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At first, Ray Davidson wasn’t exactly sure why he wanted to start the Yiddish Circle. He had been influenced by the resurgence of interest in Yiddish in America and in Israel, but had no idea if there would be any interest in Johnson County.

He was also fascinated with the story of Aaron Lansky who, in 1980, at age 25, saved 70,000 Yiddish books from destruction, not by anti-Semites, but by Jews who simply could not read the language of their parents and grandparents.

“After I started (the Yiddish class), I realized it was a memorial to my parents,” he now says.

Both of Davidson’s parents came to America from Poland and, while his father could speak fluently in five languages, including English, he and Davidson’s mother spoke only Yiddish in the home — to each other and to their three sons. The two older sons, 13 and 10 years older than Davidson, had no interest. When they came here with their parents, they believed they should speak only English.

Davidson was born in the United States on March 17, 1923, and, being the youngest, bore the brunt of the language brought here from Eastern Europe, while his brothers were at school perfecting their English.

“I’m the only member of my entire family who really remembers hearing Yiddish,” he said. “I’ve quoted Yiddish all my life.”

Of course, as he grew up, went off to war, got married and raised five children, he used Yiddish less and less, and much of it was forgotten. At least, that’s what he thought. But the class he began last June at Congregation Beth Torah has brought back many words and phrases. He said he’s even beginning to think in Yiddish.

And now, when he hears the familiar Yiddish words he grew up with, he has “a visual picture of my father and mother that I didn’t have for many years.”

The Yiddish Circle

A group of anywhere from eight to 15 people meet at noon on Friday in the Bride’s Room at Congregation Beth Torah. Davidson provides lunch (for a nominal fee), then study begins at 12:30 p.m. For an hour, the group studies from the book “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Learning Yiddish,” discussing how certain words were pronounced in their own homes growing up, depending on where their parents were from. Some speak Yiddish fairly fluently, others are in the beginning stages of learning this rich language.

But for everyone, the words have memories. Davidson and others frequently relate anecdotes of favorite sayings of their father, mother, grandfather or grandmother. Even for those not fortunate enough to have parents or grandparents who spoke Yiddish, many words have become so much a part of the English language that for them, too, the words bring back memories.

As a member of the adult education committee at Beth Torah, Davidson had the opportunity to give a history of Yiddish one Sunday morning. So many people were interested in the session that they had to double the number of chairs already set up before the class even began. It was at this point that Davidson decided to start an adult education class on Yiddish.

“You know, things have legs and they grow legs and they move, and this just did that,” he said. “It generated an idea to do something that perhaps there was a seed there for many, many years, but it germinated. I thought why not try? And it has been a success.

“The group we have now is genuinely interested in it … and I think over a period of years, it will grow and foster beyond my life — it will go on.”

Davidson also teaches a class at The Temple, Congregation B’nai Jehudah from 3 to 4 p.m. Mondays on the “Rise and Fall of Yiddish Theatre.” He said he has not seen the interest in this class that he has in his Yiddish class. Right now there are just two students.

“But they come every week and diligently take notes,” he said.

A way of life

Davidson, a widower of 13 years, said he couldn’t be more pleased at the nationwide interest in Yiddish.

“To be part of a movement that I didn’t realize was so full-blown … I thought I was kind of out in the wilderness by myself. I had found out that there was a resurgence in Israel; I had found out about the saving of the books; and I found out about one other group in Omaha, but I didn’t know how far-reaching this thing had gone,” he said.

Two of his grandchildren, who have never expressed any interest in Yiddish or their heritage, came to him separately and said they wanted to know more about the Yiddish class he was teaching.

“I think everything is cyclical,” Davidson said, “and you have to skip a generation or two before you start to think, ‘Where did I really come from?’ People are more interested in their ancestry than they were during the Depression because they were so caught up with earning a living, they couldn’t worry about it. The older they’ve gotten, and especially now, my children’s generation are more interested to a certain extent.”

Davidson said he feels it’s important that Yiddish be revived because “any culture that is allowed to die only to be revived some day with bones is a terrible thing. Bones don’t talk.”

“We lost 6 million, but we salvaged 5 million at the same time and they’ve grown bigger,” he went on. “Maybe it’s approaching that 11 million again, I don’t know. That whole culture from which we arise (Ashkenazi), to say, alright that’s it, we’re going to let it die, that doesn’t sit well with me, and evidently a lot of other people. So it looks like there’s more and more revival going on, and there should be while there’s still people who can tell you a little bit more than they can 20 years from now.

“These trips that are going on that are being attended, ones to Poland, Romania and places like that, that’s part of the culture, to see where their ancestors came from and to feel the grittiness in the ground; that’s actually their bones ground to pieces.”

