Israeli singer-songwriter Shlomo Katz is coming to Kansas City for one night only, Sunday, March 17. His concert is being presented by KC Kollel and Kehilath Israel Synagogue.

Katz’s musical style has been described as neo-Carlebach, a description the singer agrees with.

“As much as I sing my own original tunes, it was the heart and soul within the music of Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach, of blessed memory, who triggered my own interpretation of my soul through music,” said Katz, who has been producing music for more than a decade.

In fact Katz has been an integral part of building the “Shlomo Carlebach Legacy Trust,” which has been working to preserve, to publish and to distribute the legacy of the late rabbi as a Jewish national treasure (www.carlebachlegacy.com).

Katz was born in New Jersey but grew up in Raanana, Israel. He now lives with his wife Bina and daughters Tiferet and Ora Menucha in Neve Daniel, and said he was born into a family of musicians. He explains his rich musical heritage goes back many generations and includes his father Avshalom Katz, a master musician and chazzan. A prolific composer, Shlomo Katz writes solo as well as in collaboration with his brother Eitan Katz, Yehuda Solomon and Chaim David.

Katz’s first solo CD was “Malei Olam,” which he recorded after first doing “Keshoshana” with Chaim Dovid and Ahron Razel. Since then he has also recorded “Vehakohanim” and a live double album entitled “Live in Melbourne.” He has performed numerous concert tours throughout the Unites States, Israel, Argentina, Costa Rica, Australia, Hong Kong, Belgium, Canada, England and Germany.

He is also a rabbi, having received his rabbinic ordination from Rabbi Chaim Brovender and Rabbi Shlomo Riskin at Yeshivat Hamivtar in the summer of 2006. In addition to his musical career, he teaches at Yeshivat Torat Shraga and Yeshivat Simchat Shlomo.

Katz believes his particular brand of Jewish music can help others get close to Hashem.

“The definition of Jewish music is a very touchy subject. There is a lot of stuff out there labeled Jewish music, but unfortunately the only thing Jewish about them are the Hebrew words. To me, Jewish music is a song which triggers passion of love toward Hashem and which breaks down all barriers between people. If while I’m singing I’m not praying, it might not be Jewish music, it might be just good music,” he said.

K.I.’s Rabbi Shmuly Yanklowitz met Katz and learned with him while in yeshiva in Israel.

“I was often deeply touched by his niggunim (spiritual melodies) and his soulful Torah teachings,” Rabbi Yanklowitz said.

“Bringing Reb Shlomo here is a huge opportunity for our city to tap into a very deep spiritual place together that we can continue to build off of as we launch a spiritual revolution here in Kansas City,” he continued.

Rabbi Binyomin Davis said the Kollel is very excited to partner with K.I. to bring this top-notch musician here.

“I have always felt like music is an extremely powerful tool for bringing the spiritual aspect of Judaism alive. I hope that people will welcome the opportunity to bring the beauty and joy of Judaism to life. I always tell families that if you want your children to love Judaism, take any chance you can to bring it into your children’s lives; that’s what we personally try to do as parents, and that’s why I see this program as vital to the Kollel’s mission of bringing vibrancy and meaning to the Jewish community here in K.C.,” Rabbi Davis said.

Katz has always enjoyed providing “beautiful music,” but never really intended to get in the music business.

“However, seeing that it is impossible to be able to reach out and get my music out to the world without the business elements, once I saw the calling, I had a few angels who began to open gates for me in their hometowns. From that point on it’s hard for me to understand how things got rolling, but they have been rolling, thank G-d, ever since,” he said.

In addition to Rabbi Yanklowitz, Katz has other friends in the area as well who have been trying to get him to bring his music here for quite a while.

“Over the years, a number of my closest friends spent time with the Kollel Torah Mitziyon in Kansas City, and always tried setting something up for me, but I guess the time wasn’t right until now. I am also very close to members of the Claster and Wajcman families,” he said.

As we get closer to Passover, he hopes his music will help those concertgoers prepare for the holiday.

“We live with the times, and the times are directing us toward becoming free over Pesach. We invite everyone to come and give their souls a bit of a massage with music and stories coming from Yerushalayim, the eternal capital of freedom.”

