Archived News

JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER POOLSIDE CAFÉ OFFERS KOSHER DAYS — In its ongoing effort to be inclusive and welcoming, the Poolside Café at the Jewish Community Center’s (The J) outdoor pool will now be under KC Vaad supervision Sundays through Wednesdays. This is the first time the café has come under Vaad supervision, providing more options for everyone.

“Vaad supervision at our Poolside Café is something we’ve wanted to do for years, but being open on Shabbat always made it difficult to figure out a way to accomplish that,” said Barry Baumfalk, The J’s senior director of fitness, sports, aquatics and membership.

“While we’ve always strived to serve food with approved KC Vaad hechshers, having the supervision was still important to us at The J,” said Jim Sluyter, The J’s president/CEO. “We are so thankful to Rabbi Mizrahi for coming in and working with us to make this happen. We are excited for this summer and what it will mean for the J community.”

Hours at the Poolside Café are noon to 7:30 p.m. daily. J members can view the Poolside Café menu online at thejkc.org/pool.

MCHE SPONSORS SNEAK PEAK OF ‘THE SPY BEHIND HOME PLATE’ — Check out Aviva Kempner’s “The Spy Behind Home Plate” at the Glenwood Arts at 7 p.m. June 20, the day before the film officially opens to the public.

The Midwest Center for Holocaust Education is sponsoring the special showing of the first feature-length documentary to tell the story of Morris “Moe” Berg, “the enigmatic and brilliant Jewish baseball player turned spy.” Berg caught and fielded in the major leagues during baseball’s Golden Age in the 1920s and 1930s. But very few people know that Berg also worked for the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), spying in Europe and playing a prominent role in America’s efforts to undermine the German atomic bomb program during World War II.

“The Spy Behind Home Plate” reveals the life of this unknown Jewish hero through rare historical footage and photographs as well as revealing interviews with an all-star roster of celebrities and other individuals from the worlds of sports, spy craft and history. Berg may have had only a .243 batting average during his 15-year major league career, but it was the stats he collected for the OSS that made him a most valuable player to his country during World War II.

Author and baseball historian Phil Dixon will introduce the film and provide unique baseball perspectives. Tickets can be purchased at mchekc.org or fineartsgroup.com. No passes or discounts are available for MCHE’s special showing of this film.

OPUS BREWING GETS NATIONAL PUB — I didn’t get far into my copy of Jewish National Fund’s B’Yachad Summer 2019 newsletter, which arrived in my mailbox last week, before I saw a headline featuring Opus Brewing, a name that looked familiar. It’s owned by Jason Barnett, a Shawnee native and former member of The Temple, Congregation B’nai Jehudah who made Aliyah in 2010.

The newsletter tells Barnett’s story about the successful craft beer he brews in the heart of Tel Aviv. We featured a short story about his craft beer in our Feb. 1, 2018, edition when he and another former Kansas Citian received grants from Nefesh B’Nefesh’s first Initiative for Zionist Innovation. I could not find the newsletter online, but you can learn more about the brewery by visiting opusbrewingisrael.com/homebase. The website is in Hebrew, but you can click it to be translated into English. Opus Brewing is not a brewery yet, but Barnet said in the JNF newsletter he hoped to establish a state-of-the-art nano brewery within the year and open a brewery in northern Israel within five years with the capability to distribute to worldwide craft beer markets.

“In brewing, I feel that I have found my calling. When I look in the mirror, I see a harmonious hodge-podge — an American, an Israeli, a soldier and a brewer.”

Congregation Ohev Sholom invites the community to a brunch on Sunday, June 30, to honor Rabbi Scott White and Civia White on the occasion of his retirement as rabbi of Congregation Ohev Sholom. The event begins at 10:30 a.m.

The cost for the brunch is $18. Send payment to Ohev Sholom, 5311 West 75th St., Prairie Village, KS 66208 to by Monday, June 24th.

Rabbi Zalman and Nechama Tiechtel of the KU Chabad Center and their children took all the necessary precautions last week when what Rabbi Tiechtel described as a “monstrous twister” tore through the southern portion of Lawrence and stayed on the ground for 32 miles, also causing destruction in nearby Linwood, Kansas. Once the all-clear was sounded, Rabbi Tiechtel said the Tiechtels “sprang into action” and initiated contact with members of the community as well as the KU students they knew were still in town to ensure that all were safe.

The massive tornado that hit Douglas County, Kansas, Tuesday, May 28, caused “quite a bit of damage” to property owned by a member of the Lawrence Jewish Community Center, according to its office administrator, Marty Stemmerman. The member has asked to remain anonymous. Stemmerman added she had been told “quite a few volunteers were showing up to help.”

Mitchell Lieber has a complex story to tell.

It’s an uplifting story even while it is ghastly. It has strong connections to Kansas City’s Jewish community, to Lieber’s family here and in Latvia, and to the decimated Latvian Jewish community during the Holocaust. 

Lieber, a Kansas City native who lives in Chicago, tells the story in his documentary film “Rumbula’s Echo,” which he wrote, directed and produced. In the film, he weaves together his family’s history with that of Nazi crimes against Jews in Latvia during World War II, culminating in the Rumbula Massacre near Riga, Latvia, on Nov. 30 and Dec. 8, 1941. Roughly 25,000 Jews were killed in the Rumbula forest or on the way to it. According to author Andrew Ezergailis in his book “The Holocaust in Latvia, 1941-1944: The Missing Center,” the Rumbula Massacre was largest mass murder of the Holocaust before the Nazi death camps, other than the Babi Yar massacre in Ukraine.

