Archived News

JWV CELEBRATES UNIVERSITY WITH COMPLETION OF TRIBUTE BOOK — MO-Kan Post 605 of the Jewish War Veterans (JWV) observes its 70th anniversary this year. To celebrate the occasion the Post is hosting an event at 1 p.m. on Sunday, June 24, at the Jewish Community Campus in the Multi Activity Room.
In conjunction with the observance, the book “For Those Who Served Our Country: A Tribute to Greater Kansas City’s Jewish Veterans” will be available. The book includes historical information about Kansas City and its Jewish community, the military history of our country and the names of almost 5,000 veterans who have served or who are currently serving.
Steven Schorr, commander of the Post during this past year, observed, “It is an honor and a privilege to be a member of a group of people who are in this book.” 
“It has been a wonderful experience to participate in this magnificent work. We are honoring all of the veterans who have served our country,” stated Ron Minkin.
Sheldon Turetsky, also a former Post commander, said, “I am so very proud and pleased with the quality of this publication.”
On behalf of the Braeman Family, Roslyn Braeman Payne, who spearheaded this project, also added her congratulations to the Post on its 70th anniversary.
For the book project, the JWV partnered with the Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Kansas City (JCF). Josh Stein, JCF’s director of philanthropy, said the Foundation was delighted to be a partner to this project with the Post. Proceeds from sales will go into a special endowment fund at the Foundation to support the activities of local veterans through MO-KAN Post 605.
An online preview of the book is available on the Foundation’s website, jcfkc.org/vets.
The price of the book is $25 ($20 for veterans and their spouses). Checks should be made to the Jewish Community Foundation of Greater   Kansas City or payment can be made by credit card on the Foundation website.
For more information contact Bill Greenberg at or the Post phone at the JCC, 913-981-8892.

BEST SWIM LESSONS — After tabulating hundreds of votes, KC Parent magazine recently announced the businesses its readers chose as KC Parent Family Favorite 2018. There are multiple winners in each category. The J’s swim lessons were one of three voted best in the area for Favorite Swim Lessons. Needless to say, a J spokesman said, “we are so excited and proud of our staff.”

LONGTIME SOCIAL JUST PROJECT CONCLUDES — After 25 years of bringing dinners to SAVE Home nearly every Sunday Night, Congregation Beth Torah’s long-running social justice project has come to an end.
According to Beth Torah’s Lauren Aaronson, who spearheaded this project, SAVE Home opened in 1986 as the first AIDS-specific hospice in Missouri to provide a place where those with AIDS could die with dignity and care. Beth Torah volunteers brought dinner to SAVE Home for the first time on May 9, 1993. As AIDS became a more manageable chronic disease, SAVE Home transitioned to a 24/7 group home for eight people with HIV/AIDS who had higher needs than independent, permanent supportive housing could provide.
For many years, the majority of funding for SAVE Home came from a competitive grant from HUD, applied for through the Kansas City Continuum of Care. In January, SAVE, Inc., was notified this funding would not continue and the staff and board of directors of SAVE, Inc., set about making new transition plans for SAVE Home. Alternative housing has been arranged for the remaining SAVE Home residents.
Aaronson reports SAVE Home will close temporarily in late June as it transitions to a drop-in shelter for young adults, aged 18-25, who identify as LGBTQ. While 7 percent of all U.S. youth identify as LBGTQ, 40 percent of homeless youth identify as LGBTQ. As it gets up and running, SAVE Home will be the first and only facility of its kind in Kansas City to offer an entire continuum of housing options and services for LGBTQ transition-aged youth from street outreach to permanent supportive housing.
Once SAVE Home re-opens, Beth Torah may again explore how the Reform congregation might help SAVE, Inc., with this new effort. Until then, kol hakavod — many thanks for a job well done to Aaronson and the Beth Torah volunteers for their work these past 25 years feeding the residents of SAVE Home.