Siblings Sam Devinki, Ida Kolkin and Karen Pack recently became members of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum’s Founders Society with cumulative giving of $1 million that will establish The Fred and Maria Devinki Memorial Fellowship Fund within the Museum’s Center for Advanced Holocaust Studies. The fund will support the museum’s fellowship program for research on the Holocaust and related education and publications.

The center’s goal is to provide an ongoing institutional support structure for scholars at all stages of their scholarly careers — from graduate students and junior faculty to post-doctoral researchers and senior scholars. The center’s visiting scholar programs, research initiatives, archival collection program, seminars for faculty, research workshops, publications, symposia, and other activities have made the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum one of the world’s principal venues for Holocaust scholarship.

The Devinki children have been dedicated supporters of the museum for the last 18 years. Sam Devinki served on the museum’s presidentially-appointed council, the museum’s governing body, from 2003 to 2008. In 2012, he was presented with the museum’s Wings of Memory Leadership Award for the Midwest Region for his more than two decades of dedication supporting the museum on a local, national and international level. Additionally, each year, he leads a group of ninth-grade students from Kansas City to the museum.

“The entire family went to Washington, D.C., in 1993 to celebrate the opening of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum,” Sam Devinki said. “It was an overwhelming experience for our parents. There were tears of joy and sadness. They felt the museum would now be a living memorial to the over 100 family members who were murdered in the Shoah. They taught us that there were three values above everything — family, our Jewish heritage and education.”

Both their parents’ families’ lived in Wodzislaw, Poland, 30 miles north of Krakow at the beginning of World War II. The Devinki children’s paternal grandmother and maternal grandfather were both murdered by the Nazis. Their maternal grandfather’s business partner, Jozef Gondrowicz was a member of the Polish nationalist resistance movement Armia Krajowa (A.K. or Home Army.) He alerted the family that the Nazis were coming to liquidate the Wodzislaw ghetto. Gondrowicz arranged to hide Sam’s parents and other family members in a 10’ x 15’ dirt hole underneath a barn where they remained for 26 months.

After the war, their parents, Maria and Fred Devinki, went to Regensburg, a displaced persons camp, and eventually immigrated to Kansas City. There they built the successful real estate development firm that remains in the family to this day.

“The Devinki family has been actively involved with the museum since the very beginning, so to receive this generous gift in our 20th Anniversary year is very meaningful,” museum Director Sara J. Bloomfield said. “We are most grateful for their partnership in helping us ensure that Holocaust history remains a vital subject of academic research and public education.”

A living memorial to the Holocaust, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum inspires citizens and leaders worldwide to confront hatred, prevent genocide, and promote human dignity. Federal support guarantees the museum’s permanent place on the National Mall, and its far-reaching educational programs and global impact are made possible by generous donors. For more information, visit www.ushmm.org.

Last week marked the pinnacle of the rejuvenation of the Jewish Community Center of Greater Kansas City. After nearly six years of renovation efforts, the JCC is seeing the fruits of its labors and is taking time to thank those who made the projects possible.

On Feb. 27, in the main lobby at the Jewish Community Campus, 75 honored guests joined the JCC’s executive leadership and many current and previous board members to celebrate the completion of two major projects: the Capital and Endowment Campaign and the Child Development Center (CDC) Expansion. The reception was held to honor and thank the donors who contributed to these renovation projects and to unveil two major donor plaques, one for each campaign.

The Capital and Endowment Campaign began in 2007 when the JCC’s Fitness and Sports center was in need of modernization. The JCC was losing members to the growing number of new health and fitness facilities in the area. In order to stay competitive, the JCC, with board president Lon Lowenstein at the helm, decided to embark on an over $3 million refurbishment campaign. The renovations started even before the money was raised in order to combat declining membership.

The campaign ultimately yielded over $3.3 million from individual and corporate donors in the community and included a $1.2 million matching grant from a collaborative committee comprised of the Jewish Community Foundation, Menorah Legacy Foundation and the Jewish Heritage Foundation.

Following the Grand Re-Opening of the Fitness and Sports center in 2008, the JCC saw an immediate 14 percent increase in membership within one year. Since then, total membership has increased by more than 23 percent. The campaign and subsequent membership increases reversed consecutive annual deficits and the JCC has been operating in the black since 2010.

The JCC also recently completed the CDC expansion, a project that began in 2012.

