By Helene Lotman
Jewish Federation of Greater Kansas City
Ohr... Light...
During this festival of lights, Hanukkah, I became fascinated with the meaning of candles in Judaism and why light is such an important symbol in our tradition? We light candles for Shabbat, for Havdalah, prior to major Jewish holidays, on the yahrzeit of a close loved one, and of course, on Hanukkah.
Chabad of Greater Kansas City announces that Simcha Gifts for Chanukah 2020 expanded and distributed over 600 “holiday gift” packages this season. As more seniors are home bound due to the pandemic, Simcha Gifts responded and spread its wings across the width and breadth of the Greater Kansas City area.
Jewish Federation of Greater Kansas City invites the Jewish community to its 2021 Virtual Annual Meeting at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 13.
Community conversion class members recently participated in a virtual class Hanukkah celebration. Those in attendance gathered for dinner and conversation that was followed by Havdalah, a group candle-lighting and a Hanukkah sing-along led by Linda Salvay.
This year will be remembered as one of the most difficult years ever. Between a worldwide coronavirus pandemic temporarily shutting down our community causing increased unemployment and economic uncertainty and racial injustice caused by violence and protest, more people in our community are hurting. There is one thing that is certain — Jewish Family Services has continued helping thousands making their lives a bit better through its many programs and services. JFS assists others regardless of faith, age, culture or lifestyle.
Just one act of kindness can start a ripple to change the world!
Entries are now being taken for the annual SevenDays® Make a Ripple, Change the World Scholarship competition, now under way in Kansas City as part of SevenDays® 2021, set for April 13-25. (Due to COVID-19, all SevenDays® events will be virtual.)
The Jewish Community Center of Greater Kansas City (“The J”) is excited to offer virtual and in-person art classes, led by professional art instructors. The ceramics classes will be in The J’s new expanded art studio, located at the Jewish Community Campus in Overland Park, beginning in January. The in-person classes will ensure safety precautions, including limited participants and a face mask requirement.
The pandemic has added yet another layer of stress facing our teens. Now Jewish Family Services’ YouBeYou program is offering additional resources online to help teens struggling with mental health issues.
During the October 2020 Congregation Ohev Sholom board of directors meeting, the board voted to allow congregation President Larry Gordon to proceed with a proposed project to honor Ohev’s confirmands by repurposing the main hallway of its building into a Confirmation Wall displaying all confirmation composites.
By Lacey Storer
Contributing Writer
When Melissa Taylor Standridge was sworn in Monday as the newest Kansas Supreme Court justice, she became just the sixth woman to ever serve on the court. And she is believed to be the first Jewish woman to hold that distinction.
