On Thursday, Aug. 24, the Lawrence Jewish Community Congregation (LJCC) will kick off the academic year with a welcome party for Jewish University of Kansas (KU) faculty, staff and graduate students.
There will be snacks, a signature cocktail, a DJ and dancing.
The welcome party will begin at 8 p.m. The entire adult (over 21) Jewish community of Lawrence is welcome, along with their “Jewish-adjacent” loved ones.
“The LJCC is an inclusive and pluralistic congregation,” said LJCC President Robin Rosenberg. “We are the Jewish home for Lawrencians with a wide diversity in theological views and levels of observance. Our congregation is enriched by many interfaith families. We hope that others who haven’t checked us out will give us a try.”
The event is free and open to the public. The LJCC is requesting advance registration. More information is available by contacting LJCC Program and Engagement Director Dr. Lara Giordano at .
“From its inception, the LJCC has had strong ties to the KU community,” said Dr. Lara Giordano, LJCC program and engagement director and former KU faculty. “The LJCC was founded in 1954 by a handful of Jewish families, several of which had relocated to Lawrence to teach at the university. When they arrived, there was no house of worship or gathering place for Jews. So, they created one together.”
The LJCC is still a lay-led community continued through the efforts of volunteers. Located at 917 Highland Drive, the center provides Friday night Shabbat services (both online and in person) and one or two Torah services a month. The LJCC celebrates all major Jewish holidays, including Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. It also offers religious school and programming for young children and teens.
“Providing a space of ritual observances has always been at the heart of what we do,” Giordano said. “But there is so much more to Jewish life and experience. One of my goals for the congregation is to broaden our cultural and educational offerings while still retaining the core of what a synagogue needs to do.”
The LJCC will host High Holiday services beginning with Rosh Hashanah on Sept. 15. The LJCC does not charge for tickets, although donations are appreciated.