‘LIFE IN A JAR’ — Remember ‘Life in a Jar,’ the play that depicts Irina Sendler’s heart-stopping rescue mission to smuggle children out of the ghetto and into the safety of adoptive families, convents and orphanages during World War II? The teacher who brought Sendler’s story to the public’s attention, Norman Conard, was honored this week with the 2018 Irena Sendler Memorial Award.
Conard is a renowned educator who together with his high school students, brought Sendler’s untold story to public view, illuminating her historical importance and enabling the world to celebrate her in her own lifetime and in perpetuity. Conrad is the first American to receive the award.
Sendler was a Polish social worker who saved several hundreds of Jewish children from the Warsaw Ghetto during the Nazi occupation, but who lived in total obscurity after World War II until being rediscovered through Conard’s student history assignment. The award in her name honors Polish citizens committed to strengthening Polish-Jewish relations and preserving Polish Jewish heritage and Holocaust memory. Conard was chosen as a special recipient to commemorate the 10th anniversary of Sendler’s passing and to honor her life’s work, since it was his assignment — combined with the intrepid work of his students — that brought her daring efforts out of the shadows.
“It is an honor to accept an award from Taube Philanthropies and the Ministry of Culture,” Conard said. “The life of Irena Sendler is one of great heroism and bravery. Getting to know this wonderful person was life-changing.”
In the fall of 1999, Conard encouraged high school students from Uniontown, Kansas, (population 247) to research Sendler’s work and present their project to the National History Day program. 
Since the play was developed, it has been performed almost 400 times throughout the world, including at least one time in Kansas City, was adapted into feature and documentary films and released as a bestselling book.

WE WANT YOUR PHOTOS — The Kansas City Jewish Chronicle wants your photos.
The Chronicle welcomes submitted pictures of family gatherings, holiday observances, milestone events, personal accomplishments and just about anything depicting life in the Jewish community.
We’ll publish submitted pictures as space allows in the weekly “Snapshot” section.
The Chronicle makes it easy to get your picture in print. High-resolution pictures are preferred. All pictures will be reviewed and approved based on quality, content, timeliness and space limitations. Be sure to identify all persons in the picture and background information is always appreciated.
Email submissions to .

Tomorrow evening (June 8) at Erev Shabbat services The Temple, Congregation B’nai Jehudah will bid farewell to Rabbi Daniel Kirzane and his family. Rabbi Kirzane joined B’nai Jehudah in July 2015 as assistant rabbi. On July 1 he will begin work at Oak Park Temple B’nai Abraham Zion in Oak Park, Illinois.
“As our rabbi, we have been blessed to learn from him, to celebrate with him, to mourn with him, to be cared by him,” stated B’nai Jehudah’s Senior Rabbi Arthur Nemitoff in his weekly Bisseleh Bytes email.

Linda Rubin remembers her start with the Child Development Center of the Jewish Community Center (The J) in 1987. A Pre-K teacher, Rubin was asked to take over a room full of toddlers. “I was petrified,” said Rubin, “but I became a toddler teacher and I loved it.”
The following year, Rubin took on a Pre-K class and that’s where she has stayed.

The Epsten Gallery will present its fourth annual 2018 Summer Artist-in-Residence program featuring Kansas City artists Misha Kligman and Gerry Trilling.
The four-week exhibit of theme-based projects and creative interaction will start with Kligman’s art from June 19-29. Trilling’s work goes on display July 9-20.
The Epsten Gallery, 5500 W. 123rd, operates in a cooperative partnership with Village Shalom, which houses the gallery’s exhibition program.

Martha Gershun probably knows the child welfare system as well as anybody and better than most.
Gershun was executive director of Jackson County CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) for seven years. The agency advocated for nearly 10,000 children during her time there, becoming one of the largest CASA agencies in the country. She retired from Jackson County CASA on May 1, 2017.
Her knowledge of the welfare system also extends beyond Jackson County: She served as a board member of the Missouri CASA Association and the National CASA Association. More than 650,000 children in the United States are victims of abuse and neglect every year, she said, and more than 76,000 CASA volunteers advocate on their behalf.

