Michael Davidson is not your typical yeshivah student in Israel. Michael says he studies as much as any other yeshivah student but most don’t take the time to do much exercise. Davidson has been running since June, preparing to run in the March 16 Team Lifeline Israel marathon.

Taking a break from his daytime studies, Davidson said he learned about the race while waiting at a Jerusalem bus stop. Now in his second year at Ohr Somayach Yeshiva, a yeshivah geared to English-speaking young men 18 to 25 years of age, he said

“I called Team Lifeline and told them I wanted to run and raise money and then looked them up online.”

The 2010 Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy graduate said the idea that this organization helps kids who have life-threatening illnesses appealed to him, so he decided to run in the race. He studies eight hours a day and since June has been running.

‘I wasn’t really a runner before; I ran a little but not seriously,” said the son of Bradley Davidson and Marcee Davidson.

“I love it. I run at night and listen to music. It’s just me in Jerusalem and I’m just racing against myself,” said Davidson, who will soon celebrate his 20th birthday.

As the 26.2 mile marathon draws closer, Davidson reported he’s been able to run that distance twice.

“I’ve been working really hard on this all year,” he says.

Davidson, who grew up attending Kehilath Israel Synagogue and later BIAV, says he will be running in memory of his grandfather, the late Richard Bratman.

“Zayde always drove me to strive farther for the things that are important,” Davidson said. Bubbe Joyce Bratman visited him in Israel last summer along with his mom Marcee and his sister, Ariella.

Davidson has set a goal to raise $1,000 from donations for TeamLifeline Israel. Anyone wishing to sponsor Davidson can do so on his marathon profile page: http://www.teamlifeline.org/israel/my/michaelthegentleman.

Davidson’s father, Bradley, will be in Israel in March and plans to run the 10 kilometer portion of the race for those who prefer to run a shorter distance.

“My grandfather, Marvin Davidson, used to run marathons when he was in his 60s,” exclaims Davidson.

“Running is one of my passions,” he continued. “and I like learning Gomorrah and making sushi!”

This is Davidson’s last year at Ohr Somayach. Next year he plans to attend Lander College in Queens, N.Y.

Team Lifeline Israel

Since 1987, Team Lifeline Israel has raised funds for Chai Lifeline. Chai Lifeline’s mission is to restore the light of childhood to children whose innocence ended when life-threatening or lifelong illnesses were diagnosed.

Through programs that address the emotional, social and financial needs of these seriously ill children, their families and communities, Chai Lifeline restores normalcy to family life and better enables families to withstand the crises and challenges of serious pediatric illnesses.

One of the most popular customs for Purim is to drown out the name of the villain, Haman, with a noisemaker. In Hebrew, the noisemaker is called a ra’ashan; in Yiddish, it is a gragger.

The origin of this custom comes from the Book of Exodus 17:4: “For I will utterly blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under the Heavens.” Haman’s ancestors were Amalekites.

Around the 9th century, it was customary for European Jews to take flat stones or wooden paddles on which Haman’s name was inscribed and beat them together when Haman’s name was mentioned, in the reading of the Megillat Ester. It was also popular to write Haman’s name on the soles of their shoes and then stamp their feet when his name was read, thus erasing his name.

Some form of gragger has been used since the Middle Ages, primarily among Ashkenazic Jews. Today, the traditional gragger looks like the Hebrew letter dalet, a horizontal piece made of wood or metal with a rotating cylinder or tongue attached to a vertical handle, which, when turned, makes noise.

The custom of using a noisemaker during the reading of the Megillah is more recent among Sephardic Jews.

One also finds graggers decorated with illustrations from the Book of Esther, plastic with clapping hands, and designs in wood and metal. School children often make other containers of paper or metal and fill them with beans, so when they are shaken, they make noise. In Kansas City, some congregation are using boxes of macaroni and cheese as noisemakers and then donating them to food pantries.

Whatever gragger you use for Purim, just make sure you do it loud and often, for in each generation, a Haman has arisen to live among us!

Neshama Carlebach, soul singer and leading superstar in Jewish entertainment will take the stage at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 8, at the White Theatre. Joining Carlebach at Congregation Beth Shalom’s Polsky Concert will be Rev. Roger Hambrick and members of the Green Pastures Baptist Church Choir. The 90-minute concert, which is free and open to the community, will be performed without intermission.

Carlebach is continuing the legacy established by her father Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach. His deep spirituality and love of all humanity filled every song he wrote and touched every person he encountered as he changed the face of Jewish music. Neshama Carlebach deeply moves and entertains as she sings her father’s incomparable melodies and her own inspiring original compositions.

Carlebach’s seventh recording, Higher & Higher (Sojourn Records/Sony) is supported by the robust voices of the Green Pastures Baptist Church Choir, a Bronx-based African-American congregation. They’ve been touring together for the past few years.

