OHEV SHOLOM IN THE NEWS — Fans of the Huffington Post may have discovered a photo of Congregation Ohev Sholom last week featured in the Aug. 22 article “Rabbis For Obama Launch Election Campaign For Jewish Vote.” The article includes a slide show ranking the most and least populated Jewish states. The photo of the Prairie Village Conservative congregation represents the oldest operating Jewish congregation in Kansas. The article ranks Kansas 24th with 271 Jewish adherents per 100,000 people. Missouri ranks 19th with 370 Jewish adherents per 100,000 people. According to the Rabbis for Obama website, none of the rabbis in the local Jewish community have joined the organization. It’s also interesting to note that the Huffington Post story states, “At this point there are no similar groups such as Priests, Reverends, Gurus or Imams for Obama and no corresponding group Rabbis For Romney.” Helene Saper, who along with husband Byron is a long-time members of Ohev now residing in Tallahassee, Fla., contacted the congregation to make sure people there saw the photo. The entire article and the photo can be seen at http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/22/rabbis-for-obama-launch-e_n_1822724.html#slide=1060884.
NFTY MU-KU RIVALRY? — Class has been in session for more than a week now at both the University of Kansas and the University of Missouri. Fans of both schools know by now that the 100-plus year old Border War has been shelved because Missouri left the Big 12 Conference and joined the Southeast Conference, better known as the SEC, at the end of the last school year. But could there be another border war brewing in NFTY, the Reform movement’s teen group? A loyal reader Dan Stolper brought to our attention a while ago that the new NFTY president Evan Traylor is a freshman at KU this fall. Marlee Ribnick, NFTY’s membership and communications vice president just happens to be a freshman at MU. Evan, who is a native of Oklahoma City and is a member of Congregation Temple B’nai Israel in Oklahoma City (Rabbi Vered Harris’ new congregation), said he and Marlee have joked about the rivalry between the two schools.
“This summer we were both on staff at the URJ Kutz Camp, and there were even participants from the Midwest that joined in on the fun. While I’m sure that Missouri is a great university, KU definitely has the upper hand! Rock Chalk!” Evan said. Evan plans to study political science and Jewish Studies at KU while Marlee plans to major in journalism and minor in music.
PRESCHOOL HIRES ‘GRADUATE’ — For the first time since Judy Jacks Berman has been director of Beth Shalom’s Rose Family Early Childhood Education Center, a job she has held for 19 years, Berman has had an opportunity to hire a graduate of the school! Jessica Rose was a student in the Pre-K class during Berman’s first year as the preschool director in 1994. Last week Rose, a graduate of the University of Denver, began her duties as an assistant teacher in the preschool. In addition to working at Beth Shalom, Rose is a student in the School Counseling Master’s Program at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. She is the daughter of Dr. Barry Rose and Judy Rose and the granddaughter of Eddie and Ellen Rose and the late Ruthie Rose. The preschool bears her family’s name.