WHAT A MENSCH! — We’ve heard a lot of heart-warming stories the past couple of weeks how people have helped others weather the storms. We’re happy to share a story about someone many of us know in the Jewish community — Mike Boresow. On Friday morning March 1 he was driving on I-435 heading north toward 95th Street when he saw a car spin out of control, flip over and go down a hill. Boresow pulled over onto the shoulder of the road and trudged down the hill through the snow drifts to see if he could help. “When I got to the car I saw a young woman very upset and worried about her 1-year-old baby in the back seat. I checked out the baby and she seemed fine but immediately called 911,” Boresow said. “It was very scary … Luckily they both had their seat belts on because the car was demolished and the side window completely broken out.” Mother and daughter are fine and apparently this isn’t the first time Boresow has done this type of thing. While some call him a hero, he heaps praise on the emergency personnel. In my book, they are all heroes!

A NEW PLACE TO HANG HIS HAT — Regulars at Hen House’s kosher deli may have noticed this week they didn’t see Binyomin Mazer on the job. That’s because he joined the staff of Village Shalom, effective Friday, March 1, as full-time mashgiach. In that capacity, he will supervise the kitchen in Rachel’s Cafe, the only full-time kosher restaurant in the Kansas City area. He also will oversee meal service for Village Shalom residents who observe kashrut.

“This is a new position for Village Shalom,” said Tami Middleton, director of human resources, “and we’re very excited to have him on staff. It’s something the community has been requesting for a long time.”

Having a full-time, dedicated mashgiach on staff represents an expansion of the role at Village Shalom. It includes increased supervision of the kosher kitchen, menu development, cooking and staff training, as well as family and resident education on Jewish dietary laws. This structure gives the mashgiach the authority and opportunity to make a meaningful impact for residents and the entire community.

While Village Shalom has continually had mashgichim on site to oversee kosher food preparation, those individuals have been employed by the Vaad HaKashruth of Kansas City. As a Village Shalom employee, Mazer will continue to collaborate with the Vaad, and will also work directly with the organization’s food services staff, comprised of contract employees of Aramark, a provider of food services staffing and support.

TOP COOKBOOK —  The IACP: The International Association of Culinary Professionals has announced its 2013 finalists for best cookbooks and the “Back in the Swing: Recipes for Eating and Living Well Every Day After Breast Cancer” is one of them! Written by Barbara Unell and Judith Fertig and published by Andrews McMeel Publishing in August 2012, this life-affirming book is full of 150 feel-good recipes that are specifically designed to help breast cancer survivors get back in the swing of joyful, healthy living. Proceeds benefit Back in the Swing!

The nasty winter weather that impacted Overland Park Monday night and Tuesday morning may have kept the Jewish community away from the opening of the new Hy-Vee store located at 8501 W. 95th Street, but when they do visit they will be greeted by a wide selection of kosher goods stocked by the Iowa-based grocery chain. The kosher cases aren’t even completely filled yet.

“We didn’t get our complete delivery of meat yet,” said Kosher Department Manager Meir Anton as he showed off the dry good shelves, dairy and meat cases in the 80,000-square-foot store.

Anton explained the store, which is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, currently assigns a 36-foot aisle to dry packaged goods. Two separate cooler sections, a total of 14 feet of space, are devoted to kosher dairy products and meat.

This is comparable to the space devoted to kosher foods by Hen House Market at 117th and Roe Avenue in Leawood. Hen House is the only retail store in the area where consumers can purchase kosher foods freshly prepared on site.

“I think our section is at least as big as the one at Hen House,” Anton said. “I don’t think there’s any other local store that devotes more space to kosher products than us.”

This will be the biggest kosher section for Hy-Vee anywhere in the market, according to Jeremy Bergman, the store’s manager of perishables.

“It’s at least three of four times the size of the kosher department either the 91st Street and Metcalf store had or the one at 95th and Quivira had,” he said. “It might even be the biggest kosher section company wide.”

“Everything is brand new. It’s a nice, pretty, big section,” Anton added.

Unlike Hen House, Hy-Vee is not currently under the supervision of the Vaad HaKashruth of Greater Kansas City. If it chooses to offer fresh kosher offerings in the future, such as an occasional kosher night, Anton said Hy-Vee will seek the proper certification.

Catering to the neighborhood

The grocery store is located within walking distance of Congregation Beth Israel Abraham & Voliner and the boundaries of the eruv where a large number of observant Jewish families live. Kehilath Israel Synagogue and the Torah Learning Center are also located close to the store.