Yiddish, Davidson said, is more than just a language; it’s a way of life.

“We start with the language to work back to the way of life. This (Yiddish) group is constantly talking about the way of life along with the Yiddish. I hope that is what can really survive — not only the language, we need the language, but we also need that way of life to at least be known to everyone.”

The first sign that Judaism meant more to Marc Hammer than he understood as a kid was in college at the University of Denver.

"The friends I made and the people I bonded with there were primarily Jewish," he said. "It confirmed for me how proud I am to be Jewish. Looking back, I wish I had gotten involved earlier and taken advantage of more leadership opportunities."

After graduation, Hammer moved to Chicago for a job in telecommunications, where he noticed the same pattern of Jewish friends. In fact, it was during this time that he met and married his wife.

Hammer and Alana Muller both went to Shawnee Mission South but didn’t meet each other until a Thanksgiving weekend with friends on the Plaza six years later. At the time, Muller was working in New York City as an investment banker. Shortly before the next Thanksgiving, Hammer called her to find out if she was going to be in Kansas City for the holiday. She was, they went out, got engaged six months later and married in 1997. Hammer had earned an MBA from DePaul University in 1996. Muller moved to Chicago and had finished her MBA from the University of Chicago when, in 1998, a job offer came from Sprint. They both agreed there would be no better time to move back to Kansas City.

Looking Forward

Looking forward, Hammer made up for lost time by immediately getting involved in the Jewish community. The Jewish Federation of Greater Kansas City’s young professional networking group (known then as the Young Adult Division or YAD), where he helped plan speaking events and social gatherings, was a natural place to begin.

Hammer believes it was through YAD that he learned about the national Federation Washington Young Leadership Conference. "That had a tremendous impact on me, especially the first conference I went to," he said. "The learning, the people from across the country, the social aspect — it changed how I wanted to be as a member of the community."

The Washington Conference was also where Hammer met Michael Liss, who was then on the Village Shalom Associate Board and asked Hammer to join. It was obviously a good fit. Over his four years on that board, Hammer served as secretary and treasurer as well as chair of Village Shalom’s annual Father’s Day Beat the Heat Run/Walk.

He also developed an appreciation of the importance of fundraising for causes one believes in. Hammer has been a loyal Super Sunday volunteer for years and co-chaired the event in 2006 and 2007.

"As a financial planning professional," he said, "I’m always conscious of people’s sensitivity about money, but I also perceive it as a mitzvah to give people the chance to give back. Also, I try to take advantage of opportunities to do it because I feel that’s something I can do."

Hammer similarly explains why he and Muller joined the Ben Gurion Society, a national group of donors, ages 25-45, who make an annual gift of $1,000 or more to the Federation. "It’s easy to give back when you’re getting so much out of it."

Nothing for Granted

As a volunteer, Hammer is currently most active in Emerging Jewish Leaders, a new Federation-sponsored small-group leadership program. He’s also in his second year as co-chair of J-LEAD, a donor’s circle within the Jewish Community Foundation from which grants are made to programs such as the Federation’s PJ Library, which provides free Jewish-themed books and music to children ages six months to eight years. And, he serves on the board of Jewish Family Services, for which he and Muller recently chaired the "Boogie to Broadway" event.

Hammer was honored in 2004 with the Dan Fingersh Young Leadership Award. Despite all this, he doesn’t see his efforts as out of the ordinary. For him, it’s more about not taking for granted the work of leaders who came before and those who will come after in the community.

"The previous generation," he said, "they sat on boards when they weren’t the main drivers. But they listened, learned the pitfalls and saw how decisions are made and, as they grew over time, were able to make a difference. I hope our community can continue on that path. I just want to get more involved. I want to demonstrate that kind of leadership to my son, and I appreciate every minute of it."

Born in Kansas City, Mo.

Shawnee Mission South, 1989, B.S./B.A. in finance, University of Denver, 1993 and MBA, De Paul University, 1996

Financial Planner, HighPointe Financial LLC

Lives in Overland Park

Married to Alana Muller

Children: Ian, 7

Reading: "The Entrepreneurial Imperative," by Carl Schramm, and "The River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt’s Darkest Journey," by Candice Millard

Favorite Recent Movie: "True Grit"

Favorite Restaurant: Capitol Grille

Favorite Jewish Food: Matza brei

Synagogue Affiliation: Congregation Beth Shalom

Pets: Dog "Cinco"

Trips to Israel: One

Experts in the field of Jewish identity strongly believe that trips to Israel are among one of the surest ways to keep Jews connected to the Jewish community. In fact recent studies have shown that alumni of Taglit-Birthright Israel’s free 10-day trips to the Jewish state are more likely to marry Jews than those who have not participated. The study, published in 2009 by the Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies at Brandeis University found that these trips had a “profound long-term impact on Jewish identity and connectedness to Israel.”

