MORE CHICKEN SOUP — Deborah Shouse, local writer, editor and creativity coach, recently had two essays published in “Chicken Soup for the Caregiver’s Soul.” Shouse and her partner Ron Zoglin have traveled the globe, sharing stories focused on finding the blessings and gifts of the caregiver’s journey through Alzheimer’s. Using Deborah’s book, “Love in the Land of Dementia: Finding Hope in the Caregiver’s Journey,” they have raised more than $80,000 for Alzheimer’s research and programs. The book was put together by Joan Lunden with Amy Newmark, publisher of “Chicken Soup for the Soul,” and published in March.

ISRAELI ATHLETE SINGS, TOO — A loyal reader sent me this little gem last week by way of www.mideasttruth.com. JTA also provided this report:
Moran Samuel, a wheelchair-bound Israeli athlete, has another talent: singing. On April 29, Samuel won the gold medal in rowing at the International Adaptive Regatta in Gavirate, Italy. But organizers had failed to secure a recording of “Hatikvah.” No anthem? No prob. On the podium, Moran took the mic and belted a dazzling a cappella rendition of the Israeli national anthem. Hear her rendition of “Hatikvah” at http://www.mideasttruth.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=10911.

HONORING PRECIOUS LIVES — Habtnesh Ezra, President of the Ethiopian Jewry Foundation, Inc. wants the worldwide Jewish community to know that Ethiopian Jews remain grateful for the love and aid that concerned Jews around the world have given them to help them realize their dream of aliyah “However, over 4,000 Ethiopian Jews tragically lost their lives for Judaism en route to and in the refugee camps in Sudan before their dream of aliyah could be realized. Their righteous memory will be observed throughout Israel on Sunday, May 20.” Ezra is asking everyone to join Ethiopian Jewry in remembering this loss of precious Jewish life in your prayers and thoughts on this date.

In today’s mobile society, it’s hard to find someone who has spent 35 years at the same job. In 1977, when Rabbi Herbert J. Mandl arrived in Kansas City to serve Kehilath Israel Synagogue, even he would have said it would be tough to fathom that he’d be here that long.

“I absolutely thought this would be an intermediary stop. I had never been to the Midwest before. I had been the assistant rabbi in a mega congregation and I assumed I would end up on the East Coast in a mega congregation,” he said.

But he and his family fell in love with Kansas City and the congregation, which now serves 600 members. So much so that when he retires on Aug. 1, he has no immediate plans to leave the area.

“Three of our four children live in New York, so I expect down the road we’ll move to that area. But for now we’re sticking around,” Rabbi Mandl said in a recent interview.

The congregation is honoring Rabbi Mandl with a gala weekend June 1 through June 3 (see below for details). Now 67, he is enjoying looking back at the past 35 years and ahead to the future.

Keeping the tradition

The rabbi was born and raised in Baltimore. He went to rabbinical school after graduating from Johns Hopkins University and was ordained by the Jewish Theological Seminary of America in New York City in 1969. While serving his first two congregations in Canada, he began working on his doctorate from the University of Montreal. He completed it in May 1981 here in Kansas City. He obtained an Orthodox ordination in 1974.

His first job in the rabbinate was senior rabbi of Congregation Beth Sholom in Edmonton Alberta Canada. Prior to coming to Kansas City, he worked as an assistant rabbi for six years in Montreal.

One thing that intrigued Rabbi Mandl about K.I., and something he still loves about it today, is the fact that it is a “traditional” congregation. In his words, that’s a congregation with “an Orthodox service with mixed seating.”

“I had never heard the word traditional in that sense before I applied for this position. It is a Midwest concept born in Chicago back in the ’40s,” he explained.

In 1977, Rabbi Mandl estimates there were about 25 other traditional congregations in the United States, all with more than 500 families. Today there are fewer than a dozen in the country that match that description.

The congregation was 65 years old when Rabbi Mandl came, and its steady rabbinic leadership was another thing that attracted him to it.

“I thought the fact that there had been a rabbi here for almost 40 years spoke well for the congregation,” he said. “The day school was just starting to bloom in those days and that was attractive to us. There was also talk of moving to Johnson County because we were in Kansas City, Missouri.”

Now when steady rabbinical leadership is mentioned, Rabbi Mandl’s name is near the very top of the list, not only for K.I., but the entire city. The rabbi with the longest tenure in K.C. is Rabbi Samuel S. Mayerberg of The Temple, Congregation B’nai Jehudah, where he served for 40 years. Next on the list is K.I.’s Rabbi Maurice Solomon, who came to K.I. in 1934 and retired in 1972 — five years before Rabbi Mandl joined the congregation (following short stints at the congregation by Rabbi Gilbert Shoham and Rabbi Avraham Radzik). Other famous K.C. rabbinical names served less time in Kansas City, including Congregation Beth Shalom’s Rabbi Gershon Hadas (32 years) and Rabbi Morris Margolies (27 years). Congregation Beth Torah’s Rabbi Mark Levin has actually been in K.C. one year longer than Rabbi Mandl, arriving in 1976, and has served as the Reform congregation’s spiritual leader for 24 years.

Simply put, K.I. President Steve Osman said the congregation is deeply appreciative for Rabbi Mandl’s commitment to the congregation.

