CALLING LOCAL JEWISH SONGWRITERS — Once again Congregation Beth Torah will host Spring Session, a concert featuring 100-percent-original Jewish songs written by local composers. The fourth annual Spring Session will take place at 3 p.m. Sunday, April 7. For the second year this concert is funded in part by a generous grant from the Jewish Federation of Greater Kansas City.
Beth Torah Music Director Emily Tummons is currently seeking submission for this year’s concert. Composers from the Kansas City area are invited to submit original Jewish songs to be considered for inclusion. In the context of this concert series, a “Jewish song” is defined as “written for a Jewish purpose.” There is no limit to the number of songs each composer may submit for consideration.
Song submissions, and any questions about the Spring Session, may be sent by email to Tummons at . The deadline for submissions is noon Friday, Feb. 8.
All submissions should include at minimum a lyric sheet and a demo recording for reference. The recording does not have to be professional quality. Sheet music is helpful but not required. Reviewing videos of past concerts is recommended before preparing submissions. A playlist from the 2018 Spring Session can be found on Beth Torah’s YouTube page (https://bit.ly/2AjxfqS).
Past themes have included the following: Shabbat liturgy; original poetry; Hanukkah, Pesach, yizkor and other holy seasons, days and moments in the Jewish calendar; new niggunim, prayers for healing, Jewish songs for children and original melodies for modern Israeli poets; Talmudic texts; and other Jewish prayers, blessings and stories.
In the three previous concerts, 63 original songs have been featured by these 23 composers: Jim Abel, Jim Appelbaum, Rachel Black, Michelle Cox, Carmen Dieker, Coleen Dieker, Jill Fine, Mike Fine, Kris Gray, Steve Greenberg, Howard Iceberg, Tim Intfen, Cantor Sharon Kohn, Stu Lewis, Rabbi Jonathan Rudnick, Linda Salvay, Steve Shapiro, Rabbi Jeffrey Shron, Warren Sickel, Roberta Solomon, Emily Tummons, Rabbi Scott White and Lezlie Zucker.
If you aren’t a composer but enjoy beautiful Jewish music, mark April 7 on your calendar. It’s a lovely afternoon!
KANSAS RESTAURANT IN ISRAEL — Former BIAV administrator Barry Rubin sent us this photo last week of the menu from a new restaurant called Kansas in Beersheva. Menu illustrations include a cowboy hat and pistols. They serve burgers with specials such as Lucky Luke, Jango, the Hot Saddle and Clint Eastwood. Rubin ordered a vegan burger and said he wasn’t impressed. Rubin did ask why the restaurant is called Kansas, but the owner was not there and no one on site knew the answer. He was hoping if he flashed his old Kansas driver’s license, he might get a discount, but alas no such luck. So if you are in Beersheva on your next visit to Israel, maybe stop by for a photo?
FIRST JEWISH BABY? — Loyal readers, the holidays fell at a funny time of the week for our production schedule, so as I write this, it’s still December. That means I don’t know if we have a Jewish baby yet. Just in case we don’t, here’s a reminder what to do if you think you know the first Jewish baby of 2019:
Contact Chronicle Editor Barbara Bayer at 913-951-8425 or . Be prepared to offer the following information about the baby and his/her family: Is one or both parents Jewish and will the child be raised Jewish? What date and time was the baby born? Do the parent/s understand he/she/they will be interviewed, and the baby photographed for publication in the newspaper? A winner may not be declared immediately and could take as long as 24 hours after the initial conversation with The Chronicle.
We can’t wait to introduce the first Jewish baby to the community!