Chaim White is an observant Jew who lives close to the store and operates KC Kosher Co-op. He first approached Hy-Vee about establishing a kosher section to cater to the nearby Jewish population more than a year ago when he heard the company was closing two stores and merging them into this large, brand-new store.

“I explained to them the proximity to the BIAV community and the importance the kosher section could have,” White said.

After that first meeting, White actually plotted out on a map every Jewish home he knew about that was in a one-half mile radius of the store using a computer program. He believes there were more than 100 pinpoints on the map.

Bergman, who had worked at the 91st Street store, said the company was already aware there was a calling for a bigger kosher section at that location. Once Hy-Vee investigated the new area and met several more times with White, Anton said the company decided to initiate a large kosher section and “see how it works out.”

Stocking the shelves

White’s KC Kosher Co-op, which has a product catalog containing thousands of items, currently serves as this Hy-Vee’s kosher dry goods supplier.(The co-op does not supply the store’s meat.) In fact he and his wife Katie actually helped Anton physically stock the shelves before the store’s grand opening this week.

“Hy-Vee is a pretty awesome business from what I’ve seen so far,” said White, who helped store employees determine what to put on shelves initially based on past buying choices of KC Kosher Co-op customers.

In the future, Anton will handle all the ordering responsibilities. He said the store’s meat selections currently include beef, chicken, lamb and cold cuts. Anton believes this Hy-Vee carries more Israeli products than other stores in the area as well as a large number of Chalav Yisroel products, including yogurts, cheeses and other refrigerator/freezer items.

The store also carries Farm to Market bread, many of which are kosher, because the product line was specifically requested by potential customers.

“Be sure to check the certification,” Anton pointed out.

He added that the store will also carry freshly baked kosher challah every Thursday and Friday. Unlike the other Farm to Market breads, which can be found in the bakery section, challah will be located near the kosher aisle for customer convenience.

Specializing in customer service

Anton said customer requests are welcome and encouraged.

“Unlike other stores, I have more freedom to order things that people would like. Each store has the autonomy to order what it needs,” he said.

Another thing Anton and Bergman want customers to know is that customers can always count on fresh meat and dairy.

“Anything we sell fresh is thrown out two days before its expiration date,” he said.

Anton was hired in early February and has served as a mashgiach at a meat plant south of Wichita. He is attending classes at Johnson County Community College, in addition to his full-time job at the store, in pursuit of a business degree. He grew up in Israel, moved to the United States when he was about 15, lives about a mile away from his new place of employment and is a member of BIAV.

“We are really hoping the community supports us. It can be hard to get to Hen House at the last minute just before Shabbos. This is very nice and very convenient,” said Anton, who as a kosher consumer himself thinks he has the insight into what people want to purchase.

Anton believes Hy-Vee’s prices in the market are competitive as well.

“I’ve done some comparison shopping and I think our prices average 20 percent cheaper than at other stores,” he said.

Rabbi Arthur Nemitoff shared the statistic that there are about a billion people who go to bed every day hungry, without enough food to sustain them, people who are starving. The senior rabbi of The Temple, Congregation B’nai Jehudah said that there is another billion people on our planet who are undernourished and are just one step away to spiraling down into the vortex of hunger from which there is little chance of survival.

So he, and the other rabbis organizing the Rabbinical Assocation’s annual second night of Passover seder, wants to bring the issue of devastating hunger to the attention of the local Jewish community. One of the best ways to do that is at a Passover seder, where the focus is on two things: freedom and food.

“What’s the story of Passover about? It’s a story of liberation and about freedom. What is more shackling, what is more imprisoning, than to be hungry?” Rabbi Nemitoff said. “How do we pay attention to that?”

This year the seder will be held at Congregation Beth Shalom. Rabbi David Glickman said the Conservative congregation is looking forward to hosting the event and he is “excited to help lead the seder with Rabbi Nemitoff.”

Rabbi Alexandria Shuval-Weiner of B’nai Jehudah always finds the second night seder to be a great opportunity for members of different congregations to engage together.

“They are learning together, they are experiencing the beauty of seder together and they are sharing in dialogues,” she said.
“It also gives people who are unaffiliated a nice introduction to meeting the different rabbis in the community and helping to foster a sense of connection, so hopefully they can find a spiritual home,” she continued.