“For 35 years Rabbi Mandl dedicated his life to doing what was best for K.I.,” Osman said.

“Rabbi Mandl is a man of great intellect with superior communication skills. He set a standard for all events that will be difficult to match,” Osman added.

The rabbi has contributed to the congregation’s steady leadership, steering its move to its current location in Overland Park in 1986. He is proud that over the years he has continued to guide K.I. to go out of its way to offer community services and “to do things the right way.”

“We built the mikvah and offered to have it here because we had it in the old building and thought it was the right thing to do. When I developed the citywide all night Shavuos program, we were the ones to say we’ll do it here. Most of the citywide Yom HaAtzmaut celebrations have been here as well,” he said.

A legacy of accomplishments

Although he chose the rabbinate, Rabbi Mandl said he had always wanted to be a lawyer and a politician. Over the years he put some of those skills to work, taking on a variety of causes. One was kashrut, working tirelessly to see to it that kosher food was available in the community. He is credited with creating the Vaad HaKashruth. He currently serves as its chairman, a position that the Vaad’s Executive Director Mendal Segal said he will keep as long as he lives in Kansas City.

“When I first came here there were a couple of strongholds that were not kosher. One was Oakwood and the other was the Alameda Plaza hotel. I hammered away at both until we got both of them kosher,” he said.

Among the rabbi’s many other accomplishments in the kosher realm, and quite possibly the one that impacts the most people, is the role he played to get fresh kosher food sold at the Hen House Market in Leawood when the city’s only kosher free-standing butcher shop closed.

He’s also been actively involved with the Rabbinical Association of Greater Kansas City, serving as president three different times — once each in the ’70, ‘90s and currently. Last year the RA’s governing body changed its bylaws, allowing the rabbi to serve a third consecutive year as president. This way he could continue to hold that leadership position during his last year as an active pulpit rabbi.

“I thought that was a nice tribute from my colleagues,” Rabbi Mandl said.

He didn’t confine his work to the Jewish community. He lobbied the Missouri legislature to remove the phrase “year of our lord” from the Missouri marriage license. He got Hebrew added to the airport welcome signs in Kansas City, St. Louis and Springfield, Mo. He fought for the repeal of the blue laws (mandating stores close on Sunday) in Missouri.

“In my younger years I was a real political activist for local issues that needed to be resolved,” he said.

He also received two political appointments over the years. From 1980 to 1986 he served as chairman of the Missouri Health Facilities Review Commission — a nine-member governor-appointed body that controls health care costs in Missouri. Then he served a six-year appointed term (1990-1996) on the Kansas Public Discloser Commission, which regulates ethical behavior of legislators and state employees.

K.I. rabbi emeritus

Contractually Rabbi Mandl has no specific duties when his title changes to rabbi emeritus. He expects to attend morning minyan several times a week, sit on the pulpit on Shabbat when he’s in town and assist the new rabbi, Rabbi Shmuly Yanklowitz, when asked.

“I’m sure after all these years congregants will seek advice, although I’ve made it very clear to the congregation that there’s a new rabbi and he’s the boss. That’s the way it should be,” he said.

Rabbi Mandl has taught theology at Rockhurst University for the past 20 years and plans to continue teaching in his role as adjunct professor for the immediate future. He’s also been invited to take part in two prestigious opportunities overseas.

In February he’ll conduct research at the Vatican. The library is only open by invitation, said the rabbi, whose doctorate was in Catholic and Jewish law.

“I’ve also been invited to be a part of the Oxford Round Table next year, which is a roundtable of 45 scholars from around the world. How I got invited to that I’ll never know. You can’t find out, it’s a closed invitation system,” he said.

He and his wife, Barbara, will also travel more often to visit their four children — Aron lives in Houston while Seth, Debbie and Miriam live in New York.

When congregation’s historians look back on Rabbi Mandl’s tenure, he hopes they remember him for his “loyalty to the congregation.”

“My children paid the price of some of that. The congregation came first, very often, before family. Of course my wife was always there and always understanding no matter what the hour was.”
As an example, he points to a story one of his daughters told during the celebration of the Mandls 25th wedding anniversary.

“We were on our way out of town on vacation. I think we had gotten as far as Columbia (Missouri) and somebody died. I turned around and came back,” he recalled.

In 35 years, he’s missed just one Shabbos when he’s been in town. He even came to the synagogue when he had walking pneumonia and attended services with the assistance of a wheelchair while nursing a back condition just a few years ago.

“I bet that’s a record that’s hard to beat,” he said.
Rabbi Mandl really has no idea what he will do with himself on Aug. 2.

“But these two overseas things that have come up tell me that there will be opportunities opening up,” he said. “I’m on a couple of local boards I will continue doing. I’m really leaving my options open.”

Rabbi Mandl’s retirement tribute

Kehilath Israel Synagogue will honor Rabbi Herbert J. Mandl and his wife Barbara the weekend of June 1.

On Friday night, June 1, a kosher Shabbat dinner, catered by Steve Ellenberg, will follow worship services. Special family speeches and memories will be shared that night.

Saturday, June 2, will be Shabbat services and a luncheon catered by Cathy Levin. Rabbi Mandl’s friends and family will lead the services and the community is welcome to attend. There is no charge for this special Shabbat morning.