That’s one reason that representatives from KU Hillel are proud to report that about 64 Jewish students from KU went to Israel over winter break. Forty of those students went on a Birthright trip. Another 12 participated in an Israeli Leadership Mission heavily subsidized by a grant provided by the local Jewish Federation.

Students also took trips sponsored by Jewish National Fund, various yeshiva programs and private visits.

The number of KU students taking Israel trips just keeps growing, Kimmel said.

“Last year was the first time that we had a full bus in a very long time for Birthright, and that’s a bus of 40 kids.

There’s always between 12 and 14 kids on the leadership mission,” Kimmel said.

The leadership mission is “a higher level Israel trip,” according to Kimmel and all students who applied must have been to Israel before.

“We really want to make sure that we have quality students going. We only look at sophomores and above, and it’s for students who have demonstrated leadership at KU Hillel and Jewish life at KU,” she said.

Once the mission is over, Kimmel said participants commit to serve a leadership role within the KU Jewish community and are responsible for conducting a follow-up experience based on their trip experiences.

“It can be leading discussion groups or organizing programs such as Israel week,” she said.

Israel’s diversity

The theme of the trip is the diversity and the many faces and cultures of Israel.

“It’s digs a little deeper than the average touring component. It’s getting to know the community, the culture, the conflict and the co-existence within Israel and the people,” she explained.

That’s exactly why Abby Durham went on the mission. She’s a 20-year-old sophomore from Memphis.

“We learned about the Christians, the Muslims and the Arabs and we got to experience their lives. And we got to experience Jews living in poverty in Israel,” Durham said.

Durham, who hopes to become a rabbi, enjoyed visiting a bilingual school in Beer Sheva. She thought it was “very cool” that students were learning to co-exist peacefully there.

“It was very moving to see that people in Beer Sheva were realizing that Israel isn’t necessarily (just) a place for the Jews but a place for everyone, that we shouldn’t necessarily be fighting and that we should live in some sort of harmony and get along together,” she said.

Erika Meltzer also enjoyed her time in Beer Sheva. A junior who hails from the Detroit area, she spent last summer as a local Federation Learning for Life intern.

“I truly loved spending time touring the bilingual Jewish Arab kindergarten of the Hagar Association and meeting with many of the volunteers who toured us around the school. It was pretty amazing interacting with the children who at such a young age were fluent in two, and some three, languages,” Meltzer said.

Building relationships

Kimmel said that the students also visited the Ramla and Gezer region, which has close ties to Kansas City. They met young leaders, stayed in Israeli homes, “and really build relationships and learn about the community that Kansas City is connected with.”

Meltzer thought staying with the host families was an integral part of the trip.

“It was nice being able to stay with a family and get a taste of their lifestyle especially over Shabbat,” she said. “It was a very relaxing weekend … learning about their family and their lifestyle on Kibbutz Gezer.”

Kimmel said the students are strongly encouraged to share their Israel experiences beyond the KU campus.

“This helps them establish their role and determine who they want to be in their Jewish community as they start to leave and complete college. It’s really instilling that importance of not just Israel, but Jewish community life,” Kimmel said.

Kimmel said this program has had a great impact on the students who have been a part of it.

“We’re seeing students who were on the first two trips who are now out of college, now reaching out and connecting with their federations. They are trying to initiate young leadership programs within their own Jewish communities, whether it be in Kansas City or Minneapolis or Memphis. It’s nice to see that, and knowing that they want to stay connected is a big part of Hillel,” she said.

Kollel also helps students travel to Israel

The KC Kollel also helped subsidize KU and metro college students so they could travel to Israel. Over the last several years the Kollel rabbis have cultivated relationships with these young people by teaching at the Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy and inviting them to their homes.

“Several students approached me expressing interest in returning to Israel to tour and study during winter break,” said Kollel Rabi Binyomin Davis. “Thankfully I have a lot of contacts who work in the field in Israel, where I studied and taught for six years.”

The Kollel was able to help other students study and tour Israel. Rabbi Davis said one of the advantages of all of these trips the Kollel helped arrange for college students is that they are still very inexpensive for students who have been to Israel on Birthright or other group trips previously. He said he is more than happy to help students learn about subsidized Israel trips and all they have to do is contact him at or call him at (913) 481-5842. In fact his home is always open to students.

