KEHILLA, BUILDING COMMUNITY — One of The Jewish Community Center’s (The J) five values is Kehilla, building community, and that was one of the themes at its 2019 Annual Meeting on Sunday, Oct. 20. As the various speakers touched on building community and the other values — being welcoming, inclusive and nurturing; enriching mind + body + soul; passing on Jewish culture + history; and treating others as you wish to be treated — attendees celebrated award winners, thanked Andrew Kaplan for his two years of service as board chair, welcomed Shanny Morgenstern as the new board chair and got an update from CEO Jim Sluyter on the state of the agency. As Sluyter thanked the staff and volunteers, he noted, it takes a village for The J to be successful. “Thank you for helping us build a vibrant and strong community based on these values.”
Annual Meeting Chair Gary Weinberg, who is also a former chair of the agency, pointed out that The J “touches more Jews and non-Jews than any other Jewish agency in town.” In her speech, Morgenstern built on that when she said, “We are making the world a better place every day” for Jews, Muslims, newcomers, life members and others. “Together we have formed a strong, inclusive community.” She also noted her belief that strengthening the community was a great way to combat hate. “When we treat everyone with dignity, we make the world a better place.”
In his farewell speech, Kaplan said, “The buildings and endowment are important, but the smiles and the friendships are much more.”
When it comes to the upcoming Staenberg Family Recreation Complex project, guest speaker Mindy Corporon, who gave the d’var Torah, pointed out these kinds of projects were important for the future. “It’s not for us; it’s for those who are coming next. … It’s our responsibility to build it.”
CAMPUS POWER OUTAGE CANCELS EVENT — A last-minute power outage at the Jewish Community Campus on Oct. 17 caused the cancellation of Dr. Rebecca Erbelding’s presentation about her book “Rescue Board: The Untold Story of America’s Efforts to Save the Jews of Europe.” The power went out about 5:30 p.m., which did not give MCHE enough time to arrange an alternate venue. Jean Zeldin, MCHE’s executive director and CEO, said they had expected about 150 people to attend the event.
The event can’t be rescheduled this year because “Dr. Erbelding is currently on a tightly scheduled book tour, which, in addition to her work at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, makes it impossible to reschedule her talk this year,” a post on MCHE’s Facebook page announced. “She and her husband were already planning a visit to Kansas City in 2020, and she is eager to schedule her talk at that time. She, too, was very disappointed by the unfortunate turn of events.”
JEWISH ASTRONAUT PART OF FIRST ALL-FEMALE SPACEWALK — In case you missed it, one of the two female astronauts charged with fixing a failed power control unit on the International Space Station Oct. 18, Jessica Meir, is Jewish. According to The Associated Press via Haaretz, Meir is the daughter of a mother from Sweden and an Iraqi-Israeli father and holds Swedish and American citizenship. She was the first Swedish woman, the fourth Jewish woman and the 15th Jew overall to be part of a space mission.
In May, JTA reported Meir grew up in Maine and said being Jewish was an important part of her identity.
At the time, she also told JTA she was planning to take an Israeli flag with her to the space station, as well as some socks sporting menorahs among her personal items.