the very latest. The woman who’s been at the forefront of this battle for many years now, Anat Hoffman, will be in Kansas City to talk about this and other issues on May 17, 18 and 19. (For details, see below.)

One of these battles, that of women being allowed to pray at the Western Wall, has intensified over recent months resulting in arrests when women prayed there. Last week, the Jerusalem District Court ruled that women in prayer shawls do not disturb the public order and should not have been arrested.

Hoffman, who is the executive director of the Israel Religious Action Center and an active member of the group known as Women at the Wall, said in a statement published by JTA, “Today Women of the Wall liberated the Western Wall for all Jewish people. We did it for the 8-year-old girl who can now dream of having her Bat Mitzvah at the Wall, and for the grandmother who cannot climb on a chair in order to see her grandson’s Bar Mitzvah. We did it for the great diversity of Jews in the world, all of whom deserve to pray according to their belief and custom at the Western Wall.”

Hoffman has not been fighting the battle for religious pluralism in Israel alone. One of the reasons she said she is coming to Kansas City is because of the efforts many members of this community have made to support the cause.

“The Kansas City Jewish community has made sure that Kansas City puts to shame all other cities in the United States for their support of rights in Israel,” Hoffman said.

There are four people in Kansas City that she calls a “nuclear blend” in helping promote these rights. She praises Rabbi Alan Londy for inviting her to Kansas City as The New Reform Temple’s Krasne scholar in resident.

“The Kansas City Jewish Community has the right to say what they think should be done in the Jewish state,” Hoffman said. “They have a duty. Zionism is not a spectator sport.”

She notes that Rabbi Arthur Nemitoff is a staunch supporter of a legal aid center for new olim fighting for conversion rights. Then there’s Rabbi Mark Levin, who fervently believes Jews in Israel should be able to have freedom of choice when it comes to marriage.

Last but not least there’s Bill Lowenstein, who champions the rights of women.

“He is giant fighting for women,” Hoffman said.

The crusade begins

Hoffman’s life and the issue of religious pluralism in Israel changed forever in 1988, when she was attending a conference with a group of women who simply wanted to pray at the Wall.

“I was just there because I own a folding table, and the hotel would not rent one to them,” she said, “that is how an historic moment occurs.”

Soon after, a group of women who eventually were called Women at the Wall gathered monthly at the Kotel for Rosh Hodesh services. Their desire to pray together, wearing tallit, caused the ultra Orthodox to attack them and try to keep them from praying. Nothing — court battles, arrests, media attention — kept the women away from the Wall.

Hoffman events at NRT, JCC open to the entire community

Anat Hoffman, executive director of the Israel Religious Action Center, will be in Kansas City the weekend of May 17-19 as the Krasne Scholar in Residence at New Reform Temple. The IRAC is the religious and political arm of Reform Judaism in Israel. Hoffman also has served as the chairman of Women at the Wall and previously served on the Jerusalem City Council for 14 years.

“There were several reasons why we invited Anat Hoffman as the Krasne Scholar. We wanted to do a program with something to do with Israel,” said Rabbi Alan Londy of New Reform Temple. “We wanted something that is directly connected to the Reform movement. And the issue of her being with the Women of the Wall all contributed to us making our decision.”

On Friday night, May 17, Hoffman will speak at 8 p.m. during services, on “From the Back of the Bus to the Top of the Agenda.” After a light breakfast on Saturday morning she will lead a Torah study at 9:15 a.m. on “The Critical Civil Rights Issues Facing the State of Israel.”

The community is invited to both events at New Reform Temple. Those wishing to attend the brunch on Saturday, need to make a reservation by calling 816-523-7809 by Monday, May 13.

“Anat Hoffman coming is a real important significance for New Reform Temple,” said Rabbi Londy, “because our leadership is very concerned with the issue of religious pluralism in Israel. We have a strong commitment in our congregation to nurture Reform Judaism in Israel. Her talk is very important to our religious and social agenda.”