Sunday, June 3, join K.I. for the Gala Celebration to thank Rabbi Mandl for his dedication and service. The evening begins at 6:30 p.m. with cocktails followed by an elegant dinner catered by Steve Ellenberg. Pictures, music, speeches and many surprises will be on the program for the evening.

Reservations for the three events are limited and required. Contact Rochelle Kanter at 913-681-8224 or K.I. at 913-642-1880 for more information.

At least one event connected with the National Day of Prayer in Kansas Thursday, May 3, in Topeka excluded Jewish people. In fact, according to a story published in the Topeka Capital-Journal, no non-Christian groups were represented at the event, held on the on the steps of the Kansas capitol and featuring Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback as master of ceremonies.

The event was organized by a group called the Capitol Commission, a national non-profit devoted to “Reaching Capitol Communities for Christ.” According to the Capital-Journal article, Brownback urged Kansans to “beseech God through prayer to help us in our time of need” through the “economic, fiscal, social and moral” crises the state faces.

Prayers were given by a variety of Christian religious leaders and legislators and students from Christian school sang songs.

Rabbi Debbie Stiel, who has served Topeka’s Temple Beth Sholom since 2006, said she wasn’t even aware of the event until a newspaper reporter called her for a comment. While researching it, she learned that the mission of the National Day of Prayer Task Force is to mobilize prayer in America and to encourage personal repentance and righteousness in the culture.

According to its website, the National Day of Prayer is an annual observance held on the first Thursday of May, inviting people of all faiths to pray for the nation. It was created in 1952 by a joint resolution of the United States Congress, and signed into law by President Harry S. Truman. The task force is a privately funded organization.
The task force’s mission worries Rabbi Stiel.

“If you go online and look at the National Day of Prayer organization, you’ll see its vision is preserving the national Christian heritage and fostering unity within the Christian community. That is how these kinds of things so easily become very focused in a particular religious direction as opposed to open to all religions. This is why as Jews we’re so concerned about programs like this and so adamant about separation of church and state,” Rabbi Stiel said.

The separation of church and state is an issue that concerns Marvin Szneler, executive director of the Jewish Community Relations Bureau|American Jewish Committee, as well as the fact that this particular event did not appear to be open and welcoming to all faiths.

“An event featuring prayer, in the best of circumstances, is non-sectarian and welcoming to all and even then is in some tension with the bedrock American principle that religion is not the business of government. When a conscious effort is not made to be non-sectarian, events like these are particularly problematic. I was not in attendance, but from reports I have heard, the atmosphere at this National Day of Prayer was Christian of a particular kind, and others were not included and felt unwelcome,” Szneler said.

The JCRB|AJC greatly values Brownback’s passionate support for the state of Israel, Szneler added. In addition he pointed out that the governor has been a strong advocate on many issues of importance to the Jewish community.

“However, we do not always agree with every elected official on every issue, and strong support for some issues does not immunize them from us sharing our concerns on other issues,” Szneler said.

“Today, prayer events are common. But when not non-sectarian, they cause particular concern regarding the separation of church and state and what the U.S. Supreme Court has labeled its most fundamental principle — that all faiths must be treated equally by government,” Szneler continued.

Rabbi Stiel also believes it is wrong for the governor to participate in these types of prayer events.

“If there’s a group that wants to go off on their own time and do that sort of thing, that’s one thing, but to say that’s representing Kansas and for the governor to be involved in it, I think that’s wrong,” she said.

Brownback is very open about his Christian beliefs. He attended, reportedly at his own expense, “The Response: A Call To Prayer for a Nation in Crisis” in Houston in August 2011 at the invitation of Texas Gov. Rick Perry. He read two passages from the Bible, Matthew 5:3-16 and 2nd Corinthians 7:13-14, and offered a prayer that day.

Once again noting that she didn’t attend the prayer event in Topeka, Rabbi Stiel pointed out that she believes there was definitely a Christian bent to it.

“It was not interfaith in who was invited and it was not inclusive in its language,” she said.

In fact, Rabbi Stiel believes that under this governor’s administration, “there is definitely an attempt to bring Christianity more and more into the state’s legislation and beliefs.”

Rabbi Stiel said she isn’t sure whether the National Day of Prayer took place at the capitol before Brownback became governor. She does believe that there was more separation of church and state under Gov. Kathleen Sebelius’ administration.

“When she was inaugurated as governor, I was asked to be a part of the prayer service. I mentioned that I was a bit uncomfortable with that because I really think that prayer should be separate from government. She came up to me afterwards and said she agreed and appreciated my words. I’m sure if it did happen, it was not with the same very narrow focus that this administration has,” Rabbi Stiel said.

Rabbi Stiel pointed out that Kansas legislative sessions always open with prayer. She is asked to give that prayer “very occasionally.”

“I know in the Senate, when they do not have a special chaplain, the regular chaplain always ends the prayer in Jesus’ name. I know that he’s been asked not to, but he does. That happens sometimes in the House as well,” she said.

The governor has attended the Topeka Reform congregation’s annual blintze brunch several times. This year, Rabbi Stiel said, he asked if he could  read a proclamation in support of Israel that he was making as governor.

