AN EVENING WITH DEBORAH LIPSTADT — An interfaith audience of approximately 300 people attended “Antisemitism Here And Now with Dr. Deborah Lipstadt” on Sept. 5 at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. The event was co-sponsored by Jewish Federation, Midwest Center for Holocaust Education, JCRB|AJC, UMKC and UMKC History. The internationally renowned scholar best known for her expertise on Holocaust denial was introduced by her friend Patricia Werthan Uhlmann, who was instrumental in getting Lipstadt here for the presentation. Federation’s Director of Marketing and Communications Mimsy Tallent said the audience was very interested in what Lipstadt had to say. At one point while discussing modern day anti-Semitism, Lipstadt discussed that, in many cases today, men are wearing baseball caps instead of kippahs when traveling, women don’t feel comfortable wearing a Star of David or Chai symbol, and many are afraid to tell a neighbor/co-worker/stranger/etc. they are Jewish because of not knowing how that person would react. “When a group doesn’t feel free to walk in their own skin, something is wrong,” Lipstadt told the audience. The historian’s newest book, “Antisemitism: Here and Now,” is available on Amazon and at other book retailers.
SUICIDE PREVENTION MONTH — There have been several events in the community this month led by members of the Jewish community, including the SASS (Suicide Awareness Survivor Support) Remembrance Walk and SPEAK UP Walk. This past week, Dr. Karen Arkin, one of the founders of SPEAK UP and a former member of the Kansas City Jewish community, was featured in Parade magazine. In the article “A Mother Opens Up: 7 Things I Want You to Know About My Son and Suicide,” Arkin said: “His suicide wasn’t his fault. It wasn’t our fault. It was the fault of the disease of depression. But there will always be a hole in my heart.” You can find the article on parade.com by searching Karen Arkin.
According to Dr. Steve Arkin’s Facebook page, Sunday’s SPEAK UP Walk was the largest one ever. It attracted more than 1,000 walkers, and donations and sponsorships have exceeded $150,000. Funds raised will help educate local teens and their families about mental health and suicide prevention.
DWTS AND JEWISH GEOGRAPHY — I’m a fan of DWTS (“Dancing with the Stars). When pro dancer Alan Bernsten was introduced on Monday’s season premiere, I immediately wondered whether he was Jewish. I Googled him and it appears he is. One of the first things that came up was a Twitter post from 2016: “I hope all of my fellow Jews have an easy fast this Yom Kippur.”
YALE LAUNCHES HOLOCAUST SURVIVORS PODCAST (JTA) — Yale University’s Fortunoff Video Archive for Holocaust Testimonies launched a podcast series last week featuring the remembrances of survivors.
The series started with the testimony of Martin Schiller, a Jewish man from Poland who described his experiences in the concentration and slave labor camps of Plaszow, Skarzysko-Kamienna, Buchenwald and Theresienstadt. Plaszow serves as the setting for the film “Schindler’s List.”
Titled “Those Who Were There,” the podcast has narration by Eleanor Reissa, an actress and Yiddish theater director, and historical oversight by Professor Samuel Kassow. It features testimonies collected from 1979 onward.
To learn more, visit fortunoff.library.yale.edu/podcasts/.
Note early deadlines for High Holidays
The upcoming High Holidays bring with them adjusted deadlines for the month of October. They are:
Monday, Sept. 23, for the Oct. 3 issue
Friday, Sept. 27, for the Oct. 10 issue
Tuesday, Oct. 8, for the Oct. 17 issue
Friday, Oct. 11, for the Oct. 24 issue
Deadlines will return to normal for the Oct. 31 issue. The deadline for that issue is 5 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 22.
Questions? Contact Editor Barbara Bayer at 913-951-8425 or .