“I really enjoy getting to know college students. It’s a very exciting time in a young person’s life, and I feel privileged to be a part of it for these students,” Rabbi Davis said. “My wife and I both became more involved in Jewish life in college, and we hope to always be an address for students to feel comfortable, a familiar face of a rabbi in Overland Park.”

The Kollel helped Micah Levin secure a spot at Aish Hatorah.

“This past winter break at Yishavat Aish Hatorah proved to be a crucial experience that instilled in me a desire to perfect myself daily and to continually search for truth. Learning with Rabbi Davis and the KC kollel helped me reach my goal of returning to to learn Torah,” Levine said.

Another KU student, sophomore Michael Lebovitz, has been studying with the Kollel for the past two years and joined them for many Shabbat meals.

“When Rabbi Davis approached me about returning to Israel, I was ecstatic. I had been wanting to return since my post-high school year. It was an amazing experience, and I was especially excited to study with Rabbi Davis’s good friend and longtime study partner who was the rabbi director of my program is Israel!”

Senior Olivia Etkind was very inspired by her trip to Israel. She was pleased to be able to connect with other students from around the country who had similar values and goals in life and returned home with knowledge that she can share with others about Israel and Judaism.

Boris Abramov, who is working on a doctor of pharmacy degree at UMKC School of Pharmacy, was also able to study for three weeks.

“I was fortunate to go on a peer trip to Israel in high school, and I had been wanting to go back. I was thrilled to return! This trip made me reconsider returning to Israel on more learning programs during my breaks,” Abramov said.

Losing weight is always one of the most popular New Year’s resolutions on everyone’s list. The Jewish Community Center is beginning a program next week that can help people who made that resolution — and those who didn’t but should have — take some positive action toward fulfilling it.

“It’s a weight-loss program designed to really help people get a hold of healthy, mindful eating,” said Heidi Campain, the JCC’s St. Luke’s wellness coordinator.

The Smartest Loser eight-week program is the JCC’s version of NBC’s hit TV show, “The Biggest Loser.” As does the show, the individual with the greatest percent of weight loss will be crowned JCC’s Smartest Loser and win an assortment of prizes.

Campain said the JCC staff came up with this program because they know a number of their members are interested in losing weight but need support to do it successfully.

“Sometimes when people try to lose weight on their own they just don’t have the same accountability as when they are doing it with a group of people,” she said. “We’ve seen the success of the Biggest Loser program, and when you start putting a little competitive fire under people they tend to have a little bit more motivation.”

Partnering with professionals from Harvard University, the University of Kansas and Iowa University, Campain notes that the class will stress healthy weight loss and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

“We’re not going to have these people losing 10 or 15 pounds in one week,” she said.

The class will be offered at two different times, and each session can accommodate 30 people. Wednesday night sessions will be held from 6 to 7:30 p.m. from Feb. 9 through April 6. Thursday morning sessions, which begin Feb. 17 and continue through April 14, will be held from 9 to 10:15 a.m. The cost is $75 for members of $115 for non-members.

Registered dietician Paige Gerson will teach the class. She earned a bachelor’s degree in dietetics from Kansas State University in 1993, graduating cum laude. She counsels adults, adolescents, children and seniors to reach their weight-loss goals through personalized nutrition plans. Her expertise allows her to work with people who have a variety of health issues including diabetes, high blood pressure, food allergies and elevated cholesterol.

Gerson notes she has personal experience in the area of weight loss, having successfully kept off 70 pounds for more than 20 years.

During the eight-week class, participants will set weight-loss and activity goals, learn mindful eating habits and make long-term lifestyle changes, including engaging in physical activity.

On Sunday, Jan. 16, Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy students, parents and faculty volunteered at Harvesters. The volunteers made snack packs for underprivileged kids in the Kansas City area. At least 20,000 snack packs go out each week. The HBHA volunteers made approximately 2,375 snack packs in the three hours they volunteered at Harvesters. The snack packs included containers of corn and green beans, cartons of milk, juice boxes and microwaveable Kraft macaroni and cheese, as well as pudding and Nature Valley bars.

“We had a good turn out,” said president of the board and parent Eric Kaseff. “I was very pleased with the amount of people that came to help. Everyone worked really hard and we had a lot of fun.”

“I thought it was really fun to help these kids,” said sixth-grader Alexis Davis. “I didn’t really know what to expect but I’m glad we made an impact.”

“I had been there before so I expected to be doing the same thing as in past years, which was sorting food,” said director of student services Netta Krashin. “It was a fun and a nice surprise to realize that we were making the snack packs. I liked the idea that we were making a difference in kids’ lives. I feel what we did was very beneficial.”

