Although a house-hunting trip Rabbi Stephanie Kramer and her husband Adam made in February was the first time she had ever visited Kansas City, she grew up hearing about the vibrance of the Jewish community here. Her mother’s best friend had lived in Kansas City for years, and always talked about the wonderful Jewish community here.
Rabbi Kramer, the new senior rabbi at The Temple, Congregation B’nai Jehudah, and her family moved to Overland Park over Memorial Day weekend, and the reception immediately exceeded her expectations.
“We felt very embraced by the community,” she said, “from Shabbat dinners to challah that just showed up at our homes to people offering to take our kids to the zoo while we were getting settled, everyone has been very welcoming.”
That includes the community’s Jewish organizations. Rabbi Kramer has received invitations for everything from giving a d’var torah to the JCC staff to speaking at the Heritage Center at The J to attending a Jewish Federation Ben Gurion Society event.
“I’ve felt very warmly welcomed by the organizations and other clergy,” Rabbi Kramer said. “I have a lot of gratitude.”
Rabbi Kramer was officially announced as B’nai Jehudah’s senior rabbi in January. She began her new role on July 1, following the retirement of Rabbi Arthur Nemitoff, who served the congregation in this role for 18 years. She is only the 15th person to hold this position in the congregation’s 150-year history.
Prior to taking the senior rabbi position at B’nai Jehudah, Rabbi Kramer served Congregation Shomrei Torah, a Reform congregation in Santa Rosa, California, as the senior associate rabbi.
“Her enthusiastic joy in learning about our congregants and the KC Jewish Community at large has brought an energized vibe to our congregation,” said Amanda Morgan, B’nai Jehudah board president. “Her desire to build and nurture relationships will ensure our community continues to thrive.”
Rabbi Kramer’s approach to leadership and organization is based on collaboration, and she’s been enjoying working with her team and board.
“The board has been eager to hear my vision and it’s been really a wonderful month,” she said. “And having an all-female tefillah team has been really empowering and exciting, for the congregation as well as myself.”
Rabbi Kramer said her main goal for her first year is to listen and learn about the history and culture and the ethos of B’nai Jehudah.
“The thing that I’ve been enjoying the most is really being able to meet the people in the community and connect with people,” she said. “A lot of people were out of town for the summer, and busy with High Holidays, but I’m trying as hard as I can to make the rounds.”
Her first 30 days have included driving tours of the city and a tour of Sheffield Cemetery. She’s met with many of the past B’nai Jehudah board presidents and Jewish communal professionals outside of the congregation, along with congregation members old and new.
“I’ve been delighted to meet members who can trace their lineage back to the beginning of B’nai Jehudah, as well as people who are transplants to the Kansas City community but are eager to share why they have made B’nai Jehudah their home and have fallen in love with it. All have been really fascinating,” she said.
In addition to so many meetings, Rabbi Kramer and her team have been busy planning for the High Holidays.
Along with the regular services, B’nai Jehudah launched its Sweet & Sacred Elul series last week. The series runs through September 1 and gives members the chance to reflect and prepare for next month.
B’nai Jehudah is also hosting a new community Shofar in the Park event, building off the success of its drive-through holiday services last year. Shofar in the Park will include lots of booths and activities, a family Rosh Hashanah service featuring the Messner Puppet Theatre, dessert trucks and other activities.
The B’nai Jehudah team has also spent the summer planning the launch of Yalla, Let’s Go!, B’nai Jehudah’s new religious school program that’s debuting this month. Rabbi Kramer describes Yalla as an immersive program that will “provide a very strong Jewish education and foundation in a very non-traditional manner.”
Rabbi Kramer’s first month as senior rabbi has also come with some big changes. In an email sent to the congregation earlier this month, Morgan announced that Rabbi Sarah Smiley and Rabbi Josh Leighton will be leaving next summer.
“We are very excited for each of them as they explore the next stages of their Rabbinic paths and continue to grow in their careers,” the email read. “During their remaining time at B’nai Jehudah, both remain dedicated to our congregation and their important roles within our organization.”
Rabbi Kramer and the B’nai Jehudah board are discussing how this staffing change will affect B’nai Jehudah, and looking at the possibilities it brings.
“Talks are underway, we are planning,” she said, “and I’m enjoying working with (Rabbis Smiley and Leighton) now.
“I’m really excited to work with the board to collaborate and vision on what our team is going to look like for the future, with the changing needs of Jewish life, what’s that going to look like.”
“(Rabbi Kramer) and the rest of our congregational team will guide us on making sure our core values of open hearts, kedushah (holiness/sacredness) and derech eretz (common decency) keep us a connected B’nai Jehudah family,” Morgan said.
By Lacey Storer,
Assistant Editor