Her most recent recording, “Every Little Soul Must Shine,” was commissioned by PJ Library, an organization that sends out books and CDs to Jewish families, including those in Kansas City, to strengthen Judaism in the home. The CD features songs in both Hebrew and English. It also features songs by her father as well as several songs by Tom Laverack and Mark Ambrosino, founders of Carlebach’s record label Sojourn Records.

The Jewish Exponent’s entertainment reporter Michael Elkin describes Carlebach as “a vision of verve and spirit on stage. It is a heavenly performance that Neshama Carlebach stages, an appropriate and triumphant tribute to her father.”

The San Francisco Jewish News also gives Carlebach a favorable review, saying “… Neshama Carlebach has emerged as one of the premier female singers in the genre of jazz/pop Jewish soul music. If that sounds like a big fish in a small pond, it is. But the daughter of the late Jewish mystic and music legend Shlomo Carlebach certainly inherited both the DNA and the pipes to dominate the field. Indeed, one need not even be Jewish to love the music of Neshama Carlebach, though after hearing her sing, one might want to be.”

The Polsky legacy

The second family legacy represented by the concert is that of the Polsky family.

Since 1995, the family of Isadore and Rachel Polsky has been paying tribute to their memory through a series of innovative educational and artistic events. Those events have been enthusiastically received not just by the members of Beth Shalom, but by the greater Kansas City community. The Neshama Carlebach concert is the 12th installment in the series.

The Polsky Jewish Enrichment Series, a part of the Rabbi Morris B. Margolies Center for Adult Jewish Studies of Congregation Beth Shalom, is funded by the Isadore and Rachel Polsky Endowment/Beth Shalom Foundation, provided by Elaine Polsky, Karen Polsky Kent, Larry and Ellen Polsky and Steve Polsky.

Harold Kaseff is the chairman of the event’s planning committee, which includes Rabbi Alan Cohen, Norm Levitan, Elaine Levine, Rod Minkin, Larry Kalender, Joan March, Berenice Haberman and Rhea Salasche. For additional information, call Levitan at 913-647-7283.

‘NEW’ NIGUN — After what it terms a “too long hiatus,” The Nigun Orchestra is back with a new name, the ‘Nu’ Nigun Orchestra. Its next gig with new featured singer Rabbi Simcha Morgenstern will take place March 8 at the Torah Learning Center. Joining Rabbi Morgenstern are Steve Max on clarinet, Leslie and Jerry Pollock playing piano and drums, Rick Huyett on bass and Mel Prezant, the trumpeter who also serves as the orchestra’s director. The Purim party will begin with Megillah reading at 5 p.m. followed by the celebration at 5:30 p.m. Cost for the event is $20 for adults and $10 for children (11 and under) or $60 per family. To register call 913-890-3811 or visit purimshtetl.eventbrite.com.

LITERARY TEENS — Two Jewish teens — Shawnee Mission East junior Rachel Franklin and University of Kansas freshman Blaire Ginsburg — are among those featured in the latest edition of elementia, the Johnson County Library’s teen literary magazine. Rachel, a member of The Temple, Congregation B’nai Jehudah and the daughter of Renee and Phil Franklin, has been published several times in the magazine. She wrote two free verse poems that are published in this issue — “The Parasite Lives and Grows” and “The Difference Between Simile and Self-Medication.” Blaire is the daughter of Byron and Gerri Lyn Ginsburg. This is the second time she’s been published in elementia. She also has two poems published in this issue, “Story of the Stone” and “Who We Are” She is a member of Congregation Beth Shalom and active in KU Hillel. Eight issues of elementia have been published since the fall 2005. Those ages 12-20 are eligible to submit original prose, poetry and illustrations for elementia. Content of the first eight issues is available at www.jocoteenscene.org/elementia. For more information about elementia, or programs for teens call (913) 826-4600.

MAKE SOMEONE HAPPY — “The Songs of Comden and Green” opens this weekend and runs through April 1 at Quality Hill Playhouse. Particularly known for their comedic skills, Betty Comden (born Elizabeth Cohen) and Adolph Green (the son of Hungarian-Jewish immigrants) wrote lively songs, librettos and screenplays that were praised by critics as “bright, gay, witty and engaging” (The New York Post) and “extraordinarily inventive” (The New York Times). Director and arranger J. Kent Barnhart has brought together Lauren Braton, Molly Hammer and Cary Mock to bring to life the humor, energy and joy of the best songs from the duo’s six-decade long partnership, including “Just In Time,” “One Hundred Easy Ways,” “I Can Cook Too,” “New York, New York (It’s a Helluva Town),” the revue’s title song “Make Someone Happy” and more. For ticket information, contact 816-421-1700 or visit www.QualityHillPlayhouse.com.