Thousands of people receive emergency food assistance through Harvesters’ network each week. Harvesters food pantry is a national non-profit organization that feeds the hungry. It was founded in 1979 and now has 620 agencies nationwide. Thirty-seven percent of people receiving emergency food assistance are children.

When his son Shalom Dovid was born seven years ago this month in Miami, it spurred the desire within Rabbi Elchanan Schulgasser to learn a very specialized Jewish skill. Just last summer, he completed his training, joining Rabbi Jeffrey Shron and Michael Blum, M.D. as the Kansas City area’s newest mohel (a ritual circumciser).

“This is My Covenant which you shall keep … at the age of eight days every male among you shall be circumcised throughout the generations…” states the Torah in Beresheet (Genesis), 17:10-13. The Jewish people have faithfully carried out this ceremony, known as a Brit Milah, since G-d instructed Avraham to circumcise himself at the age of 99. The patriarch of the Jewish people then circumcised all the males in his household and later, when his son Yitzchak was born, circumcised him on the eighth day as commanded.

Not every father chooses to participate in the actual surgical procedure, but Rabbi Schulgasser, a member of the Kansas City Community Kollel, says he was “moved by the happiness and significance of the occasion” to perform the brit under the supervision of a close family friend in Miami. In addition to Shalom Dovid, he and his wife Bracha are the parents of Aliza, almost 5, Benayahu, 3, and Yehuda Zev, 18 months.

“Traditionally, a student who wanted to learn milah would apprentice to an experienced mohel,” he explained. “After a long period of study and supervised practice, the measure of a mohel’s expertise was whether he had performed a bris for his own son.” In Israel, there are many programs and courses that teach milah. “It’s easier to find training in Israel as there is a large Jewish community and many, many brisses,” he added.

He studied extensively with Rabbi Michael Rovinsky of St. Louis, one of only a handful of Orthodox mohelim who take on students for this specialized training. “Rabbi Rovinsky is very selective,” Rabbi Schulgasser added, taking only the top candidates in character, diligence and religiosity. “He then trains them in the technique he has developed, known for its speed, aesthetic appearance and minimization of pain to the baby.”

Mohelim regularly consult with Rabbi Rovinsky, who has performed thousands of Brit Milah, some under unusual circumstances. He once performed a Brit Milah in an airport so he could quickly return to St. Louis before the start of a Jewish holiday!

Though Rabbi Schulgasser is a relative newcomer to the field, he, too, already has some interesting stories. The parents at a recent brit he performed are both surgeons, and the grandfather, who held the baby during the ceremony, was a pediatrician. He wondered in advance if it would be difficult to deal with so many physicians in the family, but “they’re a wonderful family,” Rabbi Schulgasser said. “It was fun!” The rabbi also performed the Brit Milah on the son of his Kollel colleague Rabbi Yehuda Sokoloff a few months ago, describing it as “very special.”

Grateful to mohelim from other cities that were kind enough to share their experience and wisdom, Rabbi Schulgasser said, “I have also benefited from many discussions with pediatricians and from observing circumcisions in hospitals.”

One of those physicians is Dr. Blum, who has studied with the Reform movement’s Berit Milah program; he is chairman of both the Berit Milah board of directors and the National Association of American Mohalim. He is a board certified pediatrician with Pediatric Partners in Overland Park and can be reached at (913) 888-4567 or at .

Rabbi Shron, who serves as chazzan (cantor) at Kehilath Israel Synagogue, received his training from Rabbi David Suraksy. He also had extensive additional medical training from local pediatrician Dr. Alan Organ. Rabbi Shron is available at (913) 642.1880, ext. 211, (913) 649-6296 or or at his website, http://rabbijs.com.

“Rabbi Schulgasser has talked with me on several occasions about his participation in the community,” Dr. Blum said. “I am excited to have him join both Rabbi Shron and me in offering this service to the greater Kansas City area.”

The first eight days of a baby’s life can be very stressful — especially for new parents. But Rabbi Schulgasser said, “It’s an honor to spend time with parents at such a joyous time. I love sharing the occasion with them, helping parents select an appropriate Hebrew name, working with them on their speeches, dispensing any new-parent advice I can — every part of it.”

The area’s newest mohel can be reached at (913) 735-6728 or via e-mail at: . By the way, the Schulgassers have another child due in a few months, so if it’s a boy, will he perform the brit?

“The expression goes: ‘Mohelim have girls!’” he laughed. “But if we do ... for sure! It would be nice not to have a nervous father hovering over me!”

Emma Clair Furey made her entrance into the world at 6:46 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 9, weighing 4 pounds, 4 ounces and measuring 16 ½-inches long. She has a lot of dark brown hair and blue eyes.

