By Stewart Ain
JTA
The struggles of the newly poor come in all shapes and sizes: Jewish families turning to Jewish social service agencies for help paying electricity and mortgage bills. Isolated Jewish seniors on fixed incomes who, for the first time in their lives, are facing food insecurity and mental health issues exacerbated by social isolation.
By Mike Sherry
Editor
As Helene Lotman was settling into her role as head of the Jewish Federation of Greater Kansas City, he was the one who came to her office on Day One with an orchid and who showed up on her first shabbat in town with housewarming gifts of challah, kosher salt and candles.
Shine the light on New Reform Temple
In a Hanukkah story, the Religion News Service highlighted the 9-foot tall menorah the New Reform Temple erected on its grounds. The story discussed several efforts around the country to safely celebrate Hanukkah during the pandemic with outside celebrations. “The idea of publicizing the miracle has always been important to us, but we’ve never really done it,” Rabbi Alan David Londy of the New Reform Temple told the news service. Not to be outdone, KCUR also featured the menorah in its own version of how faith organizations were getting creative during the pandemic holiday season.
By Lauren Mattleman Hoopes
Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Kansas City
This has been a year like no other. For many, if not most of us, we are experiencing a once in a lifetime crisis. The coronavirus has disrupted everything about our lives, causing illness and economic hardship, and has physically separated us from our loved ones and our professional colleagues. It would be easy to become overwhelmed by the sense of loss. And yet …
The holidays looked quite different this year – thanks to COVID-19, but that didn’t stop the Women of KI (WoKIs) from celebrating the Hanukkah season with Eight Crazy Nights of COVID-friendly fun! Instead of their traditional Hanukkah dinner get together, the WoKIs ZOOMed their annual celebration. A holiday gift bag holding all the supplies needed to celebrate was assembled and delivered by Chanukah Harriet before the candle was lit.
Strangers No More, a group of Christian and Jewish women whose goals are to construct paths to understanding and build bridges through developing relationships, announces a discussion series based on a new book by Professor Amy-Jill Levine, “Sermon on the Mount, A Beginner’s Guide to the Kingdom of Heaven.” SNM members are familiar with Levine, whose book, “The Misunderstood Jew-The Church and the Scandal of the Jewish Jesus,” was studied during SNM’s first series.
It was a fast-paced 36 hours as the KU Chabad Center raised more than $260,000 through the #JewhawkMatch campaign. Rabbi Zalman Tiechtel, who co-directs Chabad at KU along with his wife Nechama, said he hopes these additional funds help “support the students during these vulnerable times, with mental health programming, Shabbat dinners, outreach and a welcoming community”.
According to data from Feeding America, the number of food insecure people in the Kansas City region has risen by nearly 80,000 individuals since the start of the pandemic.
In these unprecedented times of COVID-19, stress, isolation, and pressure, Kehilath Israel Synagogue is excited to announce the resumption of our PrayerWorks program. Rather than meeting in person, as it has in the past, we gather virtually. K.I. member Sharon Friedman facilitates each session.
Enjoy a delicious catered curbside shabbat dinner on Friday Jan. 15 prepared by Steve Ellenberg, Ellenberg Experience Catering.
Meals are prepared on monthly rotating basis by kosher caterers Kim Matsil – Kim’s Kreations, Cathy Levin of Kosher Connection and Ellenberg Experience Catering under supervision of the Vaad HaKashruth of Kansas City.