OP NATIVE FEATURED IN JERUSALEM POST — According to The Jerusalem Post, “Asher and Ruthie Kaplan are something of an immigrant success story. They met in Israel and got married (in Israel) in 2014, and now run a successful wellness center together in Rehavia called Spark Body & Soul. Spark offers clients a myriad of high-quality massage and facial treatments, but also something intangible, something that can only be attributed to the couple who run it: heart.”

Our friend and contributing writer Sybil Kaplan clued us in on the story, which was published May 31. Ruthie is the daughter of Victor and Susan Bergman, “where she grew up in a very pro-Israel family, and she visited Israel often on family vacations.”

To learn more about Ruthie’s business, go to jerusalempost.com and search Ruthie Kaplan. One thing not in the article is the announcement the Kaplans had a baby girl in mid-May.

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY — Earlier this week, Jewish Federation of Greater Kansas City wished “the wonderful Deborah Bretton Granoff a happy 30th anniversary.” During that time she has helped Jewish Federation as it works to inspire generosity, improve lives and strengthen our community, within a framework of Jewish values.

Here’s the post from Jewish Federation’s Facebook page: “Debbie, we couldn’t do it without you. Thanks for being our resident historian, our steadfast cheerleader and a lifelong supporter of Jewish Federation’s mission: To sustain and enhance Jewish life at home and around the world. You really are the best of the best!”

FEATURED IN THE NEWS PART II — On May 31 The Forward published “The Secret Jewish History Of The Happy Meal.”

“In June of 1979, 40 years ago, the world of picky eaters experienced a total game changer. That month, McDonald’s went national with a cardboard clutch containing a choice of hamburger or cheeseburger, a small drink, cookies, a small bag of fries and — of course — a toy.” Before getting to that point, the article notes that a couple of franchisees came up with their own kids’ meals and McDonald’s “commissioned the Kansas City advertising firm Bernstein-Rein to further develop it. The company’s founder and CEO, Bob Bernstein, took the idea to another level.” Read more by visiting forward.com.

MOISHE HOUSE HONORED — Moishe House has been awarded the $25,000 Jerusalem Prize for Unity in the international category. Moishe House received the prize for its worldwide success in engaging Jewish young adults in meaningful ways and empowering them to create their own vibrant communities. Kansas City has had a Moishe House since 2014 to engage young Jewish adults (22 to 30) by giving them a place to sustain their Jewish community. Moishe House hosts innovative programs that emphasize Judaism through cultural, religious, community service and social aspects.

“It is absolutely wonderful that Moishe House as an organization was awarded the Jerusalem Prize for Unity!” Michael Portman said. “As one of the residents in the Kansas City Moishe House, I am honored to be a part of such a great group that is able to engage and connect a growing and vibrant Jewish community! This is an honorable award that remembers Eyal Yifrah, Gilad Shaer and Naftali Fraenkel and truly is meaningful to what we do for our community.”

If you know anyone who would be interested in Moishe House programming, email or visit the Moishe House of Kansas City Facebook page (facebook.com/MHofKC/).

Within months of graduating from a Jewish high school near Boston in 2017, Asher Dale had an internship that he “absolutely loved” at Forter, an Israeli technology startup that sells online fraud protection services.

The company, which processes more than $50 billion in transactions annually for a global network of retailers, was growing rapidly and the 18-year-old Dale was in the thick of it. He regularly put in 10-hour days during his four months at the company’s Tel Aviv offices and worked on two major software products.

For the aspiring computer scientist who had decided to put off college for a year to spend a “gap year” in Israel, it was a dream job.

Ed Asner, the legendary star of TV, stage and film, is coming “home” to Kansas City on Father’s Day, June 16. He’s giving us all a gift — one performance only of the play “A Man and His Prostate,” in the Lewis and Shirley White Theatre at the Jewish Community Center of Greater Kansas City.

In this hysterical play, based on a true-life experience, a man discovers his inner self in more ways than one. A near tragedy is masterfully transformed into this one-man comedy, perfectly portrayed by Asner in his hilarious visit to the hospital in preparation for surgery he doesn’t want.

Performance time is 5 p.m., with a special VIP “meet and greet” immediately after the show. While the special VIP experience tickets are already sold out, remaining tickets are still available through the box office by calling 913-327-8054 or sending email to . The White Theatre box office is open 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday through Friday.

Rabbi Karen Bodney-Halasz, a native of the Kansas City Jewish community, was recently honored by the YWCA of Greater Dayton (Ohio) as a 2019 Woman of Influence.

Since 1998, the YWCA Dayton WOI awards have recognized and honored the most influential women in the Dayton area. According to the UWCA, they choose visionaries and thought leaders who have made a difference in the community through their dedication to the YWCA mission of eliminating racism, empowering women, and promoting peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all.

More than 100 were nominated and only six individuals were honored.

Washburn University conferred Rita Blitt an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts degree during spring commencement ceremonies May 11.

Blitt was born in Kansas City, Missouri, and as an elementary school student won a scholarship for Saturday classes at the Kansas City Art Institute. She attended the University of Illinois and graduated from the University of Missouri-Kansas City in 1952 with a Bachelor of Arts degree. In 1953 and 1955, she again attended the Kansas City Art Institute where she studied painting. Blitt’s work celebrates love of life, nature, music and dance. To describe her work, in 1977 she wrote “I feel like I’m dancing on paper.” An award-winning painter, sculptor and filmmaker, her words “Kindness is contagious. Catch it!” have inspired people all over the world.