This year’s first Jewish baby, the daughter of Amy Ravis Furey and Brian Furey, was born at Shawnee Mission Medical Center. But the Fureys never thought she could be 2011’s first Jewish baby of the year because she arrived almost six weeks earlier than planned. Ravis Furey’s “due date” with Emma was originally estimated at Feb. 19.

Needless to say the hours leading up to Emma’s birth were more than a little stressful for the Furey family. Emma’s older brother, Michael, who is 2 ½, was also premature, so the Fureys and their doctors thought there could be another early arrival.

“My water broke with my first pregnancy at 34 weeks,” Furey said. “We hoped it wouldn’t again, but in the back of my mind I always knew it was possible again with this pregnancy too,” she said.

The shared vision/individualized Jewish path coordinator at The Temple, Congregation B’nai Jehudah, who also serves as the youth group adviser, Ravis Furey actually attended worship services and “a really great youth group program” just hours before her water broke. When that happened at 2:30 a.m., they proceeded to the hospital.

Once there, the medical team decided to inject Ravis Furey with two steroid shots. The steroids are expected to provide benefits for the lung development in premature infants as well as reduce the risk of respiratory distress syndrome and other potential complications.

After Ravis Furey received the steroid shots, the medical team began inducing labor. Just a couple of hours later little Emma was born.

“It was crazy, it all happened so fast,” Ravis-Furey said.

Mom was feeling so well after Emma was born that she left a message at The Chronicle just 30 minutes later to report the birth, hoping her baby was the first Jewish baby of the year.

“Once we knew Emma was healthy and well, it was just too cool to pass up trying,” Ravis Furey said.

As her older brother was named after his late grandfather Michael Ravis, Emma received a family name as well. Her middle name, Clair, is the maiden name of her paternal grandmother, the late Glynis Clair Furey.

At press time little Emma remained at SMMC’s Neonatal Intensive Care unit. Mom reports Emma’s health continues to improve, but they don’t know yet when she’ll get to go home.

“Emma is wonderful. We feel very blessed knowing that, since there are many other babies in the NICU who aren’t doing as well. She is nursing well and she is really alert. We are just taking it day by day, waiting for her to get bigger and stronger, but she is for sure taking steps in the right direction,” Ravis Furey said.

Coincidentally, last year’s First Jewish Baby Leo Covitz was also born on Jan. 9.

“We’re really good friends with the Covitz family,” Ravis Furey said. “We were actually supposed to be at his birthday party the day that Emma was born.”

Family receives gifts

As 2011’s First Jewish Baby, Emma Clair Furey and her family received the following gifts from Chronicle advertisers:

• $25 gift card from BRGR Kitchen + Bar
• $25 gift card from Cosentino’s Price Chopper
• One free night stay at the InterContinental Kansas City at the Plaza
• A Shalom Baby gift basket from the Jewish Federation of Greater Kansas City
• Two tickets to the Feb. 26 performance of the Vienna Boys Choir at Johnson County Community College
• ‘It’s a Girl’ cigars from Cigar & Tabac, Ltd.

Kansas City’s Brenda and Howard Rosenthal will be presented with the Enid and Harold Boxer Memorial Award by NCSY, the international youth movement of the Orthodox Union, at its Ben Zakkai Honor Society Annual Scholarship Reception Sunday, Jan. 30, in New York.

The award is named after Enid and Howard Boxer, who created NCSY as a continent-wide youth movement.

BZHS is an alumni “Hall of Fame” whose new members are nominated by, and voted on, by its current members based on the nominees’ service to NCSY and the Jewish community. The society’s main function is to raise funds for scholarships for high school NCSYers for summer programs in North America and Israel and for teens to continue their Jewish education after high school. The society has helped pay tribute for more than 40 years to esteemed NCSY alumni and community leaders who have demonstrated their dedication to Torah and their service to the Jewish people.

Over the years, NCSY has played an important role in the lives of both Brenda and Howard.

“NCSY has been an integral part of my life for as long as I can remember. It has been a guiding force which has grounded me and now our children on a path of leadership, kindness and Jewish values. I can’t imagine who I would be were it not for NCSY,” Brenda said.

Howard said he is proud to see “how our children have become role models due to their involvement in NCSY.”

“The leadership in this organization is incredible. The values imparted to our children through NCSY have instilled a love for their community, Judaism and Israel,” he said.

Hundreds, if not thousands, of married couples met in NCSY. That actually wasn’t the case with Brenda Fogelson and Howard Rosenthal, however. They met in sixth grade at the Phoenix Hebrew Academy, before there was an NCSY in their community.

