On Sept. 17, two local educators —Netta Krashin and June Crane — as well as a young leader will be honored for their
dedication and work in the community, and two outstanding programs will be recognized for their impact at the Jewish Federation of Greater Kansas City’s 81st Annual Meeting.
The featured guest speaker will be Ari Shavit, New York Times bestselling author of “My Promised Land: The Triumph and Tragedy of Israel,” and a senior correspondent and member of the editorial board at Haaretz, Israel’s oldest daily newspaper.
The entire community is invited to attend the meeting, which begins at 7 p.m. in The White Theatre at the Jewish Community Campus. The meeting also will include the installation of new Jewish Federation board members Steve Bernstein, Herb Buchbinder, Liz Hjalmarson, Amanda Palan and Howard Weiner, and will conclude with a Vaad-supervised dessert reception.
Community members Netta Krashin and June Crane are the 2014 Jewish Educators of the Year. Krashin, director of student services at Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy, has been with the day school for 31 years. She spent many years teaching in the classroom and has served in her current position for the past eight years. Her personal mission is “to make every student feel worthwhile and capable in any challenge that comes his or her way.” The Academy has increased resources in the area of educational support under Krashin’s guidance, including adding a tutoring program and additional learning specialists.
Co-honoree June Crane has been teaching at Beth Torah’s Weiner Religious School for the past 17 years. She also spent 20 years as a preschool teacher at the Child Development Center at the Jewish Community Center, making her goal of inspiring a love of Jewish learning within children become a reality. She credits many well-known community educators as her mentors, including Linda Rubin, Hillary Lewis and Marcia Rittmaster. “Even though she has been teaching in our school for 17 years, she never stops learning,” says Rittmaster, former religious school director at Beth Torah. “She is a true team player.”
This year’s Community Program of the Year winners both center around teaching and engaging young people in Jewish life. Machane Jehudah does that by creating a fun and exciting learning environment for children. The Temple, Congregation B’nai Jehudah’s two-week camp style experience is filled with friends, fun, projects, prayer and learning.
Program Director Dayna Gershon says, “A typical camp day during the two-week summer program encompasses tefillah, interactive study, various group activities and Jewish learning opportunities, including Hebrew, all based on our annual theme.”
Chugim (electives) provide students the opportunity to enjoy art, music or sports.
“Machane Jehudah gives students and families an alternative way to learn and connect with their Judaism,” she adds.
The program continues throughout the year with monthly learning experiences for the whole family to enjoy, that provide a sense of belonging within the larger Jewish community. Open to students in third through fifth grades, the program kicked off in 2012 with 22 students and grew to 39 students during the second year. One hundred percent of students who participated in Machane Jehudah’s first year returned for the second year.
The other community program of the year, Shabbat Around KU, was created in 2009 to inspire college students to convene their Jewish friends for Shabbat dinners. More than 2,200 students have participated in this program, which is the brainchild of KU Hillel. Rabbi Neal Schuster, rabbi and senior Jewish educator at KU Hillel, says Shabbat Around KU was developed to support KU Hillel’s mission statement: Developing Jewish Adults.
“Shabbat Around KU interns plan at least four Shabbat experiences per semester and invite their peers to attend. After hosting Shabbat Around KU dinners, many hosts and participants feel empowered to celebrate Shabbat on their own,” Schuster says. “We wanted to create a culture where Shabbat is just something we do — a part of the normal routine in our lives.”
The impact is being felt on campus as Shabbat Around KU hosts report that they have increased Jewish self-confidence and knowledge as a result of their participation in the program. The long-term impact will be significant as this program strives to serve as a bridge to keep young adults engaged in Jewish life.
In addition to these awards, The Dan Fingersh Young Leadership Award will be presented on Sept. 17 to an outstanding young leader in our community. The Jewish Federation Annual Meeting is free to attend, but reservations are required. For more information, go to www.jewishkansascity.org or call Cheri Anne Winkler at 913- 327-8103.
