Rabbi Shaya Katz was giving thought some time back to the annual fundraiser for Community Kollel of Kansas City, and he had a novel idea: Why not give donors an opportunity to get directly involved in what they’re supporting?
That idea led him to create KC Kollel’s TorahThon, a first-of-its-kind fundraiser for the organization, scheduled for May 13 through May 19. Rabbi Katz’s goal is to gain sponsorships for 5,000 cumulative minutes of public, private and online Torah classes — that equates to a little over 83 hours of Torah learning throughout the community — and thereby raise $50,000.
Donors can sponsor and attend the classes, sponsor them without attending or attend them without sponsoring them if they can’t afford to do so. It all goes toward meeting the goal.
“I’ve never heard of anyone else doing it,” Rabbi Katz said. “The donors see what they’re supporting, and the people who can’t donate can still help us reach our goal by taking the classes. I’m very pleased with the theory; now we have to make sure all the donors are contributing and think it’s a worthy cause.”
A kollel is a group of scholars who study and teach the Torah, according to KC Kollel’s website, kckollel.org. No KC Kollel class requires a fee. The organization is supported by individual, tax-deductible contributions and by foundation grants.
KC Kollel’s mission statement: “The Community Kollel of Kansas City strives to engage Jews with Judaism and with each other. It brings people together from all backgrounds through the learning of their common values and shared tradition. Through formal classes and study sessions, informal discussions and meetings, exciting programs and events, the Kollel seeks to bring the beauty and wisdom of Jewish learning and living to the greater Kansas City community.”
Classes address the entire spectrum of Jewish observance and affiliation. Many of the KC Kollel’s classes are held at the Jewish Community Campus, but you can also find KC Kollel classes at a variety of venues around town including Congregation BIAV, private homes, Village Shalom and Tallgrass Creek. In addition, classes are also available on KC Kollel’s website and Facebook page, facebook.com/kollel.kc. The Kollel has an office inside the Jewish Federation’s suite at the Campus.
Kollel students together typically tally a total of 2,500 to 3,000 minutes of class time each week, Rabbi Katz said. During the TorahThon campaign, he hopes additional students can bring that weekly total to 5,000 minutes. He is usually the sole teacher, though his wife sometimes helps. KC Kollel also offers women’s events such as baking challah, usually led by a volunteer, and a Shabbat weekend with various teachers and three different meals in three different places.
All of KC Kollel’s classes taught during the week of May 13 through May 19 are eligible for TorahThon support. None of its ongoing classes will be suspended for the fundraising week, but more classes will be added to its ongoing public classes.
The TorahThon is KC Kollel’s only fundraiser planned for this year. If it proves to be successful, it’ll be the fundraising model in the future, Rabbi Katz said. KC Kollel has used a variety of traditional fundraisers in years past, including banquets, matching campaigns and other events.
Rabbi Katz is publicizing the fundraiser through his Friday email newsletter listing upcoming events, which can be signed up for on KC Kollel’s website, and with flyers available at the Jewish Community Center of Greater Kansas City.
Some people who aren’t Jewish also take classes at KC Kollel, particularly at senior living communities.
“I think everyone gains,” Rabbi Katz said. “We don’t have any exclusively non-Jewish classes. We take pride in the variety of classes, within Judaism or outside it.”
Rabbi Katz started working at KC Kollel in August 2016. Since then, the organization has taught more than 400 different classes, with 280 of them recorded and available on the website. More than 750 people have taken classes in the past year.
He and his wife, Rikki Katz, and their son and daughter, Dovi and Elka, moved to Kansas City from Riverdale, New York. Rabbi Katz was born and raised in Baltimore. He went to Yeshiva University for his ordination and also received a degree there in social work.
Rabbi Katz hopes the TorahThon will make more people aware of KC Kollel and prompt them to get involved by sponsoring classes and coming to them or creating their own classes.
“This is a perfect time to do that,” he said. “We’re trying to do as much teaching as we can.”