Congregation Beth Shalom will be seeing a summer of changes in its clergy. In addition to getting a new rabbi, Hazzan Robert Menes will be leaving for a new job in Las Vegas.

Hazzan Menes has been with the congregation for the last six years. Before coming here, he was an agricultural engineer in Victoria, British Columbia, then studied at the Jewish Theological Seminary and became a part-time cantor in the New York City area.

“I’m the luckiest person I know, because when I saw my calling as being an agricultural engineer, I thought, ‘This is it.’ In Victoria, I got involved in the synagogue. I got tired of my job, and it was twice in my life I found careers that were my calling,” he said.

He will be moving to Temple Beth Sholom in Summerlin, a suburb of Las Vegas, in July. The Conservative congregation is the oldest in the state of Nevada.

“I see tremendous opportunity in Las Vegas. It’s actually very similar to Beth Shalom here,” he said. “The rabbi is committed to engaging people any way we can.”

One of the focuses on his new position will be to integrate more instrumental music into religious services.

“I’m not averse to using electric guitar — maybe some people will hook into that. I want to get out of (using) elevator music,” he said.

He will also be working with a youth choir and work to some extent with the supplemental Hebrew school.

“Music links that emotional side to the intellectual side of Judaism. I don’t think Judaism would have this kind of pull without music. Music without the thought is not as fulfilling — I need both,” he said. “I try to show that a cantor is more than a singer, not just someone who uses music in the service. That’s the smallest part of what I do.”

Hazzan Menes said he will miss his friends, students and others in the Kansas City Jewish community when he leaves.

“There are a few Bar and Bat Mitzvahs that stick out in my mind, where the student made a unique effort to do something special and succeeded. I will remember my lunch and learn class — we’ve had so many great discussions over the last few years. It’s been tremendously rewarding,” he said.

The congregation will also miss him.

“The cantorial skill that he brings to leading the services, his enthusiasm for what he does — that’s a very infectious type of enthusiasm. His skills in the traditional cantorial fields are evident to everyone and anyone who attends any of the services he leads,” said Rabbi Alan Cohen. “He is a mensch. He’s been a good person to work with.”

The congregation recently decided to redefine the role and responsibilities of the hazzan.

“Because that person is being asked to have a skill set that will allow that person to develop and oversee the educational programs, we might have to relinquish a bit the quality of the voice he has (when hiring a new person),” Rabbi Cohen said.

Overall, Hazzan Menes has enjoyed his time in Kansas City and is proud of the work he’s done making more Torah study accessible to the community online. He will leave his sound files of such work accessible to the Jewish community after he leaves.

“It’s been a good experience. It hasn’t been without ups and downs, but what I take away is what I learned from the people,” he said.

MOTHER’S DAY COMEDY — “The Union,” a sketch comedy show featuring real-life married couple Corey Rittmaster and Monique Madrid is on tap for 7:30 p.m. Mother’s Day (Sunday, May 13) at ComedyCity, located at the Westport Flea Market, 817 Westport Road on the Missouri side. Rittmaster grew up in Overland Park. Based in Chicago, the actor/improvisers and veterans of KC ComedyCity most recently toured with The Second City on board Norwegian Cruise Lines. They’ve written a new sketch comedy show that they’ll perform here. Madrid will also preview her new one-woman show that will make its debut next month at the Women’s Funny Festival, an event run by the same producers of the Chicago Sketch Fest. Be advised that the show is intended for those 16 and older as there may be some adult themes and language. Hey, with improv you just never know! For ticket information, contact ComedyCity at 816-842-2744 or visit www.comedycity.cc.

RUN BENEFITS JAZZ FEST — Alan Gaylin’s BRGR Kitchen + Bar is once again sponsoring the “BRGR LUV 4 JAZZ 5K” run to support the Prairie Village Jazz Festival, also presented by BRGR Kitchen + Bar in partnership with the Prairie Village Municipal Foundation and the City of Prairie Village. The run takes place Saturday, May 19, beginning and ending at BRGR Kitchen + Bar in the Corinth Square Shopping Center in Prairie Village. The beneficiary of the run, the Prairie Village Jazz Festival, takes place Saturday, Sept, 8, at Harmon Park. In its third year, the festival boasts an impressive lineup of musicians. Already booked is multiple Grammy-nominated singer and pianist Karrin Allyson, who will headline. A portion of the Prairie Village Jazz Festival proceeds will go to Heartland Habitat for Humanity, celebrating its 25-year anniversary this year. Those interested in participating in the BRGR LUV 4 JAZZ 5K can pick up registration materials at BRGR Kitchen + Bar or find information online at brgrkitchen.com or prairievillagejazz.org.

ISRAELI ATHLETE SINGS, TOO — A loyal reader sent me this little gem over the weekend by way of www.mideasttruth.com. JTA also provided this report:

Moran Samuel, a wheelchair-bound Israeli athlete, has another talent: singing. On Sunday, April 29, Samuel won the gold medal in rowing at the International Adaptive Regatta in Gavirate, Italy. But organizers had failed to secure a recording of “Hatikvah.” No anthem? No prob. On the podium, Moran took the mic and belted a dazzling a cappella rendition of the Israeli national anthem. From choppy waters to vocal chops, this athlete’s got what it takes. Hear her rendition of “Hatikvah” at http://www.mideasttruth.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=10911.

