TRUE BLUE FANS — Long-time KU supporters Jim and Fern Badzin, who were instrumental in getting a kosher hot dog stand at Allen Fieldhouse, were ready to cheer the Jayhawks in New Orleans on Monday. Alas, the championship was not to be this year. Never fear, there’s always next year!

K.I.’S TOP 50 RABBI — Newsweek and The Daily Beast announced its 2012 list of top rabbis this week and this year it includes Rabbi Shmuly Yanklowitz, who will become senior rabbi at Kehilath Israel Synagogue following the retirement of Rabbi Herbert Mandl this summer. Here’s what the list says about Rabbi Yanklowitz, who is new to the list this year at No. 40:

“The energetic founder and president of Uri L’Tzedek, an influential Orthodox social Justice group, [Rabbi] Yanklowitz was described by one observer of the Jewish world as ‘the face of the future, because he works round the clock and creates a new organization every week.’ (His latest is a center for Jewish vegans, cofounded with musician Matisyahu.) The author of ‘Jewish Ethics & Social Justice: A Guide for the 21st Century,’ he trained at Avi Weiss’s YCT (#11) and is probably the first Orthodox rabbi to quote Foucault to advocate for prison reform.”

To see the entire list, visit http://bit.ly/HBtdeh.

HISTORICAL MARKER — We reported several months ago that Jewish American Society for Historic Preservation was trying to arrange a historical designation for the first synagogue in Kansas. A historical marker will be dedicated by the Leavenworth County Historical Society commemorating the first Jewish place of worship in the state of Kansas, Temple B’Nai Jeshurun, at 12:30 p.m. Thursday, April 19. The ceremony will be held at the corner of Sixth Street and Osage in Leavenworth, Kan. A reception and program featuring Jerry Klinger, president and founder of the Jewish American Society for Historic Preservation, will take place from 2 to 4 p.m. at The Carroll Mansion Museum, 1128 Fifth Ave., also in Leavenworth.

MID-LIFE PLAYERS — My friend, former colleague and PR maven Ruth Baum Bigus is a member of a theatrical group known as the Mid-Life Players. This group formed, she said, to provide a venue to perform works that these players might not get cast in as “mid-lifers.” They will perform “Company” (music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, book by George Furth) on April 13-15 at the Alcott Center for the Arts, 180 S. 18th St., Kansas City, Kan. Bigus will play Joanne, and she gets to sing the powerful “Here’s to the Ladies Who Lunch.” For ticket information and show times, call 816-716-6681. Break a leg Ruthie!

SPIN MATZAH! — SPIN! Neapolitan Pizza will offer an option of matzah instead of flatbread with its large salads during Passover. Matzo will be available beginning April 6 at the locations in Overland Park (6541 W. 119th St.), midtown Kansas City (4950 Main), and Olathe (14230 W. 119th St.).

Corrections

An article published last week (March 29) about the play, “The Whipping Man,” incorrectly stated the name of the theater. The play is being produced through April 5 by the Kansas City Rep. In addition, the play is two hours long including intermission, not three hours long.

Last week The Chronicle reported that HBHA’s team was one of six finalists for the fifth annual NCSY National JUMP Leadership competition. However the local participants were listed incorrectly. This year’s JUMP team, which attended the competition in Stamford, Conn., included Ricardo Zepeda, Avery Parkhurst and Cameron Burns. Alex Sher was also a member of the team but didn’t attend the competition.