In an effort to have her heard by as many people as possible, Rabbi Londy and New Reform Temple reached out to the community.

“We wanted to present to the community an opportunity for everyone to hear her,” said Rabbi Londy. “So the support of the rabbis and agencies was very important. I asked my colleagues to support this, and they did.”

With this successful effort, Hoffman will also be speaking at 7 p.m. Sunday, May 19, at the Jewish Community Center on “Religious Pluralism and the Future of the State of Israel.”

The program on Sunday night is co-sponsored by New Reform Temple, The Jewish Community Center, Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy, The Jewish Federation, The Rabbinical Association, Congregation Beth Torah, Congregation B’nai Jehudah, Congregation Beth Shalom, Kol Ami and Kehilath Israel Synagogue.

According to Chabad.org, every year on the holiday of Shavuot we renew our acceptance of G‑d’s gift and G‑d “re-gives” the Torah to us.

As the significance of Shavuot is discussed at the annual Tikkun Leyl Shavuot program May 14 at Kehilath Israel Synagogue (see box for details), Rabbi Steve Greenberg, the keynote speaker at this year’s celebration, would like nothing more than to see the Orthodox community become more accepting to the Jewish gay community. Rabbi Greenberg is the author of the groundbreaking book “Wrestling with God & Men: Homosexuality in the Jewish Tradition.”

Rabbi Greenberg received his Bachelor of Arts degree in philosophy from Yeshiva University and his rabbinical ordination from Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary. He is a graduate of the Jerusalem Fellows program, a two-year fellowship for senior Jewish educators sponsored by the Mandel Institute. His book is the basis of his keynote topic, “Wrestling with God and Men: Four Rationales for the Biblical Prohibition.”

The title of his speech alludes to Leviticus 18:22 that prohibits sex between men.

“There are various reasons that are given for the prohibition between sex and men,” said the rabbi. “My aim will be to limit the conversation a little bit because of the way in which the verse is written and the context.”

He said the title of his keynote may be understood better if it was “Wrestling with God and Men: Four rationales for addressing Leviticus 18:22.”

“But when you put 18:22 in a title, people go ‘huh?’ ”

A senior teaching fellow at CLAL-The National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership, Rabbi Greenberg came out as openly gay in 1999. Last year he and his partner, also named Steven, were civilly married in New York. They have a 2-year-old daughter, Amalia.

His book has just been published in Hebrew for the first time and when he appears in Kansas City he will have just returned from a trip to Israel to promote it. In the new forward he writes that it’s still very scary to be gay in the traditional world.

“Even just to admit to oneself that one is gay, can be frightening. I remember feeling at the age of 28 that were I to say the words, ‘I am gay,’ I would immediately be standing at the edge of a cliff with no idea how to take the next step. When all the good futures that one has ever imagined vanish, the despair can easily lead to self-destructive choices,” Rabbi Greenberg wrote.

He knows it would be easier to live his life if he chose to be Reform or Conservative and it doesn’t bother him if other people make that choice. But he grew up Orthodox and feels at home in an Orthodox community and that’s why he would like the more conservative community to become more inclusive.

“If you’re a kid growing up in an Orthodox community you’re in trouble because gay people didn’t stay and make room. There were only two options if you were gay. You were quiet and suffered in silence or you left. What that meant was if you were growing up in that community there was no one to talk to, and no means of understanding yourself. Lots of kids have basically harmed themselves, committed suicide, because they basically saw that there will be no life for them.

“My aim is to make sure that the tradition is responsible to everyone in the community. You wouldn’t want a tradition only responsible to people with green eyes or people who are right-handed or people who are full bodied and have no disabilities. You want them to be responsible to everybody. That’s what a religious tradition ought to do. So that’s what I’m trying to do, making it responsible to the whole community,” he said.

He believes the Orthodox community can become more accepting to gays.

