Take time for personal reflection, introspection and contemplation for the upcoming Jewish New Year during the Service of Spiritual Renewal for the High Holidays at 6:30 p.m., Aug. 19, at Village Shalom, 5500 W. 123rd St., in Overland Park.

A virtual orientation session takes place from 7:00 to 9:00 pm, Thursday, August 12, for those enrolling in the 36-week Judaism for conversion candidates course. The program is intended for those considering conversion to Judaism. Classes will take place virtually and some sessions may rotate among the synagogues later in the year.

KU Hillel is excited to announce the election of Lon J. Lowenstein as board president for the 2021-2023 term. Lowenstein and his wife, Suzy, are parents to three KU graduates and eagerly support KU Hillel’s mission of developing the next generation of Jewish leaders.

For his Eagle Scout project, Alec Weiner wanted to honor his late grandfather, Stan Weiner, who was a board member of Harvesters — The Community Food Network.

The White Theatre at The J - Jewish Community Center will present the 21st annual Kansas City Jewish Film Festival (KCJFF) in a hybrid format with both virtual and in-person options. The public can enjoy this three-week festival, August 1 to August 21, from their homes on any electronic device (i.e. mobile phone, tablet, computer or television) or anywhere with wi-fi connection.

Last week the Israeli government adopted the Optimal Aging Dashboard as the National Index for Optimal Aging, providing Israel’s government ministries and agencies a shared set of indices for determining and measuring levels of optimal aging among Israeli citizens – the extent to which Israel’s older adults are healthy and living independently.