By the time they reached the eighth grade, they had established the Ohr HaMidbar NCSY chapter and were both awarded the “Torah im Derech Eretz” award at regional convention. They participated in every convention, conclave and program West Coast NCSY had to offer. Not only did they grow Jewishly, but they influenced their families to do the same!

Howard finished high school early, won Regional NCSYer of the year honors and went off to study at Bar-Ilan University in Israel completing his studies at Yeshiva University. Brenda was named National “NCSYer of the year” and Regional “NCSYer of the Decade,” continuing her studies at both Touro and Stern College in New York.

After graduation, the Rosenthals moved back to Arizona and studied medicine at the University of Arizona. After completing orthopedic residency at the University of Kansas and a Fellowship at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York, the couple joined the staff at the University of Kansas, Howard as an orthopedic oncologist and Brenda as a heart transplant coordinator. They decided to establish Kansas City as their home and played a giant role in rebuilding a once proud Orthodox community that had fallen on hard times.

The Rosenthals play pivotal roles in their synagogue: Beth Israel, Abraham & Voliner, the only Orthodox congregation between St. Louis and Denver, The Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy and numerous communal agencies. As medical director of the Mid-America Sarcoma Institute, Howard is the only Orthodox orthopedic oncologist in the country. Past president of his synagogue, the kollel and head of the rabbinic search committee, he continues to serve as the ba’al koreh and ba’al tefilla. A national vice president of the Orthodox Union, chairman of the Menorah Medical Center and a board member of the Jewish Heritage Foundation of Kansas City, he is also professor of orthopedic surgery at the University of Medicine and Biosciences at Kansas City and associate professor of surgery at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, and is widely published in medical literature.

Brenda has served as president of BIAV, on the board of HBHA and is a driving force behind the Kansas City Chevrah Kadisha. The Rosenthal home is packed with teenagers every Shabbat. It has been said that hundreds of Jewish adults can say that they spent one-seventh of their teenage years at the vibrant Rosenthal home!

Aside from Brenda’s ample volunteer work, she is a nurse practitioner in a large internal medicine practice, as well as surgical assistant to Howard. Most important, the Rosenthals have instilled an abiding love of Torah in their children; Aryn, Daniel, Naftali and Davida.

At the reception, the OU will also pay tribute to the legacy of Dr. Bernard Lander, the founder, and for 40 years, president of Touro College. Dr. Lander died on Feb. 8, 2010, at the age of 94.

Jonathan Edelman does not sit back and let life happen.

“He makes things happen,” said Gayle Gray, Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy principal, about Jonathan, the Chronicle’s January Salute to Youth honoree.

“He is always willing to take the reins and lead a group for the betterment of students, the school, his synagogue and Jewish organizations. He is a hard working, giving, amazing young man.”

As a leader in the Jewish community Jonathan has big shoes to fill. He’s the youngest son of Debbie Sosland-Edelman and Alan Edelman. Alan is the associate executive director of the Jewish Federation and Debbie has always been active in the Jewish community and was a member of the Hebrew Academy’s first graduating class. His maternal grandparents, Neil and Blanche Sosland, were among the founding families of the Jewish day school. His paternal grandfather, Dr. William Edelman, is a retired physicians and his wife, the late Doris Edelman, was the head of the syndicate department for a regional firm.

It means a lot to Jonathan that he is the second generation to attend HBHA and notes that there will be a member of the family there “for at least another 20 years.” He says the 15 students in his senior class, and the rest of the faculty and student body, are like family to him.
Jonathan said he doesn’t feel pressure to be involved in the Jewish community because of his family.

“I look at it more that they’ve taught me just how important it is to give back to the Jewish community,” said the 18-year-old senior.
He is committed to giving back to the Jewish community, both by giving his time and his money.

“When I give money I give it to the Jewish community because I consider myself more of a Jewish American than an American Jew,” he said.
His extracurricular activities reflect his commitment to the Jewish community. The abbreviated list includes serving as regional executive vice president for Israel affairs of United Synagogue Youth, being selected for a highly competitive leadership training program at Herzl Camp and participating in a Panim leadership program where he lobbied senators and congressmen in Washington, D.C., to advocate for the homeless.

Jonathan said of all his activities, he most enjoys USY and being a member of the B’nai Tzedek Youth Council. B’nai Tzedek, a program of the Jewish Community Foundation, is designed to teach young teens the joys and pleasures of tzedakah.

“I think philanthropy is one of the most important things. People always say that they’d love to give their time to organizations. But while that’s great, in the end organizations can only succeed if they have money,” he said.

One of the organizations he’s most passionate about is the Guardian Society.

