The Kansas City Jewish Chronicle has changed its deadlines. The deadline for articles, calendar items and snapshots from communal organizations, congregations and readers is now Tuesday at 5 p.m. Articles submitted by that time will publish in the following week’s edition of The Chronicle. For example, an article to be published in the Sept. 12 edition must be received by The Chronicle staff no later than 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 3. Please note The Chronicle will not be able to promise publication in the following week’s issue for anything that arrives past that deadline.
The new deadlines take effect immediately.
In addition, any obituary to be published in a particular week’s issue must be received no later than 4 p.m. on Monday, the week of publication.
Jewish or secular holidays also often require additional deadline adjustments. The Chronicle’s first early deadlines for the High Holiday season will be for the issue of Oct. 3. All articles for publication in that issue should be received by The Chronicle no later than Monday, Sept. 23.
Contact Editor Barbara Bayer at 913-951-8425 or with questions.
At the Hebrew Day School of Ann Arbor, students participate in exercises to better understand and appreciate the experience of people who learn differently due to special needs. (Courtesy of the Hebrew Day School of Ann Arbor)
About five years ago, Jennifer Rosenberg faced a conundrum.
As head of a Jewish day school in Michigan, Rosenberg noticed a marked increase in families interested in enrolling children with disabilities like dyslexia, attention deficit disorder and autism.
Rosenberg wanted to welcome these families seeking a Jewish education for their children, but she knew that accommodating such students required extra resources — a real challenge for her small elementary school, Hebrew Day School of Ann Arbor.
“It would be a terrible shame and really a crime if we didn’t, as a Jewish community, as Jewish educational institutions, make sure that all children have an opportunity to participate,” she said.
In collaboration with Jewish Family Services, KU Hillel is expanding their current services to meet the growing need for mental health support to the students at KU. The goal is to be on the frontlines of preventative care, providing students with ample wellness resources, which includes counseling services provided through Jewish Family Services.
“KU Hillel is excited to collaborate with Jewish Family Services of Greater Kansas City in order to promote and foster good mental health and healthy habits for our students,” said KU Hillel Board Chair Meg Adler.
Among MeltonKC’s adult Jewish educational offerings this year is “Beyond Borders: The History of the Arab-Israeli Conflict.” This 10-week series provides students with a strong historical overview from the late 19th century through present day, and will engage students as they understand this ongoing conflict through the lens of religion, culture, history, politics, economics, identity and survival.
Dena Weiss Rabbanit Sara Wolkenfeld Rabbi Daniel Nevins
Congregation Beth Shalom Senior Rabbi David M. Glickman invites everyone in the community to the Elul Institute 2019 (5779) to be held at Beth Shalom. Learn and grow with them on three Wednesday evenings of learning: Sept. 4, Sept. 11 and Sept. 18 at 7:30 p.m.
There is no cost for these talks and they are open to all. You are encouraged to invite friends and family members from the entire community for this inspirational learning.
BETH SHALOM UPGRADING FACILITIES — Congregation Beth Shalom is underway on a campaign for a new sacred space and upgrade of existing facilities to serve its congregation. Designed by acclaimed architect Preston Scott Cohen, the new sanctuary will create an inspiring space for congregants to pray together on the High Holidays, sing together on Shabbat mornings and dance together on Simchat Torah. The project is slated to begin in 2020 with construction complete by 2022.
Among those who attended the opening of the Rita Blitt Collection at the KU Edwards Campus last week was Sonia Warshawski (right). It was the first time the two local celebrities had ever met. See related story, page 10.
DEFINITION OF ANTIFA — The word antifa was in the news again recently and I was stumped. I knew I was supposed to know it, but since it didn’t come to the forefront of my mind, I looked it up. JTA says antifa is an abbreviation for anti-fascist action (8-16-2017).
ADL has defined it as violent counter-protesters who believe in active, aggressive opposition to far right-wing movements. “Their ideology is rooted in the assumption that the Nazi party would never have been able to come to power in Germany if people had more aggressively fought them in the streets in the 1920s and 30s.
