When Becca Winner moved back to Kansas City last year, she was looking to socialize with a group of young Jewish professionals in their 20s and 30s, like the groups she’d been part of in Washington, D.C. At the same time, local community workers were trying to re-engage that same set.

KC Young Jewish Professionals started when The Temple, Congregation B’nai Jehudah’s Shared Vision/Individualized Jewish Path

Coordinator Amy Ravis Furey and Congregation Beth Torah’s Special Programs Coordinator Farrah Udell decided to combine their efforts to develop new programs for that age group.

The congregations each have their own programs as well, Friends Next Dor at Beth Torah and Kehillah KC at B’nai Jehudah, but this new group is more informal and does not meet on the grounds of either congregation.

“A little more than a year ago, a couple of B’nai Jehudah parents approached me, concerned that they felt like there weren’t opportunities for their young adult children to explore their Jewish identities in Kansas City. They were worried that either (their kids) would leave Kansas City or it wouldn’t be attractive enough for them to come back post-college,” Furey said.

That’s when she started organizing Kehillah KC. About the same time, Udell was hearing similar concerns, as she was working on Friends Next Dor.

The focus of this new group is not religious but more to provide a chance to hang out with other Jewish people in their 20s and 30s. Winner also had a hand in organizing these gatherings.

“I think it’s (about) finding a place to network. It’s great for people who just moved to town,” she said. “It’s hard in general when you come back, just trying to figure out your social scene here. People want to have Jewish friends, but it’s not easy just to go out and find them.”

When Winner moved back, she contacted Udell in hopes that she could help implement some of the programs that were on the scene for young Jewish adults in Washington, D.C.

“I’m part of this demographic as well,” Udell said. “When we started talking to people, there was a need that wasn’t being met. There were a lot of young Jews in the community who wanted to find Jewish friends.”

Since this new program aims to connect with all young Jewish professionals, regardless of religious observation or affiliation, having a happy hour in a local bar or restaurant provides “a very neutral location,” Udell said.

Although they are planning to offer events with more Jewish content in the future, such as Shabbat dinners and holiday celebrations, Udell and Furey are focusing first on creating a community among these young professionals. Other more neutral events include kickball games and a book club.

Winner agrees with this approach.

“We have to take baby steps in introducing things. I think people are hesitant to jump on the bandwagon if they think it’s too Jewish, because some people aren’t as religious as others,” Winner said.

Trying to create groups for people in their post-college years is not a challenge limited to the Kansas City area, according to Furey.

“Nationally, people have spent lots of time, energy and money trying to think about how to engage people after college.

Hopefully they’ve been immersed in Hillel,” Furey said. “There’s a gap between when people exit college and the time they start to have children and come back to a synagogue for preschool and religious school.”

Right now, the group meets once a month for happy hours. These gatherings take place on different days of the week and different parts of the city each time, as the young adult population is scattered throughout the area, from downtown Kansas City, Mo., to Gardner, Kan.

Furey and Udell have worked with participants to plan the events, and they announce all event details on their eponymous Facebook group, which currently has 200 members.

The average attendance at any happy hour is about 30 people, Furey estimated.

“People in Kansas City are making an investment in young Jewish adults who will become future leaders of our community,” Furey said.

Happy hour scheduled

The next Simchat Sha’ah (happy hour) will be at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 13, at the Flying Saucer Draught Emporium, 101 E. 13th Street in the Power & Light District. The October event will be held on Oct. 16 at Remedy Food & Drink at 500 W. 75th Street in Waldo. No reservations are required for either event. For more information contact Farrah Udell at .