News

Co-Chairs Berenice Haberman, Meg Adler and Arlene Shalinsky announce that Beth Shalom Sisterhood has launched its 2021-2022 Congregational Calendar Campaign of selling listings, tributes and ads to its congregants and advertisers in the Kansas City metropolitan area. The calendar is Sisterhood’s major fundraising project, and its proceeds support both congregation and sisterhood programs. The calendar/directory is complimentary to all Beth Shalom congregants, non-congregant sisterhood members and advertisers. Calendars will be mailed the first of September.

Not every sweet tooth is a chocoholic — or at least that’s the way it appears from The Chronicle’s Passover recipe contest. Janna Rosenthal’s raspberry squares were the top vote-getter across four main categories: appetizers and soups, main course, desserts, and unique creations.

Zoom helps organizations bounce back after last year’s cancellations

Last March, as the pandemic hit and shutdowns began just weeks before Passover, organizers cancelled two of the biggest Seders in our community — the JCRB|AJC Unity Seder and the Rabbinical Association’s Community Seder.

Safety remains top priority for The J

As Kansas entered phase 2 of its COVID-19 vaccination roll-out plan, Machaela Whelan, director of The J’s Child Development Center (CDC), worked with the Johnson County Department of Health and Environment to register qualifying employees for COVID-19 vaccinations. As of mid-March, the majority of the CDC’s and The J’s after-school program’s approximately 75 teachers and staff had received vaccinations.

March is Social Work Month celebrating all individuals who provide social work for the wellbeing of our community. Social workers are the heart and soul of Jewish Family Services, whether helping people in times of crisis such as the pandemic or in helping them meet the challenges of everyday life. The JFS team collaborates effectively to support and strengthen lives.

Simcha Gifts packed and distributed over 600 Passover packages to area nursing homes, retirement centers and seniors living in their own homes.

After a Havdalah service led by Rabbi Zev Wineberg on March 13 at the Chabad House Center, volunteers began packing the Simcha Gifts until late that night.

Tikkun olam (repairing the world) is a major tenet in Judaism. KU Hillel senior Sarah Glaser takes tikkun olam to heart and has begun organizing weekly community service events for organizations in need in our community as part of the Serve the Moment initiative.

Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly declared March 24 as Education and Sharing Day in honor of the 119th anniversary of the birth of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, of righteous memory, who dedicated his life to the cause of education.

Passover begins with the first Seder on Saturday. A pre-recorded virtual seder created by the Rabbinical Association is being offered this year to assist families as they host their own home seder.

Living in suburban Washington, D.C, the mother of two children, and the wife of a physician, Allison Green still has close ties to Prairie Village, not the least of which are her parents, Barbara and Bob Frager, who still live in her childhood home.