Rachael Klein and Elana Nemitoff, both members of The Temple, Congregation B’nai Jehudah, have been accepted to Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion rabbinical school. As required, both young women will spend their first year studying in Jerusalem.

Klein is the daughter of Deb and Jeff Klein. Nemitoff is the daughter of Rabbi Arthur and Leslie Nemitoff.

Rabbi Nemitoff believes this is the second time the Reform congregation has had two children accepted to rabbinical school at the same time. The last time was 36 years ago.

“Those two young men were Larry Karol and me. Five years later, Larry and I were ordained and became, if my memory serves me correctly, the ninth and 10th B’nai Jehudah children to become Reform rabbis,” Rabbi Nemitoff said.

Is his weekly email message to the congregation in late March, Rabbi Nemitoff noted that Klein “has wanted to be a rabbi for a number of years, and she has pursued her dream with determination.”

Klein, 21, will graduate from the American Jewish University in Los Angeles on May 20 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Jewish studies. She has also received the honor of being the speaker for her graduating class, and will deliver her final words during the ceremony.

Klein said she’s been really passionate about Judaism since she was a young child.

“Throughout my life everything has fallen into place to do this. I love helping people, but more than that, I love helping Jews connect with their community. I want to work in the Jewish community and be a part of not only the educational side, but the life-cycle side of people’s lives as well,” Klein said.

The 22-year-old Nemitoff plans to graduate May 18 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology and minors in technical theater and Jewish studies from Washington University in St. Louis. Rabbi Nemitoff explained that his daughter’s path to rabbinical school “has been more circuitous but no less determined” than Klein’s.

Elana Nemitoff said that stems from the fact that she’s always had a variety of loves, including working with children, Judaism, helping people and doing good to help make change in the world.

“I had no idea how I was going to put all those things together. I struggled for a very long time thinking about it … one day I was talking to my dad and he said think about it. You love theater, you love kids, you love Judaism, you love teaching. What’s a way to put it all together. I thought about it and it came to me: rabbinical school,” Elana Nemitoff said.

Now that she’s made the decision to become a rabbi, she quite frankly doesn’t know what else she would do. Being a rabbi, she believes, will give her a chance to affect change in the Jewish community.

“It’s a place that I have gotten so much from,” she said.

“I would like to help give back and help bring the next generation of Jews into the community so the next generation of Jews continues to prosper and grow. It seems like being a rabbi is the best way to do that and make that change,” she said.
Nemitoff leaves for Israel May 31. Klein doesn’t yet know when she will leave for Israel.

The HUC-JIR Rabbinical School offers a five-year program of full-time graduate study leading to a Master of Arts in Hebrew Letters degree and ordination. Upon successful completion of that first year in Israel, students return to one of the three American campuses — Cincinnati, Los Angeles or New York.

Nemitoff is hoping to continue her studies on the Cincinnati campus because she is considering a concentration in medical chaplaincy and “Cincinnati has the best program for that,” she said.

One reason Nemitoff is interested in chaplaincy is because she’s been interested in medicine since she was a child. She’s also seen how much chaplains can impact and help people.

“If I can ease just a little bit of pain, it would ease some of the burden in the world and that’s something that I would be incredibly grateful for,” Nemitoff said.

Klein hopes to continue her studies at the Los Angeles campus, because she already feels connected to the Jewish community there. One relationship is with Camp Hess Kramer in Malibu and the Wilshire Boulevard Temple, which owns the camp.

“The senior staff liked me as a counselor and the synagogue later hired me as a sixth-grade religious school teacher. I am also a part of Wilshire Boulevard Temple’s teen programming and I staff miscellaneous events like religious school retreats,” Klein said.

Klein also works for the Stephen S. Weiss Temple, staffing events.

“I originally began my college journey as a Division 1 soccer player at Drake University, so I found time to give back to the soccer community by volunteering with the fourth- through sixth-grade girls’ soccer team at Stephen S. Wise’s Day School,” Klein added.

Nemitoff said the fact that she is the daughter of a rabbi absolutely affected her decision to choose the rabbinate as her career path.

“Watching my dad as I grew up, I saw the positive and negative of what it meant to be a rabbi. I experienced the business, I experienced the pain, I experienced all of it. But I also saw the wonderful community that I could be a part of creating and I realized that I was my father’s daughter,” she said.

She believes being the daughter of a rabbi impacted her in a positive way.

“I know what it means to be a rabbi. I know what that commitment is. I’m doing it despite the fact that I know that and because of it. Honestly, I’m so grateful for the experience I got growing up and the fact I grew up in such a Jewish-filled household. It gives me such a stronger foundation from which I can build my life, which I will take with me,” Nemitoff said.

Klein is looking forward to being roommates with Nemitoff and spending a year in Jerusalem. This will be her second trip to Israel, the first being a 10-day Birthright Israel trip where she said she had a “little taste” of the Jewish state.

“I’m really excited to live abroad in Jerusalem and meet my future classmates,” Klein said.

As a rabbi and a parent, Rabbi Nemitoff is thrilled to see the two girls go off to Jerusalem and HUC-JIR representing B’nai Jehudah.