Melanie Edwards will be joining the KU Hillel staff as the innovation and engagement associate. Edwards is a KU Hillel alumnus who held multiple internships and traveled on the leadership missions to Israel and Europe. She will join the Hillel staff in August.
“I could not think of a better way to give back to the organization that provided me with so much than to return as a staff member,” Edwards said.
After graduating from the University of Kansas in 2017 with a degree in journalism and Spanish, Edwards has spent the past year working in Israel as a Global Jewish Service Corps fellow for the Joint Distribution Committee.
As the innovation and engagement associate, Edwards will be participating in the Hillel International Springboard Fellowship where she will have the opportunity to connect with other Jewish professionals working at local Hillels around the country. Participants in the Springboard Cohort will create innovative student programming and receive professional training from experienced educators.
“As I leave Israel to begin my career back in the United States, I am confident working together with this talented group of Jewish professionals will help me gain new valuable skillsets that will help me to enhance the Jewish community at KU,” Edwards said.
Edwards will be joining returning staff members Executive Director Suzy Sostrin, Director of Development Michelle Cole, Rabbi and Senior Jewish Educator Neal Schuster and Program Director Leah Swartz.
“Melanie is the perfect addition to our team,” Sostrin said. “Based on her experience as a student leader at KU Hillel, we know Melanie will thrive and help us achieve our mission of developing Jewish adults and delivering the Jewish future.”

It will be a fun and challenging day for many youngsters on Sunday, June 24, at the Jewish Community Center of Greater Kansas City’s annual Youth Triathlon.
The J’s Youth Triathlon is for kids from ages 4 to 17 and allows youth to compete in a fun setting complete with food, music and a medal for every participant.
The Triathlon will take place at the Jewish Community Campus and the grounds of Sprint, which adjoins the campus. The race is approved and certified by the US Triathlon Association. Competition begins at 7:30 a.m.
“This event is a great way for kids of all fitness levels to set a goal and accomplish it for the summer,” said Erika Aanestad, The J’s assistant director of fitness and sports. “It’s a confidence builder for the kids and very inspiring for the spectators.”
The triathlon includes swimming, a bicycle/tricycle ride and a run. The event is broken down into five different categories based upon age of the participant, with a sixth category for teams. Per USA Triathlon Rules, the race age for an athlete is his/her age on Dec. 31 of this year.
The J and the Youth Triathlon are committed to accessibility and inclusion. Let organizers know in advance of needs for special accommodations.
Participation fees are $25 for Tri for Tots; $35 per individual and $90 per team.
All participants and their parents are required to attend a pre-race orientation session at 7 p.m. on Thursday, June 21, in the Social Hall of the Jewish Community Campus. Participants will receive a participant packet, event T-shirt, course information and tips on various aspects of the event.

Race categories and distances:
• TRI FOR TOTS — Ages 4-5. Swim 25 yards in the JCC’s zero-entry pool, bike/trike .75 miles, run .25 mile. This is a non-competitive event with relaxed rules. Floats, water wings, tricycles, training wheels and parents will be allowed on the course.
• SHORT COURSE — Ages 6-8. Swim 50 yards, bike 1.5 miles, run .6 miles.
• INTERMEDIATE — Ages 9-10. Swim 100 yards, bike 3 miles, run 1 mile.
• LONG COURSE — Ages 11-14. Swim 200 meters, bike 6 miles, run 2 miles.
• ELITE COURSE — Ages 15-17. Swim 300 meters, bike 6 miles, run 2 miles.
• TEAM — 2- or 3-member team, ages totaling 24 years and under use intermediate course; ages totaling 25 years and older use long course.

To register for the triathlon go to http://www.active.com; under the word “endurance” click on Triathlon, then type in JCC Youth Triathlon in the search box. For more information on the triathlon contact Erika Aanestad, 913-327-4693.