JEWISH APPS — I was reading a story in the Jewish Week (www.thejewishweek.com) about the top Jewish applications of 2011 (Feb. 23, 2012) and I learned there is an entire website geared toward Jewish apps, www.jewishiphonecommunity.org. According to the website, it was founded in 2010 with the goal of making it easy to find Jewish mobile applications. The Jewish iPhone Community was established to create a virtual community of those that use mobile devices with any kind of Jewish applications. Jews of all affiliations — religious or secular, Orthodox or Reform or Chassid — who are looking for a friendly e-community built around traditional Jewish values will find something here. You can visit the Jewish iPhone Community to discover the latest and best iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, Android and BlackBerry Jewish apps available today. The site will also feature product reviews, troubleshooting help, updates and links to new apps, along with the latest media and technological news. The website tells you what apps are out there in such categories as art, audio, Chassidut, food, games, Hebrew, holidays, Kabbalah, library (Jewish themed iBooks), Midrash, made in Israel, organizations, prayers, Talmud, travel and Yiddish … to mention just a few.

A rivalry between two schools in the Blue Valley School District has turned into a controversy over what is good clean fun and what is anti-Semitism. On Jan. 27, Blue Valley Northwest students performed a skit pre-approved by school officials that some Jewish students at BV North believe was anti-Semitic. Three weeks later the controversial skit was aired on television. Following the broadcasts social media sites, including Facebook, exploded with public comments.

District officials, including the Superintendent Tom Trigg, Ed.D., have apologized for the skit.

“Please know that we are working extremely hard on this situation. On behalf of the district, I apologize that the situation occurred,” emailed Trigg to a Jewish parent who contacted him with concerns.

“You can assure [your child] that our administrative team is working to be sure this type of incident does not happen in the future,” he continued.

The skit

Students perform skits as part of Spirit Week activities before school at BVNW. Students attendance at these activities is optional. One of the skits on Friday, Jan. 27, featured junior boys — including one Jewish student — dancing the Hora. They sang “Hava Nagila” and then lifted one of the boys up — as they would at a Jewish celebration such as a wedding or Bar or Bat Mitzvah. The skit’s music was stopped during the assembly when administrators deemed it inappropriate. Many parents and students believe the dance was poking fun at BVN’s large Jewish population. It should also be noted that a Jewish student was in the skit and helped plan it.

According to an article titled “Spirit Week Dances Disqualified,” written by BVNW student Linley Sanders and posted to the BVNWnews.com website, the official school media of BVNW, Principal Amy Murphy, Ed.D., noted that the junior class skit was disqualified for Spirit Week prizes because it included anti-Semitic activities. (Excerpts of the article may be found below. The entire article can be found at www.bvnwnews.com.)

The video of the skit had also been posted on the BVNWnews.com website, but was taken down sometime Wednesday, Feb. 15, after students and parents in the Jewish community complained about it. Marvin Szneler, executive director of the Jewish Community Relations Bureau|American Jewish Committee, called the school district to relay the Jewish community’s concerns and their wish to have the video removed from the website.

“The school district told me they had to consult their attorney due to a Kansas freedom of the press act. They needed to get legal permission to take down the video that the students put up, which they did,” Szneler said.

Szneler is concerned that the public did not get the entire story if all they know is what they saw on the televised KSHB news report.

“When the video was on TV and in emails, it did not include the story noting that the dance was disqualified because it was anti-Semitic,” Szneler said.

In addition, BVNW’s Murphy said the KSHB news report incorrectly stated that the students changed the skit from what was approved in the first place.

Anti-Semitic tweets

Szneler originally discovered there was a problem between the students at the two schools when parents called him early last week to report anti-Semitic tweets coming from BVNW students. So he contacted district officials about the tweets.

“It is my understanding that the district called the parents and the students connected to the tweets and asked them to take them down. As far as I know, all the students complied with the request,” Szneler said.

Parents and students are also upset about a couple of BVNW students who did a Nazi salute while at a basketball game against BVN at BVNW in 2011. District officials told Szneler those students were immediately disciplined by administrators.

Szneler said the local JCRB|AJC continues to be concerned about incidents, particularly anti-Semitic remarks between students.

“I wish students would report these to the school and to JCRB|AJC, so that action can be taken. I am convinced the Blue Valley School District has a zero tolerance for this, and will take action to explain there are consequences for this behavior, and work to eliminate them,” Szneler said.

He’s also very concerned about social media, which is difficult to control.

“If the inappropriate rhetoric is diminished in the schools by the reporting of it, hopefully that rhetoric will decline in student social media as well,” he said.

Teachable moments

BVNW and the Blue Valley School District are taking steps to continue diversity education with students, including being respectful of individual differences, a district spokesperson said this week.

BVNW Principal Murphy said this week that she hopes they are now at a point where they can move forward.