In addition to Rabbis Glickman, Nemitoff and Shuval-Weiner, the seder will also be led by Rabbis Doug Alpert and Scott White and Cantor Sharon Kohn.

The food will be prepared at Beth Shalom by Kosher Connection catering under the supervision of the Vaad HaKashruth of Greater Kansas City.

“Even though Beth Shalom has a kosher kitchen year round and we would make our kitchen kosher for Passover anyway, we are partnering with the Vaad HaKashruth so that anyone from the entire community can easily participate,” Rabbi Glickman explained. At the seder, the food will be served under his supervision.

A continued focus on hunger

Rabbi Nemitoff explained that for the past few years the community seder has tried to create a sense of moving from slavery to freedom in several ways. The first part of the seder was done in a physically uncomfortable setting. Then a creative maggid  (story) section allowed the participant to experience the seder in a lot of different ways.

“We concluded with what one would consider a festive Pesach meal at the conclusion of the service,” Rabbi Nemitoff said.

He said the difference is this year the seder will focus solely on the issue of food and the issue of hunger.

“We did that in the past with cooking for the homeless during the seder during the maggid experience. But the entire seder this year is going to focus on food,” he said.

Rabbi Nemitoff noted one of the most important lines of the seder comes at the very beginning, and it’s focus is food.

“We say, ‘Ha lachma anya. This is the bread of affliction, let all who are hungry come and eat.’ What does that mean to us, we who live in a very privileged world?” he asked.

Because we say, “let all who are hungry come and eat,” Rabbi Glickman said there is a natural synthesis between the themes of the seder and centering this particular seder around the issue of hunger. In addition, he pointed out that hunger and food uncertainty issues have been widely discussed by the Rabbinical Association over the past few months, as has the new JFS Food Pantry.

“So this is a natural overlap for the Rabbinical Association,” he said.

Partnering with MAZON

This is the first time the event will partner with MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger. The MAZON Haggadah will be used to retell the story of the Jewish people’s journey from slavery to freedom with story, song and interactive discussion.

“The overwhelming feeling of the Rabbincal Association was if there is a way to not only have this be a spiritually meaningful seder, but also one that points us toward action in the world with such a great partner organization such as MAZON, we should leap at that opportunity,” Rabbi Glickman said.

It was Rabbi Shuval-Weiner who suggested the use of the MAZON Haggadah this year. She believes this Haggadah will give the rabbis the opportunity to “beautifully articulate” the issues of hunger and the “broader issues that as Jews we have an obligation to deal with.”

Overall she believes our community is already doing great things regarding the issue of hunger.

“Every congregation does amazing food drives. The JFS Food Pantry has been established. Kosher Meals on Wheels is getting started. We’re doing a lot on the ground to feed the hungry, but we need to be thinking above that,” she said.

“It’s my prayer that this seder will give us the language to start having this conversation,” she continued.

In the spirit of the seder, participants are also encouraged to contribute 3 percent of their meal cost to MAZON. Rabbi Nemitoff explained that from its inception, MAZON has asked people to donate 3 percent of the cost of the food they served at their simcha as a way of helping some of the hungry in this country and in other parts of North America. Here in Kansas City, Harvesters receives funds from MAZON.

“What’s lovely is there is an anonymous donor from B’nai Jehudah who has volunteered to match all of those 3 percent donations. It will end up being 6 percent that will be donated on behalf of the Kansas City Jewish community to MAZON,” Rabbi Nemitoff said.

Community Hunger Seder details

The Jewish community’s annual second night of Passover seder will take place at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 26, at Congregation Beth Shalom. Advance reservations are mandatory and must be received by Monday, March 18; fees increase after that date. Seating is limited so organizers suggest making reservations early to be assured a spot at the seder.

Registration forms are available online at www.kcrabbis.org and at area congregations. For information or to inquire about confidential financial assistance, contact Annette Fish, administrator/program director of the Rabbinical Association, by email, or call 913-327-4622.

The community seder is sponsored by the Rabbinical Association of Greater Kansas City, Jewish Family Services, the Hy and Bella Vile Legacy Fund of the Jewish Community Foundation of Greater KC and supported by congregations.

At Ethan Loftspring’s first chapter B’nai Brith Youth Organization meeting for Nordaunian AZA, he became sergeant at arms. Since then, he’s climbed through the ranks, never looking back.