When it comes to Dayton Moore, Kansas City Royals vice president and general manager, one thing is certain — this man knows baseball.
For the fourth year, Moore is sharing his baseball expertise with area kids by teaming up with the Jewish Community Center of Greater Kansas City (The J) for annual “C” You In The Major Leagues Foundation (CYITML) Youth Baseball Camp.
While the first session (June 18-21) held at The J’s newly renovated ball fields at the Jewish Community Campus is sold out, a second session is being offered June 25-28 at the MLB’s Urban Youth Academy training facility located at Parade Park, 1622 E. 17th Terrace, Kansas City, MO. Registration is online at jccbaseball.com.
Moore personally oversees each camp session.
The two four-day camps are for kids ages 9 to 14. The camps are designed to help youth develop their baseball skills while growing the game of baseball among young people throughout the Kansas City area. More than 200 campers will be attending camp sessions this summer — a sell out for the fourth straight year.
Moore is excited to once again partner with the Jewish Community Center for the baseball camp.
“It’s always fun to see the returning campers and meet some new kids as we work on the fundamentals of the game and pass along some life lessons,” Moore said.
Campers will take part in three days of drills and skill training under the direction of Moore. Moore will be joined by baseball staff from the Royals organization as well as teen mentors from the community. Former major-league players will make appearances during the camps to share their experiences.
During camp, there will be three days of drills. On the fourth and final day of Session One, campers will travel to either the new MLB Urban Youth Academy training complex or Kauffman Stadium. Session Two campers will be at the Urban Youth Academy complex for all four days.
“The ‘C’ You in the Major Leagues Baseball Camp is a highlight for us every summer,” said Bob Hennecke, The J’s sports & recreation coordinator. “Dayton and his staff provide a truly memorable experience for the campers through sharing their knowledge of the game and important life lessons.”
Tuition for the baseball camps is $175 per week; J members pay a discounted fee of $125. All campers will receive a CYITML shirt.
The sessions are from 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. at the Campus and 9:15 a.m.-12:15 p.m. at the Urban Youth Academy. Campers are responsible for their own transportation to and from camp.
For more information contact Hennecke, at . or 913-327-8000. Media inquires about the camp and Moore’s visit should be directed to Ruth Baum Bigus, The J’s public relations manager, 913-707-7746.
The CYITML was founded by Moore in January 2014. The foundation’s mission is to provide hope and support to children and families while using youth sports to reach, teach and develop future character-driven leaders. In early 2018, CYITML, which is a component fund of The Signatry, passed the $700,000 mark in grants given. More than $600,000 has gone to Kansas City-based organizations or go directly to help people in the Kansas City community.

Whether you’re in a new relationship and are seeking ways to take things slowly or in an older relationship where romance needs to be reignited, Kelly Lieberman’s new book is for you.
The book is titled “A Million Things to do Between… The First Kiss and Sex.” It’s available on Kindle through Amazon.com for $9.99.
Lieberman, 54, was married for 20 years and has been divorced for nine. She said hitting the singles scene today is very different than it used to be, and just being “out there” has taught her a lot.
So from her own dating experiences she’s written a book about relationships. She holds a degree in political science from the University of Kansas and by day is an accomplished business development executive.
Lieberman said the persistent pleading of friends, family and acquaintances inspired her to write the book.
“I am one of those people that don’t have boundaries like most people so it really allows me to talk about (sex) without being embarrassed or shy,” she said. “A lot of people clam up and don’t want to share their own experience.”

