In its almost 150-year history, The Temple, Congregation B’nai Jehudah has occupied four facilities. Its most recent, located at 12320 Nall Ave. in Overland Park, was built 20 years ago to specifically house the congregation’s religious education programs for its youth. At the time, it was never imagined to be the sole home for the oldest and largest synagogue in the area.
But the congregation ultimately moved all activities to the Nall location. As needs grew, the congregation made the decision to embark on a radical transformation of its current facility. Following a fi ve-year planning process, the synagogue is now ready to begin renovations. The project will take nine to 10 months and cost more than $12 million.
B’nai Jehudah will close its building to all activities on Jan. 1, with the exception of its Pre-School program, which will continue in its own area of the building. Everything else — from administration to religious services to adult education and youth education programs — will occupy other spaces across the community. B’nai Jehudah will move its Shabbat services to the Jewish Community Campus, 5801 W. 115th St. in Overland Park. Erev Shabbat (Friday evening) and Shabbat morning (Saturday morning) services will be in either the MAC room or the Social Hall of the Campus. For Purim, Passover and Shavuot, services will be held at the Campus or in collaboration with other congregations. For many decades, B’nai Jehudah has been one of only a handful of Reform congregations that has a daily minyan. It will continue uninterrupted at different locations during the renovations. Monday through Thursday its daily minyan will be held at 5:45 p.m. in the Chapel of Menorah Medical Center, 5721 W. 119th St. On national holidays — New Year’s Day, MLK Day, Memorial Day and Labor Day — B’nai Jehudah’s daily minyan occurs at 9:45 a.m. Sunday mornings, the congregation’s daily minyan will be held in the small chapel of Kehilath Israel Synagogue,10501 Conser. Why at K.I. on Sundays? Because that will also be the location and day of classes for B’nai Jehudah’s morning Religious School program. Taking advantage of this time of transition, the congregation’s educational staff has reimagined religious education for children, K-10. Rabbi Nemitoff, the congregation’s senior rabbi, observed: “This second semester will not be your ‘father’s or mother’s’ Sunday school experience. It will be totally new, exciting and innovative. We are sure the children will fi nd it engaging.” The Reform congregation’s second semester Hebrew program is also a new concept, one B’nai Jehudah leaders believe hasn’t been done elsewhere in the country. While Hebrew classes will be held at their regular times, with their current makeup of students and teachers, the location will be virtual. Students and teachers will meet via Zoom teleconferencing. An advantage of this approach is all classes will be recorded so students who miss a session can view it later. Adult education and large-scale programs will occur at various sites. For example, the congregation’s decadeslong Torah study (to which the community is always invited), along with Talmud study, will be held on Wednesdays, beginning Jan. 2, from 10-11:30 a.m. (Torah study) and 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. (Talmud study) in the Staff Development room at Village Shalom, 5500 W. 123rd St. B’nai Jehudah has leased a standalone building, located at 20105 Metcalf Ave., for its administrative offi ces. Rabbi Nemitoff said it will be “a place for staff to work and folks to have meetings with rabbis, educators, musicians and administration.” Rabbi Nemitoff said the offi ces are only 15 minutes from the Nall facility. He said phone numbers for the congregation remain the same and mail will continue to be addressed to the Nall facility. “While it may be that we are the proverbial ‘wandering Jews’ for a few months, we are excited to partner with so many others in the community — the Jewish Community Campus, Village Shalom, K.I., Menorah,” said B’nai Jehudah President Ken Sigman. “As we know, it takes a village. We are delighted our ‘village’ is helping us take care of each member of our congregation.” For the most current information on the renovations and the descriptions, times and locations of activities, the synagogue encourages folks to visit its website, www.bnaijehudah.org, or to call 913-663-4050.