DISASTER RELIEF MISSION — BIAV and Congregation Beth Torah have organized a trip to Joplin, Mo., for Sunday, June 12. In cooperation with the American Red Cross, participants will spend the day helping the residents of Joplin rebuild their city and their lives. The group will leave from the parking lot of BIAV at 7 a.m. and return to BIAV at about 7 p.m. that evening. The event is being coordinated by Tuvia Brander, a BIAV intern from Yeshiva University, and Aaron Nielsenshultz of CBT. Volunteers should sign up in advance before Shabbat begins today, Friday, June 10. Contact Brander at (561) 271-4148, or Nielsenshultz at (913) 206-0383, . More information is also available at https://spreadsheets0.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?hl=en_US&hl=en_US&formkey=dElFUnVfZUZOUko5dWRLa2NWcGwtdlE6MA#gid=0.
AJC ON THE GO — On the recent Greater Kansas City Chamber trip to China, JCRB|AJC’s Marvin Szneler was a guest at the Israel Embassy to China in Beijing. They gave him a gift of the 12 episode TV documentary series “The Road to the Jewish Civilization. Walk into Israel-The Land of Milk and Honey” produced for the China Central Television (CCTV), an official China television network. They proudly pointed out the American Jewish Committee logo on the back of the box and said the documentary would not been possible without support of AJC.
UNDER THE STARS — Starlight Theatre opened its season Monday night with “The King and I,” which continues through Sunday, June 12. The first musical of the season features Leawood resident Grant Karpin as Louis Leonowens. The 13-year-old son of Mimi and Kevin Karpin previously performed at Starlight in 2009 as a local orphan boy in the touring production of “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.” His theatre experience includes roles in the Kansas City Lyric Opera’s productions of “Charlotte’s Web” and “Three Little Pigs.” He has received extensive training at Miller Marley School of Dance and Voice and regularly performs throughout Kansas City in the school’s productions. He was last pictured in this column in December when he was among a select group of students that performed as dancers and vocalists in 2010’s televised Plaza Lighting Ceremony. He has received additional training at Camp Broadway in New York City. Grant will be in seventh grade this fall at Community School #1 in Mission, Kan.
COMMEMORATING A CENTURY OF SERVICE — Village Shalom is approaching 100 years of caring for the senior adults of Kansas City’s Jewish community. To commemorate a century of service in 2012, Village Shalom is seeking individuals and/or interesting stories with a connection to any of its predecessor organizations: the Moshav Zkeinim (“old-age home” founded in 1912), the Michael Appleman Home for Jewish Aged (1919-1950) and Jewish Geriatric & Convalescent Center/Shalom Geriatric Center (1950-2000).
If you or someone you know had noteworthy involvement with any of these organizations, or if you have photographs, memorabilia or historical artifacts from any of these facilities, please contact Linda Salvay, Village Shalom communications manager, at (913) 266-8119 or .
BOWLING FOR CHARITY — My friend Barb Mendelsohn organizes a bowling tournament every year called “Bowling with Barb.” She’s the Barb, not me. The 2011 version is planned for Sunday, July 10, at the Ward Parkway Lanes. This year we thought it would be fun if we had a mini BBYO reunion at the same time. We are looking for people who were in BBYO in the early to mid-1970s, who may have known me, Barb Mendelsohn or her sister, Sharon Mendelsohn Altman, to join us. We’ll welcome any BBYO alum no matter what the year! It’s a great way to raise money for mitochondrial disease, which Mendelsohn has been living with for more than 20 years. A lot of people bowl, but many, like me, simply chat the afternoon away. If you want more information about the event, contact me at The Chronicle, , or find any of the three of us on Facebook. If we get enough interest, maybe we can organize an even bigger BBYO reunion in the future! So as Barb (the other one, not me) always says: “May you always have love to share, health to spare and friends that care.”