Most antifa come from the anarchist movement or from the far left, though since Trump’s election, some people with more mainstream political backgrounds have also joined their ranks,” according to an article on adl.org titled “Who are the Antifa?” I couldn’t find a date, but I believe the article was written following the violence in Charlottesville in August 2017.
A NEW TREE OF LIFE — A three-dimensional Tree of Life was recently installed in the Theatre Galleria of the Jewish Community Campus.
The lifelike sculpture, created by artist Tim Mispagel, was commissioned by TEVA when it opened its Overland Park building. With the company’s recent move out of the city, TEVA wanted the sculpture to find a good home.
Thanks to the efforts of longtime community member Mike Levitan, TEVA decided to donate it to the Jewish Community Center. The sculpture weighs approximately 1,100 pounds, with its highest branch reaching 13 feet high. The J member Larry Fry of Fry Wagner donated moving services for installing the Tree of Life in its new home.
WHO IS HARRY FRIEDMAN? — In typical “JEOPARDY!” style, the question “Who is Harry Friedman?” is the correct answer to the statement: This man is retiring on May 1, 2020, after 25 years at Sony Pictures Television.
Friedman is the multiple award-winning longtime executive producer of “Wheel of Fortune” and “JEOPARDY!” He grew up in Omaha and lived in Kansas City for about five years. He still has relatives living in the Kansas City Jewish community.
Over the course of his five decades in the industry, Friedman has produced more than 6,270 hours of game shows for American television audiences, and most of that tally comes from producing the two most lasting and successful syndicated programs of all time: “Wheel of Fortune” and “JEOPARDY!.” “Wheel of Fortune” is currently in production on the show’s 37thseason, while “JEOPARDY!” is taping Season 36; both premiere Monday, Sept. 9. They will be Friedman’s last at the helm of the two programs.
“We are proud to have had one of the industry’s most prolific executive producers at the helm of our flagship game shows, “Wheel of Fortune” and “JEOPARDY!,” for the past 25 years,” SPT Chairman Mike Hopkins said. “Under Harry’s direction, these iconic shows have become among the longest running and most successful game shows in television history. … Harry is truly one of a kind, and he will be greatly missed.”
Friedman is the most decorated producer of game shows in history, and he holds three Guinness World Records titles to prove it. He is a 14-time Emmy® Award winner who is the only producer to ever have won two Emmys in the same category in a tie with himself, a Peabody Award winner and an inductee into the Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame. He also has received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and has been inducted into the NAB Broadcasting Hall of Fame. He will be honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, recently selected as part of the Class of 2020.
ANOTHER OMAHA-JEWISH KC CONNECTION — If you will be in or around Omaha in September, you may want to consider visiting “Witness: The Art of Samuel Bak,” which opens Tuesday, Sept. 3, in the University of Nebraska at Omaha’s School of the Arts’ Art Gallery, housed in the Weber Fine Arts Building. The collection spans five decades of Bak’s artistic journey, featuring pieces that have been shown in major museums and galleries in cities such as Tel Aviv, New York, Paris and Rome. The art will be on display through Thursday, Nov. 14.
Bak is a renowned artist and Holocaust survivor. Thanks to the UNO Sam and Frances Fried Holocaust and Genocide Academy and the Natan and Hannah Schwalb Center for Israel and Jewish Studies, the showing and a series of related public events will be free and open to the public. The KC connection is Ed Fried, the son of Sam Fried.
A conversation featuring Bak is set for 7 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 25, in the Strauss Performing Arts Center, preceded by a reception beginning at 6 p.m. Both events are free and open to the public, with no tickets or registration required. Email for questions or visit unomaha.edu and search Samuel Bak.
Visitors to the Jewish Community Campus on their way to the Jewish Community Center’s Fitness and Sports facilities were greeted with this fallen tree early Sunday morning, Aug. 18. This photo was taken about 7:30 a.m. All was clear by midmorning.