“We are reviewing our processes and building bridges,” she said.

Murphy said a previously scheduled diversity activity took place on Thursday, Feb. 16. That activity leads up to the diversity assembly, which also was already on the calendar, and takes place March 1.

In addition, she said BVN and BVNW are making arrangements to have the schools’ newspaper staffs work together on a joint article about the importance of diversity. Plans are to publish the article in April because it was too late to accomplish this goal for the next edition of each newspaper, which publish this week. Neither school publishes an issue of the newspaper in March, due to spring break.

Murphy said administrators are still brainstorming other ways to build bridges, including coordinating a joint Uni-Town between the schools.

“It’s an opportunity to bring a small group of 50 kids together. It’s a lock-in and they spend about 24 hours together to work on stereotypes and breaking down the walls associated with stereotypes,” she explained.

The Uni-Town event would take place next year, possibly between football and basketball season.

“We want to do something immediately with the kids, but we think there’s an ongoing opportunity here to continue to educate our kids,” she said.

Murphy said BVNW has tried to find ways to turn this negative into a positive and find ways to grow from this. In that spirit, she is grateful that the community has reached out to support the school.

“We’ve had a longstanding relationship with the JCRB. Judy Hellman worked with us in the past as has Marvin (Szneler). They immediately have reached out to say how can we help you to plan some additional diversity activities, not just between North and Northwest, but in our entire community,” Murphy said.

Student reactions

Senior David Tauber became the face of BVN Jewish students when he was interviewed by KSHB on Wednesday, Feb. 15. However, he wasn’t the one who contacted the television station. As a member of the student newspaper staff, he was in the newsroom when the reporter requested a Jewish student to interview.

David thinks the television station treated him fairly, and he stands behind the comments used in the story.

“There’s always been a rivalry, hatred between Northwest and North, but when you turn to denigration, something’s not right,” David told KSHB. “Kids are upset about that.”

David told KSHB reporter Syed Shabbir that he was most upset about the video.

“They showed this off. They put this online. Their newspaper published it. They showed it off to everyone. They were proud of what they did. That’s the problem,” David said.

David described the day following the television interview as an “up and down day,” something he didn’t foresee before he spoke to the reporter. He discovered that many students at BVNW were angry about his comments and sent him hate mail.

“I think they are making much more out of it than it should be,” he said.

At his own school, David said he was treated with nothing but kindness from all the students — Jewish and non-Jewish.

There are students at both schools who feel the situation has been blown out of proportion.

“It was Northwest sprit week and it was supposed to be funny. We’re huge rivals,” said a BVN Jewish student who did not want to be identified. “If it was truly mean spirited, I don’t think the Jewish kids there would stand for it.”

“I think the Heil Hitler situation last year was much worse,” the student added.

Scott Altman, a sophomore at BVNW, said he’s heard disturbing things in the halls since the first television report aired. He believes it has “sparked more anti-Semitism.”

“The other day I heard a kid say a second Holocaust wouldn’t be such a bad thing right now,” Scott said. “I think some students don’t realize there are Jews at Northwest, or else they just don’t care.”

Hannah Dolginoff was one of the students interviewed by KSHB for the second story which aired Feb. 16. She told reporter Zach Techlenburg that while the skit may have gone too far, her school is one of acceptance.

“I’m Jewish … and in my four years here, I’ve never once been offended by anything my peers have ever said or done,” Hannah said.

Disturbing slurs

The situation was really becoming a hot topic last Wednesday night and spurred a discussion in a class taught by Rabbi Vered Harris at Congregation Beth Torah. The class includes students at a variety of schools, not just BVN and BVNW.

“Most disturbingly students shared slurs and threats they have heard at school and school functions. The statements they reported include things like: ‘You should have all burned in the ovens,’ Heil Hitler’ (with a Nazi salute) and ‘You’re a Jew’ (in a derogatory tone),” Rabbi Harris said.

She is concerned that all of the students in the room were aware of such hateful language and actions, but none of them said they had ever reported it to teachers or administrators.

As Szneler of the JCRB|AJC noted earlier, she urges students and parents to report these slurs and actions.

“The Blue Valley School District does not know about the vast majority of incidents our students have experienced because our children mostly either ignore the statements or decide to handle it on their own,” Rabbi Harris said.

“School districts and JCRB|AJC being made aware of problems can help determine strategies to take in combating ignorance and raising expectations,” she continued. “Remember the Blue Valley motto is ‘Education Beyond Expectations.’ Perhaps you agree with my expectation that our children’s education include both tolerance and respect.”

The parental view

BVN parent Sandi Fried is upset that BVNW students have mocked the Jewish population at BVN two years in row. She finds that absolutely inexcusable.

Linda Sander, the parent of a BVNW graduate and current student, said the dance and the situation that developed around it upsets her on many different levels.

