SHABBAT IN THE PARK — Last summer’s experiment with Shabbat in the Park was so successful for The Temple, Congregation B’nai Jehudah that they are planning to have it again this summer. The first Shabbat in the Park, held at Leawood’s Gezer Park at 133rd and Mission Road, will take place tomorrow night. (The other two will be held July 18 and Aug. 15.) The Kabbalat Shabbat service begins at 6 p.m., preceded by a bisseleh nosh at 5:30 p.m., and is made possible with support from B’nai Jehudah Sisterhood.
Don’t forget to bring your own blanket and chairs and park across the street in the Price Chopper parking lot, keeping the very few spaces available at the park itself for those who have difficulty walking. People are encouraged to bring a Shabbat dinner to the service.
In case of rain, the same service will be held at B’nai Jehudah. Unsure if the weather is cooperating or not, visit B’nai Jehudah’s website (www.bnaijehudah.org) for the most up-to-date information.
OPENING TO BENEFIT SAFEHOME — Fortuity, a women’s clothing boutique, recently opened a new store on the Country Club Plaza (610 W. 48th Street in Kansas City, Mo.). It already had two locations in Lawrence and Manhattan, Kan. The store is having a grand opening benefit on Thursday, July 26. Ten percent of its sales that day will go to SAFEHOME, Johnson County’s only comprehensive provider of services to victims of domestic violence and partner abuse. SAFEHOME also sponsors the only Jewish Outreach Program aimed to raise awareness about domestic abuse in the Jewish community through support and education.
MOVIE TO OPEN — “Obvious Child,” a movie produced by David Kaplan, the grandson of Sunnie and Lee Levin, is scheduled to open in Kansas City on Friday, June 27, at both the Tivoli and Leawood theaters.
Press materials call “Obvious Child” an honest comedy about what happens when stand-up comedian Donna Stern (Jenny Slate) gets dumped, fired and pregnant just in time for Valentine’s Day. It is a story that depicts one young woman’s reality and many women’s rights, “rights that remain quite actively under attack.”
“Obvious Child” was originally a 2009 short film by Anna Bean, Karen Main and Gillian Robespierre starring Jenny Slate. It screened at multiple festivals in 2010. The feature is written and directed by Robespierre.
SECURITY SUMMIT — (JTA) The security arm of U.S. Jewish groups held its first International Security Summit in response to recent attacks on Jewish communities.
The Secure Community Network, or SCN, convened the convocation of more than 80 senior government and law enforcement officials, homeland security and community leaders in New York last week in the wake of violent attacks targeting the Jewish communities here and in Brussels.
The convocation was part of the second annual SCN Security Leadership Summit hosted by The Jewish Federations of North America. It brought together a global network of senior security professionals and leaders from seven European countries to discuss and coordinate best practices and strengthen partnerships to protect Jewish communities.
“Damage done by extremist violence and intimidation cannot be measured solely in terms of physical injuries or dollars,” said Paul Goldenberg, national director of the Secure Community Network. “For this reason, extremist and ideologically based violence requires a special response from law enforcement and community leadership.”
The Rutgers University School of Law, a co-sponsor of the meeting, announced plans to conduct an assessment of violence against religious and minority communities and study how best they can help combat the threats associated with extremist violence and ultranationalist activities in Europe, South America and the United States.
CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS — The St. Louis Jewish Book Festival seeks Missouri Authors who have published a new book in 2014. Topics of any kind are acceptable by Jewish authors. Non-Jewish authors must have Jewish content. Each year during the two-week-long St. Louis Jewish Book Festival, a Missouri’s Own panel of authors take the stage to discuss their books, answer questions from audience members and sign books. Call or email Scott Berzon for more details at 314-442-3152 or .