ONE JEW, ONE VOTE FEATURES LOCAL WOMAN — At the end of this election cycle, JTA, one of The Chronicle’s national Jewish news services, published short profiles on 11 different Jewish voters prior to this week’s election.
On Monday, JTA featured a member of the Kansas City Jewish community:
Name: Judy Dubrov
Age: 63
Lives: Kansas City area
Works: Deli manager
Voting for: Hillary Clinton
“I think she has got a working plan for the middle class that she’s going to try to put into effect. I find her to be a brilliant woman. She is a statesman. She’s been around. I think she knows the ways of Washington, not that I think any of them are perfect, but I do find Donald Trump to be a reprehensible human being, and a liar and misogynist, and I find him to be everything that I find repugnant … If there was a way Obama could be president one more time, I would vote for him … I have voted Republican in the past. I vote my conscience. I don’t see where this man has any ability to have any kind of dialogue with any foreign country or dignitary. I don’t see him being able to do this. I think we need someone that has some diplomacy, and he has none.”
CONFUSED ABOUT MEDICARE ENROLLMENT? JEWISH FAMILY SERVICES OFFERS HELP — Jewish Family Services can help you wade through the details associated with the official open enrollment period underway for health insurance, including Medicare and its benefits. Kelly Loeb, JFS’ older adult care manager, is happy to meet with members of the community to answer some questions. The deadline for making changes to Medicare enrollment is Wednesday, Dec. 7, and all changes will take effect Jan. 1, 2017.
“I help Medicare beneficiaries review their Medicare prescription drug coverage and/or Medicare Advantage health plans to ensure they have the plans with the best cost, coverage and convenience,” Loeb said. “In many cases, I have been able to help beneficiaries find plans that cost less. I can also help people who are new to Medicare and answer questions about using Medicare’s benefits.
Loeb has been successful in helping people save money. In 2015, the average savings she helped beneficiaries get was $1,100 for the year; the minimum savings was $360.
Those interested in meeting with Loeb should either email her at or call her directly at 913-327-8278 to make an appointment. Loeb can meet with people at either the Kansas or Missouri JFS offices, whichever is most convenient. Those making appointments should bring with them a list of their current prescription medications and their Medicare card.
Additional information about Medicare open enrollment can be found at www.mymedicarematters.org/enrollment.
HEALING AND HOPE FOR THE HOLIDAYS SERVICE PLANNED — Suicide Awareness Survivors Support (SASS) (www.Sass-MoKan.com) will hold a Healing and Hope for the Holidays service from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 19, in the chapel at Shawnee Mission Medical Center, 9100 W. 74th St., Shawnee Mission, Kansas 66204.
This will be SASS’s ninth annual memorial service to help families during the holidays. SASS-MoKan, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization, was started after Bonnie and Mickey Swade lost their 31-year-old son Brett to suicide.
The service will include candle lighting and a slide show of loved ones lost to suicide. Digital photos in JPEG format need to be sent to Joe Spiller at by Nov. 17.
The event includes a presentation by Mark Fenton, a chaplain and licensed grief counselor, who will use broken glass to illustrate the change of the relationship with the deceased and the impact in our hearts. He will emphasize that healing comes from acknowledging the brokenness, trusting in a God who repairs broken people, and forgiveness.
There will be fellowship and refreshments after the service. The event is free with donations welcomed. To confirm attendance, call Bonnie Swade at 913-681-3050 or email her at by Nov. 16.
‘BIG SONIA’ UPDATE — It’s a big premier week for “Big Sonia,” the documentary about local Holocaust survivor Sonia Warshawski co-directed by Warshawski’s granddaughter and her husband, Leah Warshawski and Todd Soliday. This week the film will be screened at both the Napa Valley Film Festival in California and DOC NYC — “the largest documentary festival in the U.S.” This week also marks Sonia’s 91s birthday. Leah said they don’t yet have a date to screen the documentary in Kansas City, but will keep us posted. “We’re starting festivals this month and will be working toward an official theatrical release for end of 2017 or 2018.” In addition, fundraising activities continue. For more information, email .
SOL BATNITSKY’S AUTOGRAPH COLLECTION — We featured Sol Batnitsky and his autograph collection in the October Jewish Life Magazine. One of the photos featured was a letter written by David Ben-Gurion. For those who wondered what the letter said, the following is Batnitsky’s explanation of the letter:
“The Ben-Gurion letter is dated June 13, 1949, on Prime Minister and Minister of Defense letterhead.
The letter is addressed to the Fertilizers and Chemical Materials Company Ltd.
It refers to plans to set up a factory to produce nitric acid. Ben-Gurion states that he is happy to inform his correspondents that the government is interested in this plan under the conditions that it be implemented as quickly as possible. He then requests that they submit to him a detailed technical proposal together with a cost proposal by the end of August this year (1949). He also asks them to submit to him a detailed plan for the financing of the plant, in addition to the statement required by the financing groups which are ready to invest the money by the end of October 1949.
'When it becomes clear to us that your plan is practical both from the technical and from a financial point of view, we will be ready to grant you first rights in the management of the plant and we will assist you with the financing.
With Best Wishes,
David Ben-Gurion.
Prime Minister and Minister of Defense'”
Batnitsky believe that is likely that Ben-Gurion’s interest in the opening of this chemical plant was not strictly an agricultural venture. Nitric acid is a key component of explosives and rocket fuel. The result of this proposed agreement was the creation of “development towns” in the Negev, one of which was Dimona the center of Israel’s nuclear program, as well as the most important center of chemical manufacturing.