An image from ‘Heading Home: The Tale of Team Israelis,’ the story of Israel’s national baseball team as it competes for the first time in the World Baseball Classic in 2017.Some of the most interesting cinematic stories will dazzle the silver screen as part of the 2019 Jewish Film Festival, April 27 through May 12 at The White Theatre. The Kansas City Jewish Film Festival (KCJFF), now in its 19th year, creates an open, inviting and entertaining forum for films that explore issues of culture, identity and history through a Jewish lens.
The Jewish Community Chaplaincy program and its formal partnership with Kansas City Hospice and Palliative Care is due in good measure to (from left) Chaplain Joel Carmer; Rabbi Jonathan Rudnick, Jewish Community Chaplain; Stevie Shuchart, social worker at Kansas City Hospice and director of Passages; and David Wiley, president and CEO of Kansas City Hospice.For more than a decade, the Jewish Community Chaplaincy Program has provided compassionate pastoral care for Jewish people at various hospitals and elder care facilities. Among the regular “stops” Jewish Community Chaplain Rabbi Jonathan Rudnick makes is at Kansas City Hospice & Palliative Care’s facility in south Kansas City, Missouri. Rabbi Rudnick has made scores of calls providing individuals and their families with pastoral counseling as they cope with health and end of life issues.Now the two organizations have formalized their partnership.“Formalizing our relationship will strengthen and deepen our collaboration as agencies serving people at critical points in life, ensuring relevant and meaningful Jewish spiritual care for Kansas City Hospice and Palliative Care patients, families and staff well into the future,” Rabbi Rudnick said.David Wiley, president and CEO of Kansas City Hospice, supports the community collaboration.“Kansas City Hospice & Palliative Care is pleased to have a strong relationship with Jewish Family Services to further enhance training to our staff, to provide important access for our Jewish patients, to the community chaplain and to partner with JFS on programming for the community,” said Wiley of the formalized agreement.Housed at Jewish Family Services, the Chaplaincy program began in the 1990s with the mission to be the central spiritual care address for any Jewish person in the community and their loved ones regardless of denomination or affiliation.“What we try to accomplish when we visit is to connect patients and their families to the greater Jewish community and Jewish tradition,” the rabbi said. “When we visit, the expression is you’re connected to the community, you’re not alone and the community cares about you.”“Kansas City Hospice was the first hospice in the Kansas City area to be accredited by the National Institute of Jewish Hospice approximately 14 years ago, and we have remained the only area hospice to keep that designation consistently,” said Stevie Shuchart, a Jewish social worker at KC Hospice.The Kansas City Hospice team received its initial Jewish training from Rabbi Maurice Lamm, who founded the Jewish hospice movement and the National Institute of Jewish Hospice (NIJH).The relationship with KC Hospice actually began in 2006. Once accredited, it was Shuchart who reached out to Rabbi Rudnick (who had recently begun serving as Jewish Community Chaplain) about visiting Jewish patients at the facility on Wornall Road. Shuchart felt it was critical in patients’ care to have a Jewish presence available.Kansas City Hospice also turned to Rabbi Rudnick to provide ongoing training and sensitize staff to Jewish patients’ needs. Having a rabbi to facilitate staff education is not a requirement of NIJH; however, the Kansas City Hospice team feels a local rabbinic pastoral connection in Kansas City is crucial to delivering care.“Rabbi Rudnick has special expertise in hospital settings, hospice and palliative care,” Shuchart said. “He communicates to our staff what they need to know about caring for patients, both observant and secular, with sensitivity and respect for spiritual and cultural variations. He has actively participated in the development of our educational materials and been a resource for our staff when we have had specific patient concerns.”Among those Rabbi Rudnick works closely with at Kansas City Hospice is its Chaplain Joel Carmer. The two men first became acquainted when they trained together in Clinical Pastoral Education at Research Medical Center.In addition to his spiritual counseling services at Kansas City Hospice, Rabbi Rudnick is a resource to families going through what is often a difficult phase of life — losing a loved one.“We can provide additional referrals to a funeral home, grief support offered at JFS both in an individual and group setting and provide ongoing spiritual care,” the rabbi said.“JFS’s mission is to help people facing some of life’s biggest challenges, which would naturally include illness and death,” said Don Goldman, JFS executive director and CEO. “The Chaplaincy program is a crucial link in helping families during the most difficult times. Because of our relationship with KC Hospice, we are one step closer to families who need our support.”For more information about the Jewish Community Chaplaincy program, visit the web site jfskc.org/chaplaincy or call 913-327-8250.Menorah Heritage Foundation, Jewish Federation of Greater Kansas City, the Jewish Community Foundation and a group of local hospitals and healthcare partners generously support the Chaplaincy Program.