A senior at Blue Valley North, Ethan has been vice president of recruitment, president of the Nordaunian chapter and is now president of the Kansas City Council of BBYO.

“I had good ideas, and I could use my different social skills to get more people involved,” said Ethan, who is the son of Sharon and Peter Loftspring.

His skills at public speaking, remembering people’s names and spreading his enthusiasm for new programs and activities have been major assets in helping build up the local BBYO chapters.

“We’ve kept drugs and alcohol out of the programs, added more community service and communitywide events and (made it) a more positive experience for Jewish teens in Kansas City,” Ethan said.

BBYO Program Director Taly Yeyni appreciates Ethan’s contributions to the organization.

“He exudes confidence and is really good at making people feel welcome. He really goes out of his way to make (new people) feel comfortable,” she said.

When a newcomer from Liberty, Mo., arrived at a BBYO event, Ethan was in his element, Yeyni said.

“This kid knew nobody there. Ethan stood by his side, introduced him to people and really made this kid feel special and welcome,” she said. “I think he’s a big reason the AZA has grown in numbers tremendously over the last six months.”

The 18-year-old’s biggest BBYO achievement came recently when he helped organize the BBYO international convention held in Washington, D.C., Feb. 14-18.

“There were six of us from all across the world. We planned it over daily conference calls on Skype,” he said. “I wasn’t really good at time management before, but when you have classes, BBYO, piano and basketball, you have to learn time management skills, or you don’t succeed.”

It wasn’t just your ordinary youth group convention. Ethan and his fellow planners put together an A-list group of speakers and performers, including U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice, the U.S. Marine Corps Band, the Capitol Steps comedy ensemble, and even President Barack Obama himself, via video.

“It was really inspirational. These people are passionate about what they do, and kids were inspired (by them) to go out into Washington. D.C., and do community service at 35 different sites around the area,” Ethan said.

His favorite part about BBYO conventions is celebrating Shabbat with so many different people.

“Kids from Albania, France and Serbia all knew the same prayers that I did. I couldn’t even communicate with some of them, but to hear the Bulgarians sing the Shema right next to me was an amazing feeling,” Ethan said.

Here in town, he’s hoping to create some programming that will join all the different Jewish youth groups together for community service programs.

“We can build a stronger class of Jewish leaders; we can really make a difference if we come together,” he said.

Beyond BBYO, Ethan stays involved in the Kansas City Jewish community through his work as a Sunday school teacher for fifth graders at Congregation Beth Shalom.

“You have to connect with them, sometimes as their friend and sometimes as their teacher, but you have to balance it. Being closer to their age helps me talk with them and connect with them,” he said.

Ethan recalled one student who didn’t know any Hebrew at the start of the year, but by then end, he’d helped her catch up to her peers.

For his own studies, he participated in the Jewish Student Union’s JC scholars program last semester, where he studied issues of the Torah with a modern twist.

“Every week, we’d choose a different topic — business, death, medicine — and we’d start off with a modern article, then find places in the Torah and commentary to talk about Jewish views about it,” Ethan said.

He’s planning to keep expanding his own education after high school by spending next year studying in Israel before attending college. Many of his friends from BBYO will be there with him.

When he returns, he’s planning to study biomedical engineering and hopes to become a doctor one day.

Rabbi Shlomo Riskin, chief rabbi of Efrat, Israel, will be at Kehilath Israel Synagogue as part of the Caviar Family Jewish Scholar in Residence series on Wednesday, March 6. His presentation “Women in Jewish Law, which will be followed by a question-and-answer session, begins at 7 p.m. and will continue until 8:30 p.m. The evening will conclude with a dessert bar. The event is free and open to the public.

In addition to his chief rabbi duties, Rabbi Riskin is also dean of Ohr Torah Stone Institutions and president of the Robert M. Beren College, a part of Beit Morasha in Jerusalem. His regular Parashat Shavua columns and articles appear weekly in the Jerusalem Post as well as in dozens of newspapers and magazines throughout the world.

Rabbi Riskin was born and raised in New York City. He graduated from Yeshiva University, having majored in the classics, and received his masters degree in Jewish history. In 1982 Rabbi Riskin was awarded his doctorate in near-Eastern studies by New York University and received smicha — rabbinical ordination — from Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik at the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Rabbinical Seminary.