“It is with particular joy to know that two young women of B’nai Jehudah are following in the footsteps of two young men of the congregation — 36 years apart — in becoming leaders of Judaism for the 21st century,” he said.

“I am proud whenever a child of B’nai Jehudah excels and joins the ranks of those who make a difference in our world. There is a particular joy and pride when a student of mine chooses to accept the mantle of leadership for the Jewish people. And my heart swells knowing that one of my students is my own daughter,” he continued.

“We congratulate Rachael and Elana ... and look forward to their visits in the future, as we see them develop their rabbinic and leadership skills. To both of them, we say: mazel tov!”

If you think blogging is one of those social-media activities limited to the tech-savvy, under-30 crowd, guess again. Residents of Village Shalom have plenty to say, and the continuing-care retirement community’s new web log, VSLifeAsIKnowIt.wordpress.com, is giving them a whole new forum for sharing their stories with the world.

Perhaps the only retirement community-sponsored blog in the Kansas City area, VSLifeAsIKnowIt originated with Village Shalom Marketing Manager Sean Roark. He taught a course on social media for residents who participated in last fall’s inaugural “semester” of Village Shalom University. While computers, the Internet and online social networking were relatively unfamiliar territory for many seniors, Roark said, “I thought a blog would be a good outlet for residents” to chronicle their stories and viewpoints as they learn more about the technology that younger generations have embraced.

“When I introduced this, most residents didn’t even know what a blog was,” Roark recalled. “But once the option was there, they started to contribute a lot.”

Three or four residents were quick to dive into the mysterious new environment of the blogosphere. Several others got involved after seeing the posts and getting a feel for what a blog actually looks like.

Ida Rose “Skipper” Feingold was the first Village Shalom resident to take the blogging plunge. Her post went live in March.

“It was totally new to me,” she said. “I had seen the word ‘blog’ before, but I had never given it any thought,” she confessed. “I thought it would be a good opportunity to take inventory of my life — after all, I’m almost 93, and there is so much living in those 93 years. It’s an opportunity to see what I made of my life.”

Feingold said she loves to write, and has had much experience journaling about cruises and trips, or communicating with the parents of her young charges during the 40-some years she worked as a camp counselor and teacher. She even recalled that “when I first started dating, I’d come home and write about my date.”

“The blog was different,” she said, “because I was writing about myself and my experiences. It’s a good exercise, to sum up your life. My kids loved it. They came over to help me with the computer, since I’m not really ‘computer friendly.’ And so many people have come up to me to say they read my blog. I hope they enjoy reading what I have to say.”

“Skipper got really excited when she saw her post go live,” Roark said.

Just three weeks after that first post, the site had already received more than 1,000 “hits” and numerous comments and notes of encouragement from readers, most of whom are Village Shalom family members and staff. Roark hopes that over time, readership will grow as people subscribe and share the link via their social media pages and email.

Many of the entries are personal recollections and experiences. But, noted Roark, they also include commentary on residents’ various areas of interest. For example, Mary Anne Reardon, who has traveled extensively throughout her life, has offered several travelogue talks to her fellow Village Shalom residents. She captured some of those recollections and photos in written form for the blog. An avid reader and patron of the Olathe Public Library, Reardon is also making sure that her blog entries will be shared on the library’s Facebook page.

Another blogger, Maarten van Swaay, has utilized the online forum to share his experiences and observations on a multitude of topics. The retired Kansas State University professor has already posted blog entries as diverse as the story of his first boat as a boy in his native Netherlands to how he met his wife, and a personal commentary on society’s “taboo” on discussing highly opinionated topics like politics and economic policy.

“I have a habit of writing things up to find out if my thoughts make sense,” van Swaay commented. While he is quite comfortable with computers and keyboards, he said, “I still write with a fountain pen.”

Roark said even residents with little or no computer experience can share their ideas on the blog.

“We wanted to make it accessible to residents who aren’t comfortable on the computer,” he explained. “We’ve gotten volunteers involved to help them with typing. The residents can edit as much as they want to make sure it’s exactly what they want to post.

“Everything is written from the residents’ point of view, and in their voice. It’s really something that can be passed along in their family. It has the potential to be posted for a long time. We don’t plan to ever take the posts down.”

Even audio and video posts are a possibility in the future. While none have been submitted yet, they present the potential for the blog to serve as a multi-media archive of residents’ lives, ideas and comments, available online for posterity.

“I just want to be sure the blog continues,” Roark added. “I can see some residents potentially running it themselves as a sort of online newspaper. It’s all just a matter of social media — friends sharing it with friends. It takes time, and it is very grassroots, but blogs are definitely here to stay.”

Referring not only to the blog, but to life itself, Roark said, “Our residents still have a lot to contribute. This is just another way for them to do it.”

Take a look around Taste of Europe and you will see some of the foods that Gene “Geno” Basov enjoyed while growing up in Ukraine. In one corner of the 2,200-square-foot store are candies from Russia and Ukraine. Keep walking and you will see the soft drinks and lemonade he liked as a child. And then there’s the canned fish and meats that Basov and other Europeans are familiar with from their youth and homeland.

Taste of Europe, a specialty grocery store at 13378 Metcalf Ave. in south Overland Park, brings European foods and delicacies to the Kansas City area. Basov and his business partner, Marat Tsitolovsky, opened the store in mid-November and have been adding products ever since.