SPEAKING OF TREES — The microburst, for lack of a better word, that hit Overland Park and Leawood in the wee hours of Sunday morning caused some damage to the grounds of the Jewish Community Campus.
In particular, one fallen tree blocked the entrance to the facility by the pool and tennis courts. Campus Facilities Director Rob Bolt was there by 9 a.m. with a chain saw to clear the path. The landscaping crew was also called in Sunday to clear broken branches from the area.
On Monday morning, Bolt said all cleanup of the grounds was expected to be complete by later that day. Some fences by the pool and tennis courts were also damaged, and repair is expected to start on those soon. Removal of the tree that blocked 117th Street was the Sprint Campus’ responsibility.
BETH SHALOM UPGRADING FACILITIES — Congregation Beth Shalom is underway on a campaign for a new sacred space and upgrade of existing facilities to serve its congregation. Designed by acclaimed architect Preston Scott Cohen, the new sanctuary will create an inspiring space for congregants to pray together on the High Holidays, sing together on Shabbat mornings and dance together on Simchat Torah. The project is slated to begin in 2020 with construction complete by 2022.
Among those who attended the opening of the Rita Blitt Collection at the KU Edwards Campus last week was Sonia Warshawski (right). It was the first time the two local celebrities had ever met. See related story, page 10.
DEFINITION OF ANTIFA — The word antifa was in the news again recently and I was stumped. I knew I was supposed to know it, but since it didn’t come to the forefront of my mind, I looked it up. JTA says antifa is an abbreviation for anti-fascist action (8-16-2017).
ADL has defined it as violent counter-protesters who believe in active, aggressive opposition to far right-wing movements. “Their ideology is rooted in the assumption that the Nazi party would never have been able to come to power in Germany if people had more aggressively fought them in the streets in the 1920s and 30s.
Most antifa come from the anarchist movement or from the far left, though since Trump’s election, some people with more mainstream political backgrounds have also joined their ranks,” according to an article on adl.org titled “Who are the Antifa?” I couldn’t find a date, but I believe the article was written following the violence in Charlottesville in August 2017.
A NEW TREE OF LIFE — A three-dimensional Tree of Life was recently installed in the Theatre Galleria of the Jewish Community Campus.
The lifelike sculpture, created by artist Tim Mispagel, was commissioned by TEVA when it opened its Overland Park building. With the company’s recent move out of the city, TEVA wanted the sculpture to find a good home.
Thanks to the efforts of longtime community member Mike Levitan, TEVA decided to donate it to the Jewish Community Center. The sculpture weighs approximately 1,100 pounds, with its highest branch reaching 13 feet high. The J member Larry Fry of Fry Wagner donated moving services for installing the Tree of Life in its new home.
WHO IS HARRY FRIEDMAN? — In typical “JEOPARDY!” style, the question “Who is Harry Friedman?” is the correct answer to the statement: This man is retiring on May 1, 2020, after 25 years at Sony Pictures Television.
Friedman is the multiple award-winning longtime executive producer of “Wheel of Fortune” and “JEOPARDY!” He grew up in Omaha and lived in Kansas City for about five years. He still has relatives living in the Kansas City Jewish community.
Over the course of his five decades in the industry, Friedman has produced more than 6,270 hours of game shows for American television audiences, and most of that tally comes from producing the two most lasting and successful syndicated programs of all time: “Wheel of Fortune” and “JEOPARDY!.” “Wheel of Fortune” is currently in production on the show’s 37thseason, while “JEOPARDY!” is taping Season 36; both premiere Monday, Sept. 9. They will be Friedman’s last at the helm of the two programs.
“We are proud to have had one of the industry’s most prolific executive producers at the helm of our flagship game shows, “Wheel of Fortune” and “JEOPARDY!,” for the past 25 years,” SPT Chairman Mike Hopkins said. “Under Harry’s direction, these iconic shows have become among the longest running and most successful game shows in television history. … Harry is truly one of a kind, and he will be greatly missed.”