Rabbi Riskin is one of the founders and the first spiritual leader of the Lincoln Square Synagogue in New York, which he led for 19 years. In 1983, at the peak of his profession, he left New York to become the rabbi of Efrat, an Israeli city eight miles south of Jerusalem, which he helped found and establish. Efrat is now a flourishing community of close to 12,000 people.

Rabbi Riskin also founded and serves as chancellor and rosh yeshiva of Ohr Torah Stone Institutions, a network of more than 3,000 students ranging from junior-high schools to post-graduate programs preparing leaders of world Jewry. Each program is characterized by a synthesis of Jewish values, Zionist ideals and a commitment to social justice. Rabbi Riskin’s rabbinical seminary and emissarial training programs prepare dozens of rabbis and educators each year, including K.I.’s Rabbi Shmuly Yanklowitz, and place them in positions of spiritual and educational leadership around the world.

Rabbi Yanklowitz said when he first learned of the rabbi’s yeshiva in Israel, he immediately quit his corporate job and went there to study for two years. He now calls it one of the most important decisions he has made in his life.

“Rabbi Riskin represents Jewish ideals that I admire so much. He has been a pioneer as a builder of Israel, a tireless pastor, a warrior for justice, and a dynamic educator. He opened me up to a whole new realm of potential,” said Rabbi Yanklowitz, who completed his third rabbinic ordination following completion of his studies with Rabbi Riskin.

Rabbi Yanklowitz explained that Rabbi Riskin will discuss the role of women in Judaism from a halachic perspective.

“He has been a cutting edge thinker about tradition and feminism in the Orthodox movement and as a legal authority and activist in Israel,” Rabbi Yanklowitz continued.

Ohr Torah Stone’s revolutionary programs include a Legal Aid Center for Agunot and a women’s “hesder” program enabling observant women to serve in the Israeli army.

A teacher par excellence, Rabbi Riskin has been hailed for his ability to craft his words so that they reach every listener in a highly personal way. He is also an innovative interpreter of Judaism, having authored nine books.

The New Reform Temple will welcome Anat Hoffman as its annual Krasne Scholar in Residence this spring. Hoffman is executive director of the Israel Religious Action Center (IRAC), as well as a founding member and chairwoman of Women of the Wall (WOW).

Her life and career have been informed by a profound commitment to social action, justice and the Jewish principle of tikkun olam (repairing the world).

• Friday, May 17: Hoffman will speak at 8 p.m. during the Friday night service on the topic “From the Back of the Bus to the Top of the Agenda.”

• Saturday, May 18: Following a light breakfast at 9:15 a.m., Hoffman will lead Torah Study at 10 a.m.

• Sunday, May 19: Anat Hoffman will address the Jewish community at the Jewish Community Center at 7 p.m.

As executive director of IRAC since 2002, Hoffman leads an organization that was founded to advance religious pluralism in Israeli society and to serve as the public and legal advocacy arm of the Reform Movement in Israel.

Prior to joining IRAC, she held a seat on the Jerusalem City Council for 14 years. While standing in opposition to the policies of the city’s right-wing and ultra-Orthodox administration, she carved out a niche for herself as a tireless warrior for justice and equality.

As chairwoman of WOW, she leads an organization whose mission is “to achieve the social and legal recognition of our right, as women, to wear prayer shawls, pray and read from the Torah collectively and out loud at the Western Wall.”

In recent years, ultra-Orthodox Jews in Israel have demanded increased standards of modesty for women in the public sphere. This has resulted in segregation between men and women in public transportation, the exclusion of women from public ceremonies and events, discrimination against girls wishing to celebrate Bat Mitzvahs at the Wall, and the silencing of women singers on the radio and at Army ceremonies.

Hoffman has fought to see that the powerful Orthodox bloc in the city council does not dictate lifestyle choices for the secular population of Jerusalem. Significantly, in a city split by religious differences, she has fought tirelessly for religious pluralism. She has also fought for adequate municipal services for the more than 200,000 Palestinian residents of Jerusalem.

Hoffman became a lightning rod in the struggle for the rights of non-Orthodox Jews in Israel when, on Oct. 16, 2012, she was arrested at the Wall while conducting a prayer service in honor of Hadassah’s centennial birthday.

