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J-Serve: A chance for teens to give back to their community |
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Written by Barbara Bayer, Editor
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Thursday, May 16 2013 11:00 |
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 Got teens? If you do, tell them about J-Serve: Jewish Teens Serving Kansas City set for Sunday, June 2.
The all-day event begins and ends at the Jewish Community Campus and takes place from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Teens — incoming ninth- through 12th-graders along with just-graduated seniors — will eat, socialize, help others and play at the Jewish Community Center outdoor pool. The event is free and all Jewish teens and their friends, regardless of affiliation to any of the sponsoring organizations, are welcome to attend.
J-Serve is being coordinated by Amy Ravis Furey, Learning for Life associate at the Jewish Federation of Greater Kansas City, and Taly Yeyni, program director of Kansas City Council BBYO. It is being convened by Jewish Federation and it’s Learning for Life Program in partnership with Congregations Beth Shalom, Beth Torah and B’nai Jehudah, BBYO, Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy, Jewish Community Center, Jewish Student Union, Kansas City Interfaith Youth Alliance, North American Federation of Temple Youth, Panera and United Synagogue Youth.
Furey and Yeyni explained that J-Serve provides teens with the opportunity to fulfill the Jewish values of gemilut chasadim (acts of loving kindness), tzedakah (just and charitable giving) and tikkun olam (the responsibility to repair the world).
“It’s important for teens to come together to give back to the community that supports them,” Yeyni said.
Furey added, “The community has invested their resources in teens and this is a chance for teens to invest their time and energy in making the community a better place.”
J-Serve is an event that has taken place all over the globe the past couple of months. The June date was chosen locally for a variety of reasons, one being this is a good way to kick-off the summer before teens take off for vacations and summer camps.
“During the school year it’s hard for teens to give up an entire day on Sunday when they have homework and other things pulling at their attention,” Furey said.
Teens will get to choose from six different projects in which they can make a difference in the community.
“The idea of having six projects was to give people the choice of what was interesting to them and what they are passionate about,” Yeyni said. Furey hopes that each teen who registers will get his/her first or second choice.
It was important to the teens on the planning committee, Furey pointed out, that the projects they were involved in were not just one-time events. Therefore each of the six projects has a history with one of the sponsoring organizations. The six projects will benefit or take place at:
The Mitzvah Garden of Greater Kansas City
Mitzvah Meals to benefit Independence Boulevard Christian Church
reStart Inc. an interfaith ministry for homeless persons
Ronald McDonald House, providing a home away from home for parents to remain close to their hospitalized children
SAVE Home, the first AIDS-specific hospice in the state of Missouri
Craft and advocacy project to benefit Operation Breakthrough
By choosing projects with which local Jewish organizations already have a history, these teens could have the possibility of volunteering at the same place in the future, and, as Furey put it, helping them feel “part of a bigger something.”
“Our hope is this is just the beginning of their passion about service and it sparks some ideas of what they do in the future,” added Yeyni, who pointed out participants will earn about five community service hours that day.
The local Jewish community has conducted a J-Serve event before, but not in the past couple of years or to this extent. Organizers of this J-Serve hope 100 teens will attend and it will become a yearly event.
“In the prophetic tradition of Jews hearing the call to work with God, the next generation of Jews is stepping forward to take their place in what we hope will become a long standing tradition in our community,” said B’nai Jehudah’s Rabbi Alexandria Shuval-Weiner, who will kick-off the event.
Each project has a teen group leader.
“Our goal is to empower them to feel connected to the organization they are serving, to share that with other teens and to lead the reflection,” Furey said.
Teens will lead short advocacy sessions at each session. All teens will participate in a reflection of the day after returning to the Campus. The swimming party is optional, Furey said, “but it is really a celebration of our hard work so we hope people will join us.”
All the sponsoring organizations, as well as members of the planning committee, are recruiting teens for the event. Teens planning J-Serve are looking forward to it.
“I think it’s really cool when Jewish teens gather for the purpose of bettering the world,” said BBYO Council President Allison Ullman.
Morgan Krakow, secretary of BBYO’s Saadia BBG, added, “I think that J-Serve is going to be really fun and I hope that a lot of teens attend.”
Registration for J-Serve is required. Breakfast will be provided by Panera; a kosher option is available upon request. Each teen needs to bring a sack lunch as no lunch will be provided at the service sites. Each participant will also receive a free T-shirt. Registration is available on the Jewish Federation website, https://jewishkansascity.org/Events/2013-Events/June/JServe-2013/J-Serve-2013-RSVP-and-Service-Project-Selection. For more information contact
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
or call 913-981-8801.