Customers have been coming in and requesting certain foods, and Basov doesn’t give up until he finds what his customers want. English tea, crackers and cheese? Taste of Europe now carries those. Sausage and candy from Poland? Yes, the store has those, too. Duck fat, truffle oil and truffle salt for French cooking? Check; you can find them at Taste of Europe.

These specialty items are in addition to everything else at Taste of Europe: meat products (Jewish salami, sausages and franks, for example), dairy products (a variety of cheeses and sour cream), fish (smoked fish and herring, to name a few), over 70 varieties of teas and coffees, jams and preserves (including Israeli jams), spices, sauces, ready-to-cook products, kosher juices, baked goods and pastries, breads, crackers, cookies, pickled vegetables, canned goods and more.

Taste of Europe carries items from Russia, Ukraine, Israel, Poland, Germany, France and other European countries. It also sells some kosher products, but Taste of Europe will stock more as people request them. The store uses three different slicers — one for meat, one for cheese and one for fish — and different knives are used for meat, cheese and fish as well.

The store is perfect for people who are looking for the European foods and delicacies that their parents and grandparents served them growing up.

“I enjoy dealing with people and taking them back to their childhood … down memory lane,” Basov said.

Customers can buy European food not found in a traditional grocery store at Taste of Europe. The store also appeals to customers who want to try new foods or to vegetarians looking for different meat-free options.

Before Taste of Europe, people would have to travel to the East or West coasts of the United States, Chicago or Europe to find many of these foods and delicacies. Basov said “it was like a calling” to bring these types of products to the Kansas City area and open a store like Taste of Europe.

Basov and Tsitolovsky were friends as teenagers in Ukraine and both eventually came to the United States and settled in Kansas City. Basov immigrated to the United States in 1980 when he was 18 years old, and he worked as an assistant manager of a large grocery store in New York for a while. Tsitolovsky emigrated from Ukraine in 1990.

Basov has owned Geno’s State Line Shoe Repair (now located at 1164 W. 103rd St. in Kansas City, Mo.) for 24 years. And he and his wife, Helen, own Uniforms & More at 1156 W. 103rd St. and are members of The Temple, Congregation B’nai Jehudah.

“I don’t think it’s hard work,” said Gene Basov, of owning Taste of Europe along with his other business endeavors. “It’s making your childhood dream come true.”

For more information about the grocery store, call 913-402-8500. You can also find Taste of Europe on Facebook. The store is open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturdays and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sundays.

JEWISH HERITAGE MONTH — Did you know that May is Jewish Heritage Month? I had no idea but I can thank Manischewitz for enlightening me. Along with thousands (millions?) of others, I purchased the 5-pound box of matzah for Passover and there was a different fact about our Jewish heritage on each of the five boxes I opened. It turns out that Manischewitz is “proud to be the founding corporate sponsor of Jewish American Heritage Month. To learn more, visit www.jahm.us.

KUDOS FOR JOBS WELL DONE — Last week was a busy week, beginning with the annual Yom HaShoah commemoration, followed by Yom HaZikaron and Yom HaAtzmaut. The three organizations that produce Yom HaShoah — Midwest Center for Holocaust Education, Jewish Community Relations Bureau|American Jewish Committee and Jewish Community Center — have been doing it beautifully and flawlessly for years, as they did this year.

The Jewish Federation, however, faced a big challenge for Yom HaZikaron (Israel’s memorial day) and Yom HaAtzmaut (Israeli Independence Day), when emissary Lilach Nissim returned to Israel to take care of health issues. Zohar Flacks, Omaha’s former emissary, moved to Kansas City a couple of years ago and agreed to lead the effort for those two events and Lag b’Omer, which will take place May 10 at Gezer Park in Leawood. Flacks, the Federation staff and a host of dedicated volunteers pulled everything together and planned the two big events taking place only a day apart — one very moving and one very lively. We tip our hats to all!

LILACH UPDATE — For those of you who are wondering, Lilach Nissim is now on the mend at home in Israel. Doctors there finally got to the root of her health issues, and she is feeling much better, though still suffering from some amount of pain. She is looking for her next job, but wants to make sure it is a role where she can continue to help others less fortunate than herself. She has been deeply missed in Kansas City.

THE FANTASTICS — “The Fantastics,” a show that has been described as romantic and nostalgic and laugh out loud funny, is being produced by Spinning Tree Theatre. It runs May 10-27 on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. at Crown Center Off Center Theatre. Directed by Michael Grayman (who is Jewish) and Andy Parkhurst, the world’s longest running production of any kind features a local cast and songs such as “Try to Remember,” “They Were You,” “Soon It’s Gonna Rain,” and much more. For tickets and information, call 816-842-9999     or visit www.spinningtreetheatre.com.

“Huddled amidst a crowd of sorrows, the solemness of sending a soul on its journey deserves the utmost respect.”
— Anonymous

For more than 100 years, Sheffield Cemetery has remained steadfast. Nearly 6,000 people are buried on the property dating from 1901; making it one of the oldest Jewish cemeteries in Kansas City. But by 2003, visits to the cemetery revealed Sheffield was a shadow of its former self, crumbling in disrepair, including no formal chapel and, in its entirety, grounds in dire need of restoration. It was apparent that the monetary commitment for perpetual care of the grounds and chapel was not enough to maintain the cemetery with today’s struggling economy.

