25 YEARS OF MITZVAHS — The Temple, Congregation B’nai Jehudah’s Christmas Mitzvah Project celebrated its 25th anniversary last month. A group of volunteers from the Jewish community took shifts at the two Ronald McDonald Houses again this year, providing evening meals for the families and children who are staying at the houses from Dec. 23 through Dec. 26. Volunteers also greet and assist families, complete daily chores and tasks and answer phone calls, allowing RMHC-KC staff and regular volunteers time to be with their families during the holiday season. Coordinated by B’nai Jehudah’s Social Justice Committee, organizer Suzanne Gladney said some of the volunteers are folks who have signed up for a shift for more than 20 years while other “first-timers” joined for the first time ever this year.
ROCK WITH LEXIE — Some readers may remember Alexis (Lexie) Hallman from her time at B’nai Jehudah when she served as its youth director. Now the music director of Temple Beth Or in Raleigh, N.C., she returned to B’nai Jehudah last month as a special musical guest. She is also one of 12 finalists in the My Family Rocks contest sponsored by Hyundai and Rolling Stone Magazine. The winner will receive a new custom Hyundai Santa Fe plus a trip to the 55th GRAMMY Awards®, and will appear in a Hyundai advertisement that will be published in Rolling Stone. The winner will be chosen by online votes as well as a panel of judges. To learn more about Hallman’s entry or to vote, visit http://www.rollingstone.com/music/my-family-rocks/. Voting ends Jan. 17.
VERY IMPORTANT WOMEN — At least five members of the local Jewish community have been nominated as MAKERS, women who have made a difference in Kansas City. Three winners — chosen by votes as well as an independent panel of judges — will be featured next month on the local public television station. The Jewish women who are nominated include Roshann Parris, president & CEO of Parris Communications; Martha Gershun, executive director of Jackson County CASA; Suzanne Gladney, legal aid lawyer and activist; Jenny Isenberg, artist and owner of Eclectics Gallery; and Marilyn Strauss, founder of the Heart of American Shakespeare Festival. The featurettes will be broadcast in conjunction with the national MAKERS program, and will air in a KCPT magazine program, “The Local Show,” as well as be available on the KCPT website, Facebook and Youtube pages. To see the most up-to-date list of nominees or to vote, visit http://www.kc-makers.org/kc-makers/. Voting ends Jan. 15.
BEST KOSHER FOOD BLOG — For the second year in a row, Yosef Silver’s This American Bite has been nominated for Joy of Kosher’s magazine Best Kosher Food Blog. On the Joy of Kosher website, http://www.joyofkosher.com/best-of-kosher-2012/, his blog is described as bringing “a fresh touch to the kosher kitchen, focusing on local, seasonal and affordable ingredients.” Nominations and voting end at 11:59 p.m. EST Feb. 7. Winners will be announced Feb. 8 on JoyofKosher.com and in the March issue of Joy of Kosher Magazine. Voting takes place on the website.