Deborah AllenDeborah Allen, theater artist, director, producer, writer, actor, counselor and screenwriter, has come a long way from the confused 15-year-old girl who was raped, then later molested by the minister who was supposed to help her.She attributes her healing to theater and the arts in general.
Herb Buchbinder has helped the Jewish Community Center raise millions of dollars working on fundraisers such as KC SuperStar. This photo was captured at the 2018 KC SuperStar. Shown are (from left) Jennifer Schwartz, Mitzi Kane, Herb Buchbinder, host Megan Hilty, Bonnie Buchbinder and Terry Kane. (Blake Sidebottom)KC SUPERSTAR SHINES AS A FUNDRAISER — Last month, Independent Magazine named KC SuperStar as one of its top 10 events in KC, ranking it No. 9. According to the magazine, it raised $892,379 for the Jewish Community Center in 2018. Auditions have already been held for the 2019 version, the 10th anniversary of the singing competition, and 25 high school students from the across the metro have been selected as semifinalists. This year’s event will be hosted by “Hamilton” musical star Phillipa Soo. Bill and Doris Mendel are serving as chairs; Michael and Beth Liss are vice chairs. The final event will take place Sunday evening, Aug. 25, in Yardley Hall at Johnson County Community College.KC JOINS GOOD DEEDS DAY — This year, TribeKC, Jewish Family Services and our Israeli Emissary Daniel Rivin have decided to take part in Good Deeds Day.According to Rivin, Good Deeds Day is an initiative, started in 2007, in which hundreds of thousands of Israelis volunteer for different organizations. (Sounds to me like a countrywide mitzvah day.) The idea is simple: Every single person can do something good, be it large or small, to improve the lives of others and positively change the world.Here in Kansas City, young adults will gather on April 7 to make emergency grocery bags for walk-in JFS Food Pantry clients who need immediate assistance. Visit Rivin’s Facebook page (Daniel Rivin KC Shaliach) or TribeKC Good Deeds Day on Facebook if you know a young adult who may be interested in more information. And if you think it would be a good idea to organize something for Good Deeds Day 2020, remember it’s set for March 29.UNICORN ANNOUNCES 2019-2020 SEASON — Earlier this week, Unicorn Theatre, under the leadership of Producing Artistic Director Cynthia Levin, announced the 46th season of thought-provoking new plays that will delve into today’s most pressing social issues and reflect on our history through a modern lens. This season will include a new musical, a world premiere and two new comedies. The new season will open Sept. 4.Levin will direct two of the seven productions: “Bernhardt/Hamlet” by Theresa Rebeck (Dec. 4-Dec. 29) and “Admissions” by Josh Harmon (June 3, 2020-June 28, 2020). Harmon also penned “Bad Jews.”Unicorn also plans to present a world premiere production, title to be announced, in early 2020.For more information about subscriptions and memberships, visit unicorntheatre.org.WANT TO SEE THE SUNRISE FROM SPACE? (JERUSALEM, JTA) — The Israeli spacecraft Beresheet has sent home a video of a sunrise from the spacecraft’s point of view before it enters the moon’s orbit.The Beresheet camera also caught some selfie images with earth from 81,400 miles and nearly 165,000 miles away. It also sent back a short selfie video.The spacecraft is in its largest elliptical orbit around the earth and is scheduled to intersect the moon’s orbit and be captured in it on April 4 at 251,655 miles from earth.The lunar lander is expected to land on the moon’s surface on April 11. The landing site has been identified as the northeastern part of Mare Serenitatis, or the Sea of Serenity, a flat area on the moon’s surface.The Beresheet spacecraft is a joint venture between private companies SpaceIL and Israel Aerospace Industries and continues to communicate with the Israel Aerospace Industries and SpaceIL control room in Yehud in central Israel. To see more, visit YouTube and search Israeli spacecraft to the moon.
Darcella GoodmanDarcella Goodman, who was installed in February as president of the Topeka NAACP chapter, may be the first black Jew to be named to a position like this. It’s a two-year, voluntary term.