Friedman is the most decorated producer of game shows in history, and he holds three Guinness World Records titles to prove it. He is a 14-time Emmy® Award winner who is the only producer to ever have won two Emmys in the same category in a tie with himself, a Peabody Award winner and an inductee into the Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame. He also has received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and has been inducted into the NAB Broadcasting Hall of Fame. He will be honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, recently selected as part of the Class of 2020.
ANOTHER OMAHA-JEWISH KC CONNECTION — If you will be in or around Omaha in September, you may want to consider visiting “Witness: The Art of Samuel Bak,” which opens Tuesday, Sept. 3, in the University of Nebraska at Omaha’s School of the Arts’ Art Gallery, housed in the Weber Fine Arts Building. The collection spans five decades of Bak’s artistic journey, featuring pieces that have been shown in major museums and galleries in cities such as Tel Aviv, New York, Paris and Rome. The art will be on display through Thursday, Nov. 14.
Bak is a renowned artist and Holocaust survivor. Thanks to the UNO Sam and Frances Fried Holocaust and Genocide Academy and the Natan and Hannah Schwalb Center for Israel and Jewish Studies, the showing and a series of related public events will be free and open to the public. The KC connection is Ed Fried, the son of Sam Fried.
A conversation featuring Bak is set for 7 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 25, in the Strauss Performing Arts Center, preceded by a reception beginning at 6 p.m. Both events are free and open to the public, with no tickets or registration required. Email for questions or visit unomaha.edu and search Samuel Bak.
Visitors to the Jewish Community Campus on their way to the Jewish Community Center’s Fitness and Sports facilities were greeted with this fallen tree early Sunday morning, Aug. 18. This photo was taken about 7:30 a.m. All was clear by midmorning.
SPEAKING OF TREES — The microburst, for lack of a better word, that hit Overland Park and Leawood in the wee hours of Sunday morning caused some damage to the grounds of the Jewish Community Campus.
In particular, one fallen tree blocked the entrance to the facility by the pool and tennis courts. Campus Facilities Director Rob Bolt was there by 9 a.m. with a chain saw to clear the path. The landscaping crew was also called in Sunday to clear broken branches from the area.
On Monday morning, Bolt said all cleanup of the grounds was expected to be complete by later that day. Some fences by the pool and tennis courts were also damaged, and repair is expected to start on those soon. Removal of the tree that blocked 117th Street was the Sprint Campus’ responsibility.
Scott Slabotsky (left), Capital Campaign chair of the Jewish Community Center’s expansion project, and Michael Staenberg, lead donor, shared a project rendering during a recent board planning committee meeting.
The Jewish Community Center of Greater Kansas City is nearing its $11.5 million goal for a major expansion of its facilities. To date, $10.35 million has been raised, which includes a matching gift from Michael Staenberg, a St. Louis philanthropist and J advocate. Staenberg initially gave $1.8 million to the Kansas City J’s capital campaign with the promise to donate an additional $1.2 million, once $9.3 million had been raised from the community.
“We are much further along with our campaign than we expected to be at this point and we are thrilled to be so close to qualifying for this important milestone match,” said The J’s President and CEO Jim Sluyter.
The Kansas City Jewish Chronicle is making internal changes regarding the weekly newspaper’s production schedule, requiring us to change our deadlines.
The new deadline for articles, calendar items and snapshots from communal organizations, congregations and readers is now Tuesday at 5 p.m. Articles submitted by that time will publish in The Chronicle nine days later. For example, an article to be published in the Sept. 5 edition must be received by The Chronicle staff no later than 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 27. Please note The Chronicle will not be able to promise publication in the following week’s issue for anything that arrives past that deadline.
The new deadlines become effective on Tuesday, Aug. 27, for the Sept. 5 edition.
In addition, any obituary to be published in a particular week’s issue must be received no later than 4 p.m. on Monday, the week of publication.
Sometimes Jewish or secular holidays require additional deadline adjustments. Watch the pages of The Chronicle for holiday deadline announcements.
Contact Editor Barbara Bayer at 913-951-8425 or with questions.