“It helps kids go on Israel trips and to summer camps. Some of the best experiences that I had were my eight years at Herzl camp. I also went on a USY pilgrimage to Israel. Going to Israel and having these Jewish experiences with other teens is something I think every teen should experience and it makes me angry that some can’t because they can’t afford it. The Guardian Society basically gives money to kids so they can go. I want kids who are less fortunate to have the same experiences that I’ve had,” Jonathan said.

HBHA’s Principal Gray points out that Jonathan is a leader academically, socially and behaviorally.

“He is a leader among peers and has earned the respect of teachers by dedicating himself to his studies, his extra-curricular activities and his own self improvement,” she said.

This year alone he serves as president of the Student Council, editor-in-chief of the yearbook, photo editor of the newspaper, and co-president of the Holchim Yarok (environmental action club) which was recognized as program of the year by the Federation in 2010.

As a leader, Jonathan makes sure to be an example to younger children and youth group members. His leadership style has been shaped, at least a little, by some of his USY experiences. He vividly remembers when he was a younger member how the “big scary seniors” tended to hang out only with each other at regional conventions. That attitude bothered Jonathan.

“The point of being on the regional board is to be a leader and to get to know people. So when I became a regional officer I decided to make every effort to say ‘hi’ to everyone because I want people to know I’m not a big scary officer. I want to show them that I am there and available to answer questions and be available to all the USYers,” he said.

Photography is one of Jonathan’s great loves and in 2008 he won first prize for his photo “The Storm Approaches” in the Jerry and Edith Penzer Young Artist Showcase held annually at the Jewish Community Center.

Eventually Jonathan wants to be a professional photographer.

“I love taking pictures,” he said.

He takes photos of all kinds, including landscapes, and just recently began taking portraits of people. But he doesn’t think he would like to specialize in portrait photography.

“It’s easier to work with a tree than it is with a person,” he said. “We’ll see where it takes me, I could change my mind.”

Jonathan’s plans for after graduation this spring are currently up in the air. He had been planning to participate in a gap year program in Israel for a year. But he’s been accepted to his first choice school, Clark University in Worcester, Mass., so now he’s debating whether to go straight to college or do the gap year program.

“The gap year would be nice because I could spend more time with my sister (who is currently serving in the Israeli army),” he said.

No matter what he does in the fall of 2011, Judaism will still be a big part of his life.

“My religion is important to me. I go to Jewish day school and I went to Jewish camp. Every single week I get together with my family for Shabbat. I plan to raise my kids Jewish. I plan to send them (to HBHA) hopefully. I think faith and religion is what in the hardest times keeps you sane. It’s somewhere to turn and I think it’s important to stay involved.”

Each year middle and upper school students of the Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy return from winter break, excited to be back in school. Why, one might ask? Because they participate in Winterims, a week of unique extracurricular classes not usually offered during the regular school year.

“It took a lot of hard work to plan the Winterims this year,” Middle and Upper School English Department Chair Cynthia Knight said. “But it was worth all the work. I loved seeing the students explore and excel outside of their comfort zones. The students try something new and always end up loving it.”

There were over 30 classes offered for this year’s Winterims. Some of these classes included International Jewish Cooking, Winter Camping, Archery, Braille, How to Win at Scrabble and Creative Writing. Eighth-grader Moriah Abrams took part in the Braille class taught by James Wilcox.

“After learning something as simple as the alphabet, I have a new appreciation for the visually impaired. We go by our days reading everything from a speed limit signs to nutrition facts. It isn’t as easy for the visually impaired.”

Many students took advantage of the “Winter” in Winterims by participating in the Winter Survival class. The class ventured out into the cold each day to learn new techniques of how to survive the harsh environments of the outdoors.

“We learned everything from how to pitch a tent to knowing what clothes to wear in order to stay warm,” Freshman Jacob Margolies said. “The best part was making hot chocolate every day.”

For the first time since Winterims began six years ago, one of the classes offered was student-led. Eighth grader Sophia Porter taught students about the art of Henna, after two high school students expressed an interest.

“I was so excited to be asked,” Porter exclaimed. “I love Henna art and I couldn’t wait to share my love with others.”

During this week long class, 13 students learned how to mix Henna and apply it to their hands and arms.

There were also many dance classes offered during the Winterims week. At the end of the week, students who participated in the dance classes put on a showcase. Jazz, Hip-hop and swing were among the classes showcased in the performance.

“It was so much fun to dance center stage,” senior Molly Oberstein-Allen explained. “The swing dance we performed was energetic, colorful and definitely brought back memories to the parents in the audience. This year was my last year for Winterims, and it was certainly the best.”