By Marcia Montgomery / Associate Editor
Rabbi Mendy Wineberg of The Shul — Chabad of Leawood is over the moon about his granddaughter being the first of a third generation of students to attend Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy.
“It’s absolutely incredible,” he said. “In Judaism three symbolizes permanence, so when things come in threes it shows it’s for real. Like a squatter; if he’s on the land for three years, that’s a sign that the land is his.”
Rabbi Wineberg’s granddaughter, Menucha “Nuna” Perman, who is in kindergarten at HBHA, thinks it’s “really cool.”
“It’s fun to have an aunt at school with me,” she said. “My favorite part is when I see her outside at recess.”
HBHA Head of School Adam Tilove also thinks it’s great. “Nuna’s arrival at HBHA is a wonderful tribute to our founders, who 55 years ago saw their vision of a Jewish community day school come to fruition,” he said. “Today, we stand proud to educate dozens of second-generation students, and now, our first third-generation student.”
Esty Perman, Nuna’s mother and Rabbi Wineberg’s daughter, attended HBHA from kindergarten through grade six. She then went to an all-girls Jewish school in Chicago, then in Brooklyn.
Rabbi Wineberg attended HBHA from kindergarten in 1974 through fifth grade. He left in sixth grade to attend yeshiva. “There has been a Wineberg in the Academy ever since, so we have a streak going — 46 years straight,” he said.
From the time Rabbi Wineberg’s youngest brother attended HBHA to when Perman started, there was no overlap — he left one year and Perman came the next year. Now there’s overlap because Menucha is at HBHA with her aunt, Sarah Wineberg, who is in fourth grade. So there’s both a second and third generation at the same time.
Perman said the two girls are very proud of it. “I’m pretty sure the whole school knows that Sarah has a niece in school,” she said.
Rabbi Wineberg concurred: “And I’m sure the whole kindergarten knows that Menucha has an aunt in the school. They’re not shy about it.”
Sarah’s teacher has taught several of the Wineberg children. Rabbi Wineberg said with six kids going to HBHA, he and his wife Devory have had that “déjà vu all over again” feeling many times. And now they get to watch their granddaughter go through it all.
“It’s beautiful. There’s always the joy of being a grandparent; you get all the nachas and joy without any of the worries,” he said.
When COVID hit, they all wanted school to open so they could have this third generation experience, he said.
Perman loved her time at HBHA. She had one of the same teachers her Dad had when he was in school. Nuna doesn’t currently have a teacher who also taught her mother, but chances are she will eventually because some of Perman’s teachers are still at HBHA.
“I was really excited for her to go because I have such great memories, so it’s fun for her to get to experience all that, too,” Perman said.
Nuna said her favorite thing about kindergarten is “brain break center!” Her least favorite thing? Having to wear a mask.
Rabbi Wineberg said the education you get at HBHA is excellent. When he went to yeshiva in sixth grade, he was way ahead of everyone else in general studies.
“Obviously we have a very heavy dose of Judaic studies … but I think that there’s a real love of Judaism and it’s a wonderful thing,” the rabbi said. “And all the Jewish holidays are off; it’s automatic. If you go to public school, you have to make a choice — do I observe the holiday or do I go to school. It’s a beautiful thing, being proudly Jewish and strongly academic at the same time.”
Perman said Nuna’s teachers have been “unbelievable” during the pandemic. Going back and forth between virtual and in-person classes, the teachers have been very helpful.
“They’re all so loving and caring and make (Nuna) excited to learn new things. We can’t be happier,” she said. “I definitely feel like she’s in the best possible hands and we’re really grateful that she’s there. The Judaic teachers and her general studies teachers are incredible; they make it exciting to come to school and learn every day.”
HBHA and Chabad have been in the Kansas City area about the same length of time. HBHA was founded in 1966; Chabad has been here since 1970. Rabbi Wineberg said rabbis come and go; families come and go, but Chabad and HBHA have been a constant. There are certain things that remain the same.
“We always say that we came with a one-way ticket; Chabad will always be here,” he said. “We’re the first ones to have a third generation and I have no doubt that there are going to be other third generations at the Academy as well because some of my classmates have kids there and G-d willing they’ll have grandkids in the Academy.
“But I also have no doubt that we’re going to have a fourth generation in the Academy. For us, it’s for sure. As long as there are Jews in Kansas City and the Academy is servicing them, Chabad will be servicing them as well and we’ll be sending another generation without a doubt.”