Young philanthropists learn about communal agencies at the Jewish Community Foundation’s annual B’nai Tzedek Shuk.On Thursday, Feb. 28, several dozen teens, parents and grandparents gathered for the Jewish Community Foundation’s 13th annual B’nai Tzedek Shuk. The B’nai Tzedek program introduces Bar and Bat Mitzvah-age youth to the joys of tzedakah by offering them their own personal charitable giving accounts at the Foundation. Once a year, fund holders may grant 10 percent of their funds to a Jewish charity, either locally or in Israel. The B’nai Tzedek Shuk is the Foundation’s yearly philanthropy fair where fundholders have the opportunity to meet one-on-one with representatives from Jewish nonprofits and learn about the needs of the community before making their annual grants.
Zehava Arky (from left), Akiva Hollinger and Zoey Tabak were the winners of Entrepreneur Boot Camp Pitch Night, a competition for immigrant entrepreneurs in southern Israel. (Nefesh B’Nefesh)Akiva Hollinger discovered he had a problem when he moved his family into their new house in the southern Israeli town of Ofakim after immigrating to Israel from Allentown, Pennsylvania.
Sonia Warshawski was honored on Monday, March 11, by Kansas Rep. Cindy Holscher for her work in fighting discrimination and sharing her message of love and healing. ‘Big Sonia’ was shown to the legislators as well. In an interview with Topeka TV station KSNT, Warshawski said it was an unforgettable day for her. ‘But still even accepting this honor, I think of those that perished from hate.’ Sonia’s daughter, Regina Kort, was also recognized for all her efforts to educate the next generation about the Holocaust and to provide historical context during her mother’s speaking engagements.The kosher-for-Passover section at Cosentino’s Price Chopper at 95th and Mission has plenty of matzah on the shelves.‘BIG SONIA’ TO AIR ON KCPT — Finally, Kansas Citians who did not have the opportunity to see “Big Sonia” in the theater can see it on our local PBS station, KCPT. It will be aired at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 18, and 3 p.m. Sunday, April 21. It’s also on KCPT2 at 6:59 p.m. on April 21. Be sure to set your recorders if you haven’t already seen it!PASSOVER IS AROUND THE CORNER — Last week the Vaad HaKashruth of Kansas City’s newsletter gave an update regarding Passover products on the shelves in our area grocery stores. It prompted me to head out to two stores myself, Hen House on 117th and Roe and Cosentino’s Price Chopper at 95th and Mission. Coincidentally, both of these stores are loyal advertisers, so I like to support them when I can. I confirmed the Vaad’s note that Hen House is still stocking its Passover shelves. Some dry goods, such as matzah and dessert mixes, are already in stock. Meats and cheeses will be available closer to Passover in the kosher freezer and cool case.The Cosentino’s Price Chopper at 95th has several shelves devoted to Passover dry goods and jarred items, such as gefilte fish. The Cosentino’s Price Chopper on 103rd and State Line typically has a wide variety of Passover goods as well. The newsletter also noted Cosentino’s Price Chopper at 119th and Metcalf in Rosana Square has a Passover section.In addition, the Vaad mentioned that Costco on Blue Valley Parkway is carrying some kosher-for-Passover products including handmade Shmurah matzah. Unfortunately it seems we may have missed out on the large, 5-pound packages of matzah.According to the Vaad, the HyVee kosher section at 95th and Antioch appears to be well stocked. Sorry, I wasn’t able to check that out myself yet. MORE KOSHER NEWS — The Vaad has arranged with HyVee on 95th and Antioch to host kosher pizza nights. The first event will be from 5-7 p.m. Monday, April 15. More details will be available soon, but this should be a great opportunity for those who are cleaning the chametz from the house to enjoy a meal he or she did not have to cook!
Camper Asa learns archery with instructor Jackson Sanders.Camp sessions for summer 2019 are filling up quickly at the Jewish Community Center of Greater Kansas City (The J). Registration opened for J members on Feb. 12, and on the first day of enrollment 164 campers registered for 908 different sessions. DD Gass, director of Camps and School-Age Services, said that number was incredible for the opening day.
On Sunday, March 10, Kansas Rep. Sharice Davids met with several members of the Jewish community to discuss the events of the past week. Those events included a resolution on anti-Semitism sparked by a freshman Democrat’s comments about “allegiance” to Israel and implying the use of money to achieve disproportionate influence in the government. It was then expanded to address Islamophobia suffered by the same congresswoman, Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota.
Rep. Sharice Davids (Facebook)