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Local needs strain Jewish Federation’s relief funds |
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Thursday, May 16 2013 11:00 |
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 With the economy’s peaks and valleys over the past several years, it’s easy for many in the Jewish community to tune out the economic news. But not for the Jewish Federation of Greater Kansas City. In fact, demand for its Chesed Fund is as high as it has ever been since the assistance fund was created in 2007.
“It is imperative we continue to ask for help, as more and more people in our community need our assistance,” said Shari Stimetz, assistant director of the Jewish Federation. “The amount of money we’re dispersing every month is beyond belief. At this rate, we will need more than $300,000 for assistance by the end of 2013, and this is for people who have nowhere else to turn.”
The Federation’s Chesed Fund helps Jewish residents living in the five counties of Greater Kansas City address chronic financial challenges. These are situations that typically involve extended job loss and medical issues that can’t be helped with one-time emergency assistance.
“All Chesed Fund recipients start out at Jewish Family Services,” said Stimetz. “Once the intake process is completed, the case managers at JFS determine whether or not an individual or family meets the criteria for assistance. Sadly, with the economic problems that have faced our country in the past few years, more and more JFS clients are meeting the Chesed Fund criteria.
“In the first few months of 2013, we have already distributed more than half of what we distributed in all of 2012, and we are facing serious shortages for the fund,” continued Stimetz, who noted $300,000 was distributed by the fund last year.
Chesed Fund is surprisingly spread among a variety of individuals and families — all facing unique issues. The money helps everyone from seniors on a small fixed income to people who cannot work because of chronic illness, to single parents who are not receiving the child support they were awarded upon divorce.
Kansas City is fortunate that the Federation has been able to help area Jews in need to the extent that it has.
“The Federation established the Chesed Fund in 2007 because even then we saw a rising need among people with chronic financial challenges,” Stimetz said.
Chesed Fund also has donors who, as Stimetz puts it, “care about people in need — especially Jewish people right here in our own community continued and understand why it’s critical at this time to give above and beyond their annual gift.
Stimetz encourages others to join the ranks of Chesed’s donors.
“Helping people and saving lives is the highest value in the Jewish tradition,” she said. “And that’s what these funds are doing. Saving lives. Literally!”
To make an online donation to the Chesed Fund, go to jewishkansascity.org/givedignity2013. To make a donation by phone, contact Gail Weinberg, director of financial resource development, 913-327-8123. Or send in a check to Jewish Federation of Greater Kansas City, 5801 W. 115 Street, Suite 201, Overland Park, KS 66211, Attn: Chesed Fund 2013.
One hundred percent of donations will go to Chesed Fund.
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Jewish JCCC student wins top honors in international culinary competition |
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Written by Barbara Bayer, Editor
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Thursday, May 16 2013 11:00 |
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 Adam Glass, along with two other student chefs from Johnson County Community College, won top honors in two categories at an international culinary competition held in New Zealand in March. Glass, along with Sophia Elmer, Sophie Buell and Coach Felix Sturmer, JCCC professor of hospitality management, represented the United States in the third International Colleges Culinary Competition hosted by Wellington Institute of Technology in New Zealand March 18 to 22.
The students prepared a three-course menu demonstrating sustainability awareness, product knowledge and cooking skills using New Zealand food items. Competing against teams from New Zealand, Hong Kong, The United Kingdom and Australia, the JCCC students won the best entrée (appetizer) and best main course category.
Glass, who graduated this week with an applied science degree after completing a Chef Apprenticeship Program, said he and his teammates have been cooking in culinary competitions all over the country for the past couple of years. He explained that JCCC budgets for an international competition every two years and he got lucky that this was the year for that.
“Our team has done pretty well in competitions,” Glass said.
Mix in the fact that Coach Sturmer “had some pretty good connections” and, Glass said, “We were lucky enough to get an invite” as the only team to represent the United States.
“Only one team per country was allowed to compete in this competition,” he explained.
The team learned about the invitation in November and got to work earnestly after winter break researching, developing and writing menus as well as practicing preparing the menu items. All this was on top of the regular team competition prep, school assignments and his work as an apprentice at Dean & Deluca in Leawood. He said it was a lot to balance all at once.
“It was a ton of work. But the thrill and reward of just stepping off the plane in New Zealand made it all worth it. And the cooking part is amazing. I love cooking to begin with and to be able to cook on this stage in a country on the other side of the world made all the work worth it. I’ll sacrifice waking up early to be at school at 6 or 7 a.m. for the chance to cook in New Zealand anytime,” he said.
In the entrée category, which Glass explained is more like an appetizer here in the States, the rules required the team to prepare items with New Zealand salmon. So they developed what they called a quartet of salmon — a beet-cured with apples and onions salmon, a soy-marinated smoked salmon belly (he said “it’s a fattier piece that’s good for smoking”), poached salmon with a truffle and salmon mousse and an Asian salmon tartar.