In response, a dedicated group of community volunteers culled from several congregations came together in 2003 to form the Friends of Sheffield. Together, they recognized that the souls buried there deserved a dignified resting place and pledged to restore, beautify and maintain the property.

Rickie Haith, president of Friends of Sheffield Cemetery, said the organization’s mission encompasses maintaining the property in a manner aligned with Jewish ethics and pride.

“Therefore, a capital campaign fund initiated in 2003, governed by a seven-member executive committee and board of directors, decided to seek $1.25 million in support. This community endeavor established a restricted fund at the Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Kansas City to receive and distribute monies specifically for this purpose,” Haith said.

The plan to raise funds and beautify the cemetery is divided into three phases: $250,000 for restoration of the cemetery grounds; $500,000 beautification, including renovation of the chapel; and $500,000 for perpetual maintenance of the entire cemetery grounds and chapel.

“Pledges have been received and we have made major changes in preserving and restoring the cemetery grounds, but we have not met our goal to renovate the historic chapel. The chapel has not been in use for 20 years,” Haith said.

To date, Friends of Sheffield have greatly improved the grounds with the engagement of a professional lawn company, new landscaping, updated irrigation system, trees trimmed, World War II Memorial restored, debris and refuse cleared for additional burial sites, new cement walks and stairs replaced the broken ones that were a safety hazard, gravestones aligned, restored wrought iron gates, and additional new hand railings to make the cemetery more accessible.

“There’s significantly more to be accomplished,” Haith said.

Responses to the cause have elicited deep emotion.

“My father and mother both passed during wintertime. Each service had to be held outside in the bitter cold as the chapel at Sheffield was unusable. It’s important to have the chapel restored so everyone has a place to gather for services,” says board member Shirley Unell.

Jackie Kraft, another member of the Friends of Sheffield board, often thinks of the phrase “thy people shall be my people; thy God, my God ....” when she visits the cemetery.

“My late husband Jacob Paul Kraft’s grandparents, Genashe and Yakov Kravchenko, both of blessed memory, had been the caretakers from about 1910 to 1914 — undeniably, this cemetery holds a very tender and special place in my heart, as it does for so many.”

Chapel to benefit from one-man show

To adequately address the cause of renovating the chapel, a benefit is planned featuring Kansas City, Kan., native and acclaimed film and TV actor Ed Asner.

Asner is taking a particular interest in this benefit because members of his family, including his beloved parents, are buried in Sheffield.

“Sheffield is our family plot. It is really the only cemetery that comes to mind when I think of the past and those who were near and dear to me. I am truly honored to be doing my one-man show of FDR to raise necessary funds for the restoration of Sheffield. Hopefully, this benefit will help restore Sheffield respectfully and honor it in a manner it deserves,” Asner said.

Over the past few years, Asner has been traversing the country garnering rave reviews with his poignant and often humorous portrayal of the heroic war-time president.

The 82-year old Emmy award and Golden Globe award-winning actor’s career spans six decades. He is perhaps best known as the loveable curmudgeon on television shows “Mary Tyler Moore” and its spin-off “Lou Grant.” Young and old alike may recognize his voice as that of Carl Fredricksen in the Academy Award-winning 2009 Pixar animated film “Up.”

Asner’s one-man show ‘FDR’ set for June 17

Ed Asner’s one-man performance of “FDR” is set for 7 p.m. Sunday, June 17, at the White Theatre on the Jewish Community Campus.

General admission tickets are being sold for $36 a seat. Those who make donations of $360 or more will be invited to attend a gala reception which Asner will attend following the performance.

Checks should be made payable to Friends of Sheffield, JCF. The memo line note should read Asner Benefit. [The organization is a 501 (c)(3) fund.] Mail checks to: Ed Asner Benefit, c/o Barbara Cosner, 9839 Briar Street, Overland Park, KS 66207.

Donations to the Restoring Honor Campaign are also being accepted. To learn more how you can make a difference, contact Friends of Sheffield President Rickie Haith at .

Asner flexes his considerable range when he portrays Franklin Delano Roosevelt, recounting the story of the former president’s life relayed through a series of personal anecdotes. Based on Dore Schary’s Broadway play “Sunrise at Campobello,” “FDR” is a show that reflects on the iconic president’s years in office.

The script tackles FDR’s heroics and consequences of his battle with polio, journey to the presidency, controversial packing of the Supreme Court, his marriage to Eleanor and his affair with Lucy Mercer. The play also examines Roosevelt’s manipulation of Congress to acquire the draft, breaking the Neutrality Act and controversy surrounding Pearl Harbor.

“FDR” is the ideal role for Asner who jokingly refers to himself as “Hollywood’s resident communist.” The actor actively champions for such causes as wildlife conservation, autism awareness and Racism Watch.

“We are proud to host Ed Asner. He honors not only his own family but countless members of the Jewish community who treasure this sacred landmark. By attending the performance and pledging a donation, you honor everyone with one of the highest values in the Jewish tradition, Kavod Ha’Met, honoring the deceased. That is truly a mitzvah,” Haith said.