“However, neither of my children have had any problems at the school. It is a great high school where my kids feel at home and received a rewarding education. Unfortunately, a few can make a negative impression on the whole,” Sander said.

Rabbinic voices

At least two other rabbis have commented publicly about the matter. Rabbi Alan Cohen, interim rabbi at Congregation Beth Shalom, said in a KSHB news story Thursday, Feb. 16, that he believes the dance was meant to be light hearted.

“More often than not, from these kinds of experiences that have occurred it’s usually done out of ignorance, done out of insensitivity,” Rabbi Cohen said.

He hopes this can be a learning experience for the students.

Rabbi Arthur Nemitoff of The Temple, Congregation B’nai Jehudah, appeared on KSHB’s midday newscast Friday, Feb. 17. He also sent an email to the Reform congregation’s members on Friday afternoon. In it he stated:

“I believe that the skit — as innocent as it may have been intended to be — was at best ill-conceived, ignorant and naive. And regardless, it exposed the ugly underbelly of a problem in our community.

“I wish to be clear: this is NOT about BVNW or BVN. It is about our community and how we treat and talk with one another.”

He wrote that he doesn’t believe anti-Semitism is running rampant in the Kansas City area.

“However, these issues exist because there is a lack of sensitivity and understanding within the community … Some have dismissed the video as ‘merely’ trash talk. However, trash talk is equivalent to trashing someone’s personal faith or culture ... and we would hope that no one would approve of that.”

He believes the local school districts are getting mixed messages from the Jewish community.

“Plenty of Jewish students have said this is no big deal. Some have said that they talk that way about themselves so why shouldn’t others. On the other side, some students have been very upset and feel that they themselves have been attacked. So, part of the responsibility lies with us, ourselves,” Rabbi Nemitoff said.

He encourages members of his congregation to model the values of holiness and common decency.

“May each of us model these values for others, and not engage in ‘trash talk’ about ourselves or about others,” he said.

He suggests parents communicate respectfully and clearly with school administration whenever someone “talks trash” about any individual and/or their unique culture or faith.

The Reform rabbi said congregants should be proud of their own culture and faith. He also believes it’s OK to continue to support one’s school and promote healthy, friendly competition.

“But, take care to recognize that words and actions hurt in ways that are often difficult to reverse,” Rabbi Nemitoff said.

Excerpts from BVNW Spirit Week article

An article in the Blue Valley Northwest student newspaper reported that three dances were disqualified from earning Spirit Week prizes. One was the dance causing controversy in the Jewish community performed by a group of junior class boys. The following is excerpts from the article “Three Spirit Week Dances Disqualified,” reprinted by permission from Blue Valley Northwest High School.

“Our hope is, if [a dance is] too inappropriate, we’re going to cut it,” [Principal Amy] Murphy said. “Probably, on Friday, we should have cut the juniors…”

Junior Zach Somberg, a participant in the dances [who is Jewish], said in the article that the intention of the dance was purely humorous, but in retrospect, the group recognizes they made a poor decision.

“Our intent was not to point at Jewish culture, but more to point at North, but in pointing at North, we pointed at Jewish culture,” Somberg said. “We made a poor decision on a touchy subject, and we apologize to anyone we offended at North or Northwest.”

Another member of the dances, junior Oliver Graham, said the group was not trying to offend anyone with the dance, but wants to apologize to the students and school if they did.

“Looking back, I can see how it would be offensive, and I wish we would have thought about it more, but at the time we just kind of went with it and made a poor decision,” Graham said.

Murphy said class sponsors are the people directly responsible for approving the dances after students create them. She said she did not see the version of the junior’s dance that was practiced, despite being near where the dance was being shown to junior class sponsor Erin Pearson.

“I think they thought I saw it when they were showing [Pearson],” Murphy said. “The problem was I was running in and out… and I wasn’t paying any attention, and I’m kicking myself now because had I stopped and watched it, I would have said, ’You can’t do that.’”

According to Somberg and Graham, the version of the dance that the juniors performed for spirit week was the same one they showed Pearson for approval. Somberg said he believes she did not realize the full implication of the dance, and does not blame her for it getting approved.

He said the juniors were prepared for that part of the dance to not be approved by their sponsor, but added that they should not have included it in the first place.

Pearson was approached to comment on the events, but refused to comment on why she approved the dance.

Murphy said she wants the students to understand specifically why the dances were disqualified so they understand the boundaries for future spirit week dances. She said she is working with the class sponsors to come up with a list of written guidelines for dances so it is very clear in the future what the actual rules are.

“We want to make sure that people have a good time, people are appropriate, but people are safe,” Murphy said. “….We want to come up with some pretty, not specific, but detailed enough (guidelines) so the kids understand the parameters of the dances, but not nitpicky enough that it takes all the fun out of it.”