There were no rules for what they could prepare for the main course, so the trio settled on New Zealand lamb.
“It was an orange- and rosemary-crusted lamb loin,” explained Glass, adding that it was served with an oregano and fig reduction sauce, lentils, lamb sausage and a medley of vegetables.
This was the 23-year-old chef’s first international competition. The school paid for a large portion of the trip. The rest was paid for by scholarships given to the students by Wolfgang Puck, who was at JCCC earlier this year for a charity dinner.
“We helped him out so much he gave us all scholarships,” said Glass, the son of Norman Glass and Linda Glass. “We just had to pay our food and spending money.”
The chef apprenticeship program at JCCC features formal course work along with the opportunity to actually practice such skills as baking, menu planning, food purchasing, beverage control and food preparation. Students, including Glass, are registered by the Department of Labor and are officially indentured to supervising chefs for 6,000 hours. Before he began working at Dean & Deluca, he worked at the Raphael Hotel on the Plaza.
He enjoyed spending time in New Zealand, where they had a chance to sightsee as well as compete. At some point in the near future, Glass hopes to return and work there “for six months or a year.”
“While I was over there I made some pretty good contacts. I’m trying to put the pieces together right now. It’s looking pretty promising,” Glass said.
Prior to beginning the chef apprentice program at JCCC, he studied psychology at the University of Kansas before he realized the field wasn’t for him.
“I was always into cooking and it just seemed to make sense to go to the culinary school. The rest is history as they say,” he said.
Now, he said, his friends and family ask him to cook for them all the time.
“I don’t mind it. I think it’s fun,” Glass said.
He especially enjoys international cuisine.
“I really liked the advanced food class where you (prepare food) from countries all over the world,” he said. “I love French cooking. It’s probably my favorite.”
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Written by Barbara Bayer, Editor
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Thursday, May 16 2013 11:00 |
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 ENVIROTHON CHAMPIONS — Jeffrey Rubel, a senior at Pembroke Hill and a member of Congregation Beth Shalom, visited the White House on April 22 to participate in the White House Science Fair hosted by President Barack Obama. Jeffrey and his classmates were invited as representatives of the 2012 North American Envirothon championship team from Missouri. The Pembroke Hill team went on to become the North American champions! The White House Science Fair celebrates the student winners of a broad range of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) competitions from across the country. The president hosted the first-ever White House Science Fair in late 2010 as part of his Educate To Innovate campaign to inspire students to excel in math and science.
 MEL BROOKS DOCUMENTARY PREMIERS ON PBS — After 60 years in show business, Mel Brooks has earned more major awards than any other living entertainer; he is one of 14 EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony) winners. Yet, the comedy giant has energetically avoided a documentary profile being made, even issuing an informal gag order on his friends ... until now. Brooks agreed to throw himself into a new documentary about his storied career, giving American Masters exclusive interviews and complete access to his film and photo archives. Premiering nationwide Monday, May 20, at 8 p.m. on KCPT, “American Masters Mel Brooks: Make a Noise” features new interviews with Brooks, his friends and colleagues, including Matthew Broderick, Nathan Lane, Cloris Leachman, Joan Rivers, Tracey Ullman, and his close friend, with whom he created “The 2000 Year Old Man” more than 50 years ago, Carl Reiner. A DVD with bonus material will be available Tuesday, May 21 from Shout Factory.
“When they called me to say I had been chosen as the next ‘American Master,’ I thought they said I was chosen to be the next Dutch Master. So I figured what the hell, at least I’ll get a box of cigars. When I realized my mistake I was both elated and a little disappointed at losing the cigars,” cracked Brooks, who will receive the 41st AFI Life Achievement Award this June.
 FREE CONCERT — Violinist Elena Urioste and pianist Gabriela Martinez will perform a free Discovery Concert at 7 p.m. Friday, June 7, at the Folly Theater (300 W. 12th St.), in downtown Kansas City, Mo. The planned program includes works by Beethoven, Debussy and Janacek. The performance will be the 25th free Discovery Concert presented by the Harriman-Jewell Series since 2004. One of the pieces they are expected to play is “Hebrew Melody” by Joseph Achron as one of their short pieces. Tickets for the Urioste and Martinez duo recital are free to the public. “Print at home” tickets are available online at hjseries.org or by phone at 816-415-5025. The David Woods Kemper Foundation sponsors this performance. The National Endowment for the Arts has partially underwritten the 2013 Discovery Concerts.
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A panel of three arbitrators unanimously ruled April 18 for The New Reform Temple, denying Rabbi Jacques Cukierkorn’s breach of contract claims against the congregation. In addition the arbitrators ruled in favor of NRT’s counterclaims for breach of fiduciary duty and for fraud.