In an effort to grow and develop the Kansas City Jewish community and attract members of younger generations, See KC, a new initiative designed to showcase all that Kansas City has to offer, has been launched.
See KC, a program of Jewish Federation of Greater Kansas City, will bring young Jewish singles, couples and families who are looking to possibly relocate to Kansas City for immersive weekend visits. Participants will get to know people who live here, explore what it would look like to work and live here and see all that the community has to offer.
Bailey Nakelsky, See KC director, is a Kansas City transplant herself. She and her husband, Josh, moved here from San Diego, California, in 2020. Having muddled through finding a home, making new friends, learning about the best restaurants, and seeking out opportunities for culture and entertainment (all at the height of the pandemic), Nakelsky knows firsthand what people are looking for in a new city and what questions they might have.
Nakelsky said the See KC weekends will focus more on selling Kansas City than Jewish life in Kansas City.
"Recruiting through a Jewish lens gives us a very specific audience — we know they’re people who value Jewish life, so we don't need to sell that. What we need to sell is KC," she said.
Bringing participants to Kansas City provides the opportunity to dispel some common misconceptions people might have, like that there's not much to do here, that it's nothing but suburbs, or that it's only for couples.
"We want to show that Kansas City is for everyone," Nakelsky said. "For some reason, KC seems to be the best-kept secret, and we need to get it out there."
That doesn’t mean the Jewish community won’t be highlighted during See KC visits. One of the goals for the weekends is to not only show why Kansas City is a great place to live but also help participants get a sense of the community. Throughout the weekend, participants will have the opportunity to meet local members of our community.
“Jewish life is so strong here, and See KC participants will get to see that,” Nakelsky said.
See KC is modeled after similar programs in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and Memphis, Tennessee, both of which have had success.
"Over the years, we've developed best practices to help others appreciate how great it is to live in Tulsa, but moreover, what it means to live in a vibrant community," Rebekah Kantor, director of the Tulsa Tomorrow program, said. "...With so much knocking on our backdoor, including Kansas City, the opportunities to help others learn why it's so fantastic to live in this region are endless."
Recruitment is already underway for the first See KC weekend, which is scheduled for August 17 through 20. Seven participants have already registered; Jewish Federation is working to have double that number participate.
Ideal See KC participants are between the ages of 22 and 45 years old with an expressed interest in learning more about possibly relocating to the Greater Kansas City area. Participants must identify as Jewish and have the potential to relocate in the next one to three years.
Airfare, hotel, meals, local transportation and activity costs are covered for the weekend. Participants only need to pay a $250 registration fee ($350 for couples) and cover any costs outside of what is provided by the program.
Seed funding for See KC has been provided by the Marion and Henry Bloch Family Foundation.
While grassroots marketing efforts for See KC have begun, recruitment for the program depends largely on word-of-mouth. Nakelsky has been reaching out to her Hillel network (she previously worked at both University of Southern California Hillel and Hillel International) and working with other Kansas City transplants in our community to utilize their Jewish social and professional networks.
Family members will also play a big role in recruitment.
“A really important demographic for See KC will be people who grew up here who want to come back,” Nakelsky said, “and for that, we're really going to lean on the community for referrals.”
Nakelsky is hoping that parents and grandparents of Kansas City-area natives who are currently living elsewhere will help spread the word and tell their children and grandchildren about the program.
More information on See KC and how to apply/make a referral is available by emailing or visiting SeeKCJewishly.org.