Senia and Will Shields are proudly serving as honorary chairs for the Midwest Innocence Project’s virtual Gala on July 30.

The Midwest Innocence Project (MIP), a not-for-profit corporation dedicated to the investigation, litigation and exoneration of wrongfully convicted men and women in five states, announces that its 2020 Faces of Innocence event, headlined by Dr. Yusef Salaam of the Central Park/Exonerated Five, will be moved to an online format on Thursday, July 30. Faces of Innocence, typically an in-person fundraising gala for the last 12 years, is making the move to a remote event, as the MIP follows guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The New Reform Temple’s Marion & Henry Block Religious School students learn Jewish traditions and historical events through hands-on experiences that engage all of their senses and make learning fun and memorable

In order to make Jewish Education available to all Jewish children in Kansas City, The New Reform Temple is offering enrollment to its religious school without families needing to be members of the congregation. This option will be available to any Jewish family in the community that is currently unaffiliated with a congregation. After this introductory year, the families will be asked to affiliate with the congregation.

Rabbi David Glickman

A community-wide virtual Tisha b’Av observance and service will take place on Wednesday, July 29. The evening begins at 8:30 p.m. with a Tisha b’Av Ma’ariv service and will be followed by a D’var Torah and reading of Eicha. Participants can choose to participate in either the Hebrew or English reading from the Book of Lamentations, which details the destruction of Jerusalem through song and poems.

The Anderson County Review’s cartoon deliberately reprinted here in an unreadable format has received criticism nationwide (The Anderson County Review/Facebook)

By Meryl Feld 
Editor

The now deleted cartoon published July 3 on The Anderson County Review’s Facebook page, criticized Kansas Governor Laura Kelly’s recent COVID-19 mask order. Kelly was depicted in a mask with a large Star of David on it, against the backdrop of a Holocaust train. Below the image read “Lockdown Laura says: Put on your mask ... and step onto the cattle car.”

National Council of Jewish Women Greater Kansas City Chapter (NCJW) announces its 2020 award recipients. Each of these award-winning women works to sustain and support quality of life for Kansas City families through their volunteerism. Each woman truly embodies the values of NCJW.

Pictured is student Wren Cohen showing his copy of the ‘Positivity Bias’ book that he received from KU Chabad as part of the new Positivity Campaign Initiative aimed at promoting feelings of joy and positivity during these trying times.

According to recent data from various health lines, Americans are reporting significant and sustained increases in symptoms of depression and anxiety related to the COVID-19 pandemic. So much of what we are experiencing is unscripted, unknowable and uncertain, and that could be creating a great deal of anxiety, fear and even depression for so many.

Do you know someone considering conversion to Judaism and seeking a comfortable forum to learn more about the fundamentals of Jewish thought and practice? Interested candidates are asked to contact the Rabbinical Association to learn how they can register to participate in this year’s communitywide course, “Judaism for Conversion Candidates,” which begins Aug. 20.

These are trying times for our country, not only with regard to the ongoing pandemic and the economic crisis, but also concerning major policies that directly impact individuals and families. Recent debate and decisions on immigration, discrimination, healthcare and gender equity have prompted JFS to become more active in the public policy arena, in so much as is permitted by law.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg (Wikimedia Commons)

Jewish Federation of Greater Kansas is excited to partner with the Illinois Holocaust Museum to bring the community a unique online event. Don’t miss this virtual experience.