The name “Soul Encounters” appropriately identified the program at Chabad House Center, which took place Tuesday, July 1, 3rd of Tammuz. Nearly 100 people attended.
I cannot share Washington Jewish Week/JNS.orgreporter Dmitriy Shapiro’s lament for the demise of Eric Cantor’s political career (The Chronicle, June 19, or www.jns.org), because I have never seen him as a champion of Jewish values — at least, not the values that are of importance to most of the Jews with whom I am acquainted. He has been in the forefront in opposing universal health care, living wages for American workers and employment rights for gays, to name just a few of his reactionary positions. Although these were not the issues that brought him down, I am glad he will no longer be the symbol of all that is wrong in American politics today.
Alan Widman (left) and Stacey Belzer (right) visit with Sybil Sylvian in June. Sylvian’s picture was featured on Page 1 of The Chronicle in January as part of a story about the KU Hillel European Leadership Mission.
Last month, I was honored to travel on a mission with nine other Kansas City Jewish Federation Israel & Overseas Committee members and leaders to Eastern Europe. It was an unforgettable journey, where we saw some of the projects that our Federation funds in partnership with the JDC (American Jewish Joint
“Propaganda is a truly terrible weapon in the hands of an expert.” — Adolf Hitler, “Mein Kampf,” 1924
I attended a press preview this week for the United States Holocaust Memorial Museums Exhibition “State of Deception: The Power of Nazi Propaganda,” which opened to the public Tuesday at the National Archives at Kansas City. The exhibition is presented by the Midwest Center for Holocaust Education, one of the jewels of our Jewish community.
The name of our community is Village Shalom — a place of peace. That peace was shattered April 13 when Terri LaManno was killed at Village Shalom, and Dr. William Corporon and Reat Underwood at the Jewish Community Campus.
Judaism is a religion not a career … or so I thought.
Growing up in a family full of business minded people, being Jewish was my religion but I had never thought of it as anything more. In 2009 I was working for a company in Chicago and began networking in Kansas to potentially move there. I was put in touch with Jay
After the FIDF delegation landed in Israel following the visit to Poland, many decided to spontaneously dance on the tarmac. Mickey Batnitsky is second from the right.
My wife Mickey and I were members of the Friends of Israel Defense Forces delegation that recently traveled on a March of the Living type tour to Poland and Israel. The delegation consisted of 60 FIDF supporters and 40 active officers from all branches of the IDF. All ranks from brigadier-general to commander were represented. These IDF officers were on a Witness in Uniform program, where soldiers and officers are sent to Poland to commemorate and to learn about the Holocaust.
Rabbi David Londy of The New Reform Temple gave an inspiring introduction at last week’s Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy graduation. I have never met Rabbi Londy, but I look forward to meeting him. He spoke beautifully about Jews being kind to each other in regard to different religious beliefs within Judaism.
Tuesday, May 13, was the shloshim, 30 days, since the murder of three dearly loved Christian souls, martyrs of our Jewish community. Looking in the rear view mirror on April 13, we could view only the shocking tragedy of the previous day and vainly attempt to comprehend what it all meant. By Thursday, April 17, unity through interfaith worship lifted our spirits and enabled us to dream of a better tomorrow, freed of the plague of enmity and the scourge of anti-Semitism.
I attended a press preview this week for the United States Holocaust Memorial Museums Exhibition “State of Deception: The Power of Nazi Propaganda,” which opened to the public Tuesday at the National Archives at Kansas City. The exhibition is presented by the Midwest Center for Holocaust Education, one of the jewels of our Jewish community. 
Judaism is a religion not a career … or so I thought.
Tuesday, May 13, was the shloshim, 30 days, since the murder of three dearly loved Christian souls, martyrs of our Jewish community. Looking in the rear view mirror on April 13, we could view only the shocking tragedy of the previous day and vainly attempt to comprehend what it all meant. By Thursday, April 17, unity through interfaith worship lifted our spirits and enabled us to dream of a better tomorrow, freed of the plague of enmity and the scourge of anti-Semitism.