She was born in Jerusalem and was an Israeli swimming champion while in her teens. After serving in the Israeli Army, she received her Bachelor of Science degree in psychology at the University of California, Los Angeles, and then pursued graduate studies at Bar-Ilan University in Tel Aviv.

In recent years, Hoffman has become a sought-after lecturer, addressing audiences in Israel and in the United States on subjects close to her heart: social justice, religious pluralism, Jewish-Arab coexistence, and equal rights for women and minorities. Hoffman has also served on the boards of the Israel Women’s Network, the Association for Civil Rights in Israel, and many other Israeli organizations for social change.

The Krasne Scholar in Residence Program sheds light on important modern Jewish issues through formal and informal presentations of intellectual and educational value. As scholar in residence, Hoffman will look at some of the landmark victories over segregation and exclusion and explore the challenges that still remain.

The Kansas City Jewish community is invited to attend this program. Those who plan to attend the breakfast on Saturday are asked to RSVP to NRT at 816-523-7809 by Monday, May 13.

Twenty-eight Kansas City teens attended BBYO, Inc.’s annual International Convention over President’s Day weekend in Washington, D.C. The more than 2,000 Jewish teen leaders of AZA and BBG, BBYO’s renowned leadership platform and high school fraternity and sorority, educators, thought leaders, volunteers and philanthropists from 18 countries, were treated to a variety of high-level speakers, including a welcome video message from President Obama.

The president’s remarks included this charge, “this gathering gives you a chance to affirm your faith and recommit yourselves to the enduring values this organization represents.” He then encouraged the teens to return home, spread their enthusiasm and show the important role that young people play in making a difference in society.

In addition to the president, the convention body heard from Michael Froman, assistant to the president of the United States and deputy national security advisor for international economic affairs. Froman, an alumnus of BBYO and former Grand Aleph Godol (international teen president of AZA), referenced BBYO as having contributed most to who he is today.

Teens in Kansas City played a big role in planning the convention. Ethan Loftspring, a senior at Blue Valley North High School, served as the Shabbat and rituals chair. Ethan worked with a steering committee of teens from all over to plan 24 unique, teen-led Shabbat services that celebrated the pluralism of BBYO.

Gavri Schreiber, another senior at BVN, was selected as the one teen to participate on a panel called “Teens, Texting and Torah: Opportunities for the Jewish Teen Experience” for adult stakeholders and the BBYO international board of directors. Gavri also helped plan the BBYO Connect Engagement Summit, an opportunity for teen leaders to come together to engage in discussion and training around BBYO Connect, the BBYO program for sixth- to eighth-graders.

Grant Sander, a junior at Blue Valley Northwest, represented Kansas City Council at the BBYO Connect Engagement Summit.

Three Kansas City Council chapters were presented with the most prestigious awards that a chapter can win. B’not Lev BBG and Saadia BBG won The Miriam Albert Chapter Excellence Award of the B’nai B’rith Girls. Nordaunian AZA #22 earned the Henry Monsky Chapter Excellence Award of The Aleph Zadik Aleph. Ten teens from Kansas City Council won awards for their leadership and dedication to BBYO, as well as their commitment to growing BBYO.

The teens participated in a BBYO Stand UP Day of Service and Advocacy plenary. The teen leadership body presented the Annual BBYO Stand UP Lifetime Achievement Award to DNC Chairwoman and Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.), who spoke about the importance of standing up for critical causes of the day. The convention body also heard remarks from Josh Mandel, a Marine Corps veteran and state treasurer of Ohio. Wrapping up the plenary, United States Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice delivered a call to action before the delegates went into the D.C. community for hands-on service and advocacy training.

“IC was so amazing. Getting to play opening ceremonies with the Teen Band was such an unbelievable experience. I made so many new friends, and I learned so much.” said Rachel Kennelly, a junior at Pembroke Hill School. “It was my first International BBYO program, and even as a junior who never did a summer program, people were so awesome and welcoming. Thanks to IC, I’m now looking into doing a BBYO Summer Program. I learned so much, made some amazing friends, and I can’t wait for IC in Dallas in 2014.”

For nearly 90 years, this convention has served to unite the rising leaders of AZA and BBG, to set the course for the coming year, determine strategies for strengthening BBYO as a youth-led movement and connect teens to the worldwide Jewish community.

For more information on BBYO in Kansas City, contact Taly Yeyni, BBYO program director at or 913-327-8071.