New Relationships

Lieberman said she wants to show you how to take it slow in the beginning in order to assess whether the other person is right for you. If a guy gets fresh with her too soon, she tells him there are a million things to do to get to know each other first. That stops him in his tracks because he’s curious what those things are.
Of course, she doesn’t mean “million” literally. She means you have a lot of work to do before you get to “first base.” She said it’s not about abstinence because that’s unrealistic. But, for example, you have to first get the kissing right, which may require a little bit of instruction. Women have to tell men what they like — and vice versa.
“Work on it a little bit until it feels right, especially if everything else is there — they’re a good person, they’re kind, they’re funny and they have the attributes and characteristics that you’re looking for.”
Lieberman believes if you can’t make the other one feel comfortable with you in the first couple of dates or weeks in which you’re moving through the various stages, you’re never going to get comfortable. She said she would not move any further with a partner if she felt a hesitation at whatever stage they’re in.
“When you’re testing someone out or exploring someone in an intimate way, making out is a good way to find out if they’re a giver or a receiver, with just kissing, hugging, the way they hold your hand or touch you in a movie,” she said.
If they open the car door for you or make sure you don’t bump your head on the top of the door, those are good indicators of how a man is going to treat a woman in a relationship, said Lieberman.
“There are a lot of clues that people are missing,” she said. “We’re not looking so much for quality of character as their height, their weight, their financial status, the car they drive, how they dress. But it’s really how they treat you.”
Lieberman said she takes notice of what her date does when they pass a homeless person. She always has change in her pocket to give. Growing up Jewish has instilled in her a sense of tzedakah (charity). If her date frowns on that, she knows he’s not the one for her.
She also notices how he acts around people who are of different religions, different ethnicities. “I need someone who’s pretty liberal because I’m a lover of people and an optimist,” she said.


Older Relationships

Couples who have been with each other for a while or are married should be dating because if it’s the same old same old every day, it gets dull, Lieberman said. Once you’ve been together for 10 or 15 years, or even less, how do you bring back the spice and passion?
“It’s going to take more of an effort than it did in the beginning, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t make it and if you wait too long, I believe it just gets harder and harder,” she said. “By then people just give up, and then it’s awkward to bring back the passion because it feels forced and odd.
“For people who have gone too long, you can’t just throw a bunch of rose petals on a bed and get dressed up in a Victoria Secret outfit. That’s scary.”

She said you have to be flirtatious. If a man has his hand on your knee in a movie and the woman leans in closer it means she likes it and appreciates it. If we pay attention to these signs and respond to them, assure the other person that we appreciate it, we’ll get more of it.
Rekindling a relationship has to start off like it did in the beginning where you hold hands with somebody on a couch, or they start touching you way before the bedroom, she said. Work up to it over time, just like you would in a fresh relationship.
“You inspire people to be better when you are yourself,” said Lieberman. “Don’t wait for the other person to take the initiative, reach out yourself. You don’t have to be the aggressor; I like an alpha man. But when you’re in a relationship it’s not like the woman can’t initiate, and guys love it.”
Also, if you’re self-conscious about how you look, you’re not having very much fun; you’re too worried about how you appear, she said. Men just want women to feel comfortable in their own skin.
So when exploring a new relationship or trying to get your relationship back on track, start from the beginning by being kind to each other, Lieberman said. Touch each other, communicate with each other and get your hands on each other.
“In the book, it’s kind of like a progression, a guide to move you from one space to the next and people really do have a hard time knowing what that means,” she said. “There’s a fine line between flirtation and giving it away; it’s an art form. But if we practiced a little more we’d do better.
“Allow some time between each stage, really savor it like you would a four-course meal; it shouldn’t be fast food.”
Lieberman was brought up Conservative, but does not belong to a synagogue now. She said the synagogue is in her mind and she’s a very spiritual person.
“To me religion is a practice, so the thing that matters is how you treat others, how you behave in the world and that defines whether you’re a religious person or not,” she said. “Everything I’ve ever learned, like doing good deeds and tzedakah, the kind of person I am, is absolutely based on Judaism. It’s just the way I live my life.”

Chris Kelts sometimes likes questions that have no concrete answers.
Kelts is music director of Kinnor Philharmonic, Kansas City’s Jewish orchestra. It will give the first public performance of German composer Marcel Tyberg’s final two movements of Franz Schubert’s “Symphony No. 8 (Unfinished)” at a concert titled “Unanswered, Unfinished, Unheard” at 3 p.m. Sunday, June 10, at the White Theatre at the Jewish Community Center of Greater Kansas City (The J).