Congregation Beth Shalom Sisterhood honored Rickie Haith and elected its new board at its Torah Fund Luncheon on April 19.
Haith was honored for her years of service to the Sisterhood, Congregation Beth Shalom, and the Kansas City Jewish community.
The luncheon, held at Beth Shalom’s Goldsmith Hall, was co-chaired by Phyllis Abrams and Sally Gordon and catered by Kim Matsil. Entertainment was provided by violinist Adam Galblum. Toba Maslan and Rita Shapiro were the Torah Fund co-chairs. Beth Shalom Sisterhood co-presidents are Dini Freed, Elaine Friedman, and Shira Wajcman.
Mae Levitan, Intracontinental Region vice president for Torah Fund from Austin, Texas, presented Rickie Haith with a congratulatory letter from National Women’s League President Debbie Ezrine.
Haith was further honored by her grandchildren, who gave the Hamotzi for the luncheon, and her daughters, Elisa Pener and Dion Lutzk, who introduced her. Beth Shalom Sisterhood presented Haith a contemporary three-tiered metalwork sculpture by Judaica artist Gary Rosenthal.
Hazzan Tahl Ben-Yehuda gave a d’var torah, and Rabbi David Glickman updated the attendees on the five seminaries that Torah Fund helps support. The seminaries are teaching institutions located in New York; Los Angeles; Jerusalem; Buenos Aires, Argentina; and Potsdam, Germany. Torah Fund supports the teaching institutions that educate Conservative/Masorti rabbis, cantors, scholars, educators, summer camp directors, chaplains, campus Jewish life staff, and committed Jewish lay leaders.
The incoming Beth Shalom Sisterhood Board was also elected at the luncheon. Executive officers include the following: President Jill Goldstein; Community Service Vice Presidents Elaine Friedman, Susan Krigel and Naomi Silverman; Education Vice President Leah Haller; Membership Vice Presidents Rita Brown and Deborah Rosenberg; Program Vice Presidents Danielle Antes and Cathy Newman; Treasurer Kim Matsil; Financial/Retention Secretaries Sally Gordon and Beverly Levine; Recording Secretary Nancy Reichman; Historian Dini Freed; Gift Shop Coordinator Connie Simon; Torah Fund Campaign Chairs Berenice Haberman and Milisa Flekier; Torah Fund Luncheon Chairs Sally Gordon and Stephanie Kavanaugh; In charge of publicity, Shira Wajcman; Nominating Chairs Dini Freed and Shira Wajcman; Financial Advisor Berenice Haberman; Long Range Planning Chair Dini Freed; Parliamentarians Dini Freed and Shira Wajcman; Three-Year Board (2023-2026) members Francine Farkas, Lynne Feinberg, Amy Schultz and Rita Shapiro; Two-Year Board (2023-2025) members Mari Anne Birnbaum, Linda Hirsekorn, Donna Katz and Carol Yarmo; One-Year Board (2023-2024) members Phyllis Abrams, Wendy Malyn, Joyce Shapiro and Connie Simon. The new slate will start on July 1, 2023.