“I see this as the contemporary challenge of new scientific and human understanding that pushes the system to respond in a new way to an issue,” he said. “What happens is circumstances just shift and the meaning or understanding of human relations of various kinds shift and the law needs to address the new circumstance, otherwise it becomes either cruel or irrelevant to the people living in that moment.”

At CLAL he is in charge of diversity programs and concentrates mostly on LGBT issues. In his bio for the organization, he is called a religious iconoclast — a non-conformist. He said non-conformism inside the Orthodox community is actually rather traditional.

“Non-conformism inside the community, inside the language of the tradition is an ordinary affair. In fact, there’s a hesitation to be comfortable with conformism because it leads to a certain kind of deadness in regard to religious responsibility, which is always a more vital affair. So I see myself as somewhat of a non-conformist in some areas,” he said.

On the other hand, he wonders if the desire to create a scenario in the government for same-sex marriage, is conformism or non-conformism.

“The fact that we want what ordinary, boring straight folks want, which is a committed life to somebody, is that conformism or is that iconoclastism? You can claim that single straight folks are much more challenging to the norm than are gay folks who want to get married.

“In other words I think the language is a little bit limited, meaning that I actually think that when the tradition comes to an impasse then sometimes the iconoclast is the person who shows the way to a richer engagement with the original religious values,” he explained.

The Jewish community was buzzing last week when people learned that a popular DJ in the community who is a youth soccer coach in Lee’s Summit was accused of making child pornography. Joel White was charged in U.S. District Court Tuesday, April 23, with producing child pornography by secretly videotaping members of his soccer team and was refused bond.

White owns Adida DJ Entertainment & Photography and by all accounts is one of the most popular DJs on the local Bar/Bat Mitzvah circuit. According to Facebook posts, White’s arrest sent many families scrambling to find another DJ for upcoming events.

A look at his Facebook page indicates that since January 2012 White — or an associate employed by his company — has entertained teens at more than 50 mitzvah celebrations. The last post is dated Feb. 27. The company also worked at several teen/family events held at Oakwood Country Club and entertained at a party for AZA 2’s chapter.

The Chronicle has also learned that several Jewish teenage girls worked for White or Adida DJ Entertainment & Photography as a dance girl or party pic photographer. None of the girls’ parents contacted by the The Chronicle wished to comment on the situation.

No one contacted by The Chronicle who had hired White to entertain at their events in the past ever had any suspicions he was involved in illegal acts involving children. Many did not want to speak on the record, or engage in lashon harah (gossip) about activities they know nothing about.

Michelle Cole hired White to be the DJ at her daughter’s Bat Mitzvah in 2010. She was pleased with his work and hired his company, which provided another DJ, to entertain at her son’s Bar Mitzvah earlier this year.

“I never would have thought of him like this. I never saw him acting inappropriately with any of the kids,” Cole said.

Another family who wishes to remain anonymous used White’s DJ service twice for Bar Mitzvah parties, in 2010 and 2012.

“Our family also saw him at many other Bar/Bat Mitzvah parties. He was always professional and appeared to have the kids’ best interests at heart. That is why this story is so disturbing. It is a reminder to have open dialogue with your children about child predators. Let them know that they can always come to you if they are ever put in an uncomfortable position,” said the mother.

Kevin Blayney, a Chronicle photographer who often photographs Bar and Bat Mitzvah celebrations in the community, has worked with White many times over the past five years. He most recently worked at an event with White on April 20, just days before White’s arrest.

“I always got along with him well,” Blayney said. “During the times I worked with him I felt he acted professionally. I have never seen Joel White ever act inappropriately with any guests while I was covering the same mitzvah celebration as he.”

He heard the news from a former client.

“I saw the TV story regarding his past history and still could not believe it. I thought I knew him, but apparently I only knew what he projected to others,” Blayney said.

“All everyone can do now is pray justice is served and the truth will come out,” he continued.