KCteen welcomed 100 participants to its Shabbat 100 earlier this summer.
KCteen welcomed 100 participants to its Shabbat 100 earlier this summer. The event was co-hosted by KCteen Co-Presidents Ethan Hobbs and David Wasserman, both members of the Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy Class of 2026, who played leading roles in outreach, planning and event setup.
Shabbat 100 was designed to strengthen Jewish identity and create meaningful connections through the beauty of Shabbat while bringing together teens from across the Kansas City community.
Pictured at Shabbat 100 are Samuel Hertzfeld, Shua Rich and Hunter Brown.
Guests arrived dressed in elegant attire for a cocktail hour featuring a strolling magician, sushi and hors d’oeuvres, a photo booth and an interactive “100 Faces” art project, where attendees created self-portraits that became a visual representation of everyone who participated.
As sunset approached, participants gathered to welcome Shabbat with traditional blessings before a three-course homemade dinner under the stars in an outdoor tent.
Pictured at Shabbat 100 are Sara Natanova, Sarah Reardon and Orli White.
“As our last KCteen event that Ethan and I planned together, we wanted to do something special and memorable, something that had never been done before in the history of Jewish youth groups in Kansas,” Wasserman said. “Shabbat 100 definitely accomplished that goal.”
Hobbs reflected on the evening, saying, “The atmosphere was electric. Seeing teenagers from all Jewish backgrounds come together for a one-of-a-kind Shabbat experience was incredible. The food was amazing, the singing was energetic, and we feel honored to have been part of making it happen.”
Pictured at Shabbat 100 are KCteen Co-Presidents David Wasserman and Ethan Hobbs and Directors Rabbi Avremi and Mushky Baron.