Goldie’s Gifts, a project run by the Chabad House of Greater Kansas City, is undergoing some changes. The program’s chairs, Barbara Frager and Denise Ellenberg, are searching for people who will underwrite a holiday, or holidays, in exchange for naming rights.

So Goldie’s Gifts, which provides holiday goodies to homebound seniors in the metro area, could be called Sarah’s Smiles, or Barbara’s Baskets, in memory of or in honor of a person designated by the donor. Regardless of what it’s called, the gifts are delivered five times a year to more than 250 homebound seniors in the area prior to Rosh Hashanah, Chanukah, Purim, Passover and Shavuot.

“Our mission is to try to reach isolated Jewish seniors and give them a taste of the holiday,” Frager said.

The program started three years ago with a donation to Chabad House. The anonymous donor asked that the funds be used for senior services. These funds now need replenishing, and the new donors will be given the option of changing the program’s name for whatever holiday the funds are designated for.

Ellenberg estimates it takes $1,000 a holiday to pay for most of the celebratory baskets. It costs about double that amount — $2,000 — for Passover.

Originally, Frager said gifts were delivered to about 150 people. But through word of mouth and relationships made with senior-living facilities across the area, Frager said they expect to deliver about 300 baskets for Purim.

“If we had enough money and volunteers, I think there are 1,000 people in the area that could and should be getting gifts,” Frager said.

Each holiday basket during the year contains battery-operated candles and literature about the holiday. Except for Passover, Ellenberg said each basket contains challah. Purim baskets will contain hamantaschen, juice, snacks and a piece of fruit. A typical Passover basket will include matzah, fruit and macaroons. Gift cards to help supplement other holiday or personal needs are usually included as well.

It takes about 15 volunteers to prepare the baskets. Ellenberg said students are really helpful and can receive community service hours if they help stuff baskets for the project. Adult drivers are also needed to deliver the baskets.

Ellenberg said some of the seniors enjoy chatting with the delivery drivers.

“I spent 30 minutes visiting with a woman the last time we made deliveries,” Ellenberg said.

“Often times these gifts bring back pleasant memories to these people,” she added.

Other people enjoy the gifts but don’t want to visit. Organizers don’t even know the names of some of the people they deliver baskets to.

“Because of HIPAA privacy rules, a facility usually can’t tell us who we are delivering to. They may tell us they have 10 Jewish residents and we just leave the baskets at the front desk and they are delivered to the resident by a staff member,” Frager said.

Frager and Ellenberg said recipients are grateful for the gifts.

“I’ve had people say to me, ‘Why me?’ I say why not you,” Frager said.
Ellenberg said many of the recipients are lonely and don’t have much, if any, contact with family or anyone else.

“They don’t call JFS because they don’t think they are really in need. But they are in spiritual need for human contact,” Ellenberg said.

Anyone interested in donating money for Goldie’s Gifts, or who can volunteer in any way, should contact Blumah Wineberg at 913-940-1113. Or contact Chabad House at .

Kansas City Mayor Sylvester “Sly” James made his first visit to Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy on Thursday, Feb. 24. The Kansas City Mayor is being honored by HBHA at the upcoming annual Civic Service Award Celebration. James entered the Jewish Community Center rotunda to greetings from HBHA board members, student council members and many curious students.

One of the first students to welcome the mayor was third-grade student Brianna Katz. She promptly told him that she had a petition to stop puppy mills and asked if he would sign it.

James’s visit was appreciated by President of the HBHA Board of Trustees Eric Kaseff, who said, “We wanted to honor him as he is a strong supporter of education in Kansas City. We wanted to give him a feel of what our school is like and show him the high value of education we offer at the Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy.”

After the reception, James moved on toward the lower school. A strong supporter of the arts, James made a quick stop in the art room to look at the students’ work and chat with HBHA Art teacher Kelly Reichman. James praised the school for its work in education as that is one of his main focuses for the city as a whole.

Senior Jacob Mehari who was photographing the mayor’s visit for the yearbook, said, “Mr. James was very friendly and interested in the interworkings of HBHA. It impressed me to see how much he cared. He elaborated on his love for his job and he seems to be a trustworthy man that I am glad to see as the mayor of Kansas City.”

“The mayor was great with all the little kids. He seemed like a very personable guy as he was not only shaking hands with students, he had little personalized conversations with each and every one of them,” said senior Shoshanna Margolies.

James toured the lower school hallways stopping at a few science projects before going into the fourth-grade classroom for a question-and- answer- session with the students.

After his visit, James seemed impressed with Kansas City’s only Jewish day school. “The quality of education [at HBHA] is something to be proud of. [Mr. Haas] is doing a wonderful job here, the students who graduate from [HBHA] will have an advantage over many other students in the Kansas City area,” he said.

This article was originally published in The Academy Voice, the student newspaper of HBHA and is reprinted by permission. HBHA’s 46th Civic Service Award Celebration will be held Sunday, April 1, at the Sheraton kanas City Hotel at Crown Center.

Joseph Hammer likes school so much, he’s decided not to leave. Hammer, 18, wants to pursue a career in elementary education.

Every Wednesday, you’ll find him working as a madrich teaching assistant at Congregation Beth Shalom’s Polsky Religious School, where he discovered he really enjoyed working with children. His particular assignment is looking after the religious school teachers’ children, who range in age from 1-year-old to about 7 years old.

“It’s very fun because you can see the kids grow and watch them learn new things,” said Hammer, who is in his fifth year as a madrich. “It’s important for kids to respect the teacher, and I think I’ve done a pretty good job (teaching) what is right and what is wrong in the classroom. Everybody follows directions, and they’re just really good kids.”

Patti Kroll, the school’s director of education, says she trusts Hammer to look after the kids with no adult supervision.

“Joseph has decided to pursue a career in education, and he absolutely has the temperament, the good intuitive sense of what to do with kids and how to keep them productively occupied,” Kroll said. “I trust him so implicitly to make good decisions, to have a well-controlled group of children … I think he’s been a superb role model.”

Hammer makes sure the kids have a structured and fun afternoon.

“We start at 4:30 and have free play, then we have snack time — usually it’s pretzels or a healthy snack. If it’s nice out, we usually go outside and play on the playground, and we go to the playroom every day,” he said. “They’re always in such a good mood, and they always smile when you have a bad day. It’s good to be around them, because they make you so happy.”

Hammer, the son of Linda and Steve Hammer, has also worked in the Child Development Center at the Jewish Community Center as a leader in training for a group of 4-year-olds at the summer camp.

Next year, Hammer plans to attend the University of Kansas and major in elementary education. In addition to his experiences at Beth Shalom, Hammer has already gained some classroom experience through the Center for Advanced Professional Studies (CAPS) program at Blue Valley North.

“It’s basically a program … where you can experience a job, so in college, you don’t have to try to figure (your career) out,” he said.

His particular program, Teacher Education 2020, focused on using technology in the classroom, such as Smart Boards, an electronic student response system and laptop computers.

“The kids coming in are much different than before … they have all this technology. It’s important to create a classroom that engages students in learning and (uses technology),” he said.

Another part of the program is classroom observation; Hammer observed a second grade class as well as sixth and seventh-grade math classes.

“(The second grade class) was probably my favorite one, because they’re fun to watch. I like little kids better — it’s easier to deal with them, and it’s more fun to see how they learn and process things,” he said.

Hammer is also an Eagle Scout in Beth Shalom’s Troop 61, has earned the Presidential Service Award for the last four years and is a member of the National Honor Society.

For his Eagle service project, Hammer decided to make a walking path at a Salvation Army facility. He and other Scouts worked together to make the project a success.

“It was a big area … 100 feet by 95 feet. We cleared brush and trees and designed a walking path and put benches to create a nice area for families,” Hammer said.

Kroll said that Hammer’s service-oriented personality and skill working with kids has impressed her for a long time.

“I knew he was an exceptional young man from his years in school, and I honestly hoped he would (go into education) ... I was very pleased we were able to give him a starting point and that it’s something he has chosen to pursue in college,” Kroll said. “I think when he takes something on, his commitment and his follow-through are superb. I’ve seen that through Scouts; I’ve seen that in the school. He’s responsible. He’s reliable.”

Three former members of the Greater Kansas City chapter of NCSY recently had a brief reunion in Jerusalem for the purpose of this story for The Chronicle. Ari Wolf, Davida Rosenthal and Blake Berkowitz are all taking part in different gap year programs in Israel. (At least one other Kansas Citian, Jonathan Edelman, is also in Israel for this school year.) The three students were excited to see each other since they are based in three different parts of the country — Ari lives in the Golan Heights, Davida is in Beit Shemesh and Blake is in Jerusalem.

Ari Wolf

Ari, the 19-year-old son of BIAV members Andy and Cara Ernstein and a 2011 graduate of Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy, is in Israel for the fifth time. He first came to Israel on a family visit when he was 7. He took another family trip a few years later. In 2007 he visited again along with the HBHA freshman class trip. In 2010 he went to Poland and Israel on the March of the Living.

For this gap year, Ari chose a unique program based on Moshav Avnei Eitan in the Golan Heights. It’s located 30 to 45 minutes south of Katzrin, the Golan Heights capital.

Ari explains that the Leadership Yeshivah Academy is an English-speaking program for youth thinking about going into the Israeli army as well as for youth “that want to improve certain aspects of themselves like leadership skills.”

He learned about the program from Ari Solomont, who is the brother of family friend and BIAV member Adina Glass. Solomont lives at Avnei Eitan and works with Yeshiva University helping young people find Israel programs.

“I chose it because it’s not a typical yeshivah program, and there is a lot of focus on skill sets and improving yourself as a whole, not just learning skills,” Ari said.

Of the group of 17, about half intend to join the Israeli army at the end of the program, so in addition to daily classes, they learn military skills or krav maga in the evening. (Krav Maga is a noncompetitive self defense system developed in Israel which focuses on real-world situations.)

Another special aspect of the program, Ari reported, is each young person is adopted by a moshav family where they go on Shabbat. That allows the participants, “to better understand Israel culture and learn Hebrew.” (A moshav is a cooperative agricultural community of individual farms.)

“My family are farmers. They have two kids in the army and two others,” Ari said.

Since he hadn’t spent much time in the Golan Heights before this program, Ari feels he has gotten a new perspective on Israel.

“Now I’m getting the Israel experience. I’m living next to a bunch of cows! I’m learning the way the economy works and I’m learning a lot about the army,” he explained.

When Ari returns to the States, he may attend George Washington University, where he is currently enrolled.

Davida Rosenthal

Studying at a girls’ seminary for a year is a lot different than Davida Rosenthal’s six other trips to Israel. The 18-year-old HBHA graduate and daughter of BIAV members Dr. Howard and Brenda Rosenthal visited the Jewish state four times with her family.

She also took part in HBHA’s class trip when she was a high-school freshman and was a member of the 2010 March of the Living.

“We’ve been learning so much about Israel and how it became a state, I’ve gotten a different appreciation for being in Israel, and I really feel a part of the land and the future of the state,” she said.

This is partially due to the program at Machon Maayan, located in Beit Shemesh, a community that’s been in the news a lot recently that’s located 20 miles west of Jerusalem. Davida chose this seminary because it caters to women of all Jewish backgrounds. In addition a lot of NCSY graduates, including some of her friends from the youth organization, choose the program.

The program includes learning three days a week, volunteering two days a week and touring. Davida has volunteered as a big sister to an Ethiopian child and as a mother’s helper for a family that made aliyah from the United States, which has a new baby and a 2-year-old child.

The part of the program that excites Davida the most is day the group goes touring.

“One of my rabbis is a tour guide. He opens up the Tanach and reads when we arrive at a place. It makes it very real to learn and love Israel,” she said.

Her classes are quite varied and include The Joseph Story, Customs, the Laws of Shabbat, the Garden of Eden and Portion of the week taught in Hebrew.

Next year Davida plans to attend Stern College in New York.

Blake Berkowitz

Last week, just a few hours before he was interviewed for this story, Blake Berkowitz learned the program he was attending in Israel was shutting down. The 19-year-old Blue Valley West graduate, the son of Congregation Beth Torah members Susan and Jacob Berkowitz, was taking part in a program called Imadi through Hebrew University.

“This is a modern Orthodox program focused on Hebrew University classes, living in an apartment and night learning twice a week,” Blake explained.

Because the program is dissolving, Blake will be heading back to Kansas soon. He checked into the possibility of taking part in another program at Hebrew U, “but it won’t help me next year and the other options are more costly.”

Next year Blake is planning to attend Missouri Science and Technology University in Rolla, Mo. At the time of the interview, he was uncertain whether he would receive a tuition refund for Imadi’s second semester.

This was the third time Blake had been in Israel. His first trip was his junior year in high school when he participated in the TJJ, Jerusalem Journey program. Last year he came with his parents to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary and to check out gap year programs. But this semester’s experience was much different because he spent a longer time here.

“I got used to the Israeli style and Israel attitudes and that’s a cool experience. We lived in a nice, old neighborhood in a building that was once a bed and breakfast, so each bedroom had its own bathroom,” he said. There were six bedrooms and bathrooms in his apartment where seven guys and a madrich (leader) lived.

With this program, Blake said, “I had to focus on some studying and I made a lot of new friends. Before we found out our program’s problems, we had a really awesome trip to the south of Israel, hiked for four days, slept in tents and cooked out.”

Even though this was to be a year-long program, Blake says, “I’m sad about what happened, but I have no regrets about this year.”

CELEBRATING BIRTHDAY 102 — We are hearing more and more about centenarians living very healthy and happy lives. One of those centenarians is Gertrude Stern, who will celebrate her 102nd birthday on Feb. 27. We’re told she’s healthy, active, alert and vibrant. She even attends an exercise class twice a week and volunteers at a nearby church sewing once a week. Her family says she is “truly a marvel.” Enjoy your day, Gertrude!

VANDERSLICE FUNDRAISER — Art patrons par excellence Margaret and Jerry Nerman are honorary chairmen for The Vanderslice Committee of the Kansas City Art Institute’s Palette and Palate fundraising event set for June 2. The event will be held at the country estate