Archived News

Ever since BIAV purchased a church and moved into the building at 9900 Antioch Road in Overland Park in the late 1980s, its members talked about renovating the sanctuary. After almost 30 years, the sanctuary has been renovated and was ready to use for Yom Kippur.

“We have been discussing the remodel since the purchase of the building,” said Brenda Rosenthal, who chaired the remodeling project with Davey Wajcman. “There have been many iterations and plans.” 

Assistance is available to members of the Jewish community affected by the government shutdown and struggling to make ends meet even as the shutdown has just ended. While most employees are now back to work, many contractors will not get paid for the work they have missed. Jewish Family Services (JFS) operates two full-service food pantries and provides counseling, employment services as well as emergency funds for those who qualify. JFS is just a phone call away even for those who are not current clients of JFS, or never thought they would need to ask for help. Counselors and social workers have resources and referrals for a variety of services across the metro. 

Federal workers or contractors who have been impacted by the shutdown may call JFS at 913-327-8250 and mention their status as a federal worker or contractor. JFS will work to support them and their individual circumstance and needs during this time of crisis. All inquiries and assistance are confidential.

The federal government shutdown affected many in the Kansas City metro area in unexpected ways. In addition to furloughed government employees who faced financial distress, there are many in Kansas City who rely on government assistance for basic needs.

To help with this situation, a number of local Jewish organizations and synagogues are working together to collect emergency funds. The funds will be used to assist families supported by Jewish Family Services and Jewish Vocational Service who are affected by the government shutdown. All donations will be collected by the Jewish Federation of Greater Kansas City.

In celebration of the unity of the Greater Kansas City community, Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy announces the honorees of this year’s Civic Service Award celebration: Bob and Ann Regnier. This annual, and only, major fundraising event for HBHA is at 5 p.m. Sunday, May 5, at the Overland Park Convention Center.

“We believe the health of HBHA, and other similar organizations are critical to the vitality and strength of a community,” said Bob Regnier.

Ann agreed, adding, “We are proud to be members of a community that comes together no matter what — we persevere in the face of challenge and we join together to celebrate the good times.”

COMMENTARY

Recently I was in Israel, and as a member of the Jewish Federation of Greater Kansas City’s Israel & Overseas Committee (I&O), I thought it would be a great opportunity to visit some of the organizations in Ramle that the Federation helps support. I arranged to meet with Hannah Soltz Aharony, our Federation liaison in Israel, to visit three of the agencies.  
Just so that we enter this journey with some shared knowledge its important to know that besides supporting programs and organizations in the Kansas City area, our local Jewish Federation also supports programs in three places overseas: Ramle and the Gezer region in Israel; Romania and Bulgaria. The I&O Committee accepts grant applications and makes recommendations to the Federation board of directors as to which programs to fund. As a side note, Kansas City, Missouri, is a sister city to Ramle and Leawood is a sister city to the Gezer Region.

The Jewish Federation of Greater Kansas City announces another record year in its 85-year history. For the second year in a row, Jewish Federation of Greater Kansas City raised its highest-ever Community Campaign of $5.46 million, exceeding 2017’s campaign by approximately $30,000. The money raised in 2018 will be used to support more than 80 programs and services that sustain and enhance Jewish life at home and around the world.
“The beauty of Jewish Federation is that we utilize the power of the collective — locally and across our North American system — to effect positive change in our world. Without this collective effort of volunteers, donors and staff, we wouldn’t be able to do this important work each year,” said Jewish Federation President & CEO Dr. Helene Lotman.

SPREADING KINDNESS — In an effort to express kindness and the importance of community, Kansas City Interfaith Youth Alliance and the Faith Always Wins Foundation are offering a free showing for teens of the documentary about TV’s Fred Rogers, “Won’t You Be My Neighbor” at 4 p.m. Monday, Jan. 21, at AMC 20 Town Center.
Kansas City area high schoolers are invited to see the film and participate in a panel discussion following the film, which will be led by teens from the two sponsoring organizations.
Faith Always Wins Foundation is the sponsor of the annual weeklong SevenDays, a series of events created following the hate-crime murders of three people outside of Jewish facilities in 2014. For more information, visit the Kansas City Interfaith Youth Alliance website at kciya.org and click on calendar.

A LIFE WELL LIVED — I never met Bernice Resnick Sandler and just learned about her on the “Life Well Lived” segment of “Sunday Today with Willie Geist.” Sandler, who died Jan. 5, is the daughter of Jewish immigrants from Russia and Germany and has been called “The Godmother of Title IX.” Without a doubt this woman helped shape my life, and the lives of millions of other women, in a variety of ways.
Title IX is a comprehensive federal law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of gender in any federally funded education program or activity. Sandler played a major role in the law’s development and passage.
What prompted Sandler to forge ahead against discrimination on the basis of one’s sex? Immediately following the completion of her Ed.D. from the University of Maryland, she applied to a variety of teaching positions that she was qualified for but was continually turned down for a variety of reasons. In one interview she was told, she “came on too strong for a woman.”
It is because of Title IX that I advanced to my first “big” job after college (1981) in the Athletic Department of the University of Kansas to publicize women’s and other non-revenue sports precisely because KU needed to hire a woman for the job. While Title IX guidelines weren’t yet law, the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which precipitated Title IX, led to a lawsuit in 1970 charging Newsweek magazine with discrimination in hiring and promotion. That lawsuit paved the way to the career I’ve had since 1988 working for newspapers and magazines.
I thank “Bunny” Sandler for what she did to pave the road for people like me to have the careers they have. May her memory be a blessing.

KU HILLEL’S ANNUAL WOMEN’S HOOPS CLASSIC — Don’t miss your chance to catch the Lady Jayhawks play the Texas Tech Red Raiders on Sunday, Feb. 17, at legendary Allen Fieldhouse.
As mentioned above, I know a thing or two about women’s basketball. (Yes, even with my short stature!) As I write this the ladies, 11-3 overall for the season, are coming off a huge win against in-state rival Kansas State.
Besides having a chance to see the ladies play a game that can be just as thrilling as the ones played by their male counterparts, top-level donors ($2,500) will have a chance to meet KU Men’s Basketball Coach and Hall-of-Famer Bill Self prior to the game. All proceeds from the Women’s Hoops Classic benefit KU Hillel and a variety of programs. For more information, see page 10 or contact Michelle Cole at .

The curtain rises tomorrow night (Jan. 18) for Kansas City Repertory Theatre’s “Indecent” by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Paula Vogel. The play features the music of Alexander Sovronsky, who in addition to writing the music, also serves as music director, performs on stage as Mayer Balsam and in the ensemble, and is a musician for the production.
The play chronicles the history of Jewish author Sholem Asch’s controversial Yiddish drama “God of Vengeance,” which made its Broadway debut in 1923 and included the first lesbian kiss in a Broadway play. It will be performed at Spencer Theatre at the University of Missouri-Kansas City and is sponsored by Herb and Bonnie Buchbinder, Sandi and Ed Fried, Sosland Foundation, C. Stephen Metzler & Brian D. Willams Fund, Café Trio and Boulevard Brewing Co. Tickets are available at kcrep.org/show/indecent or by calling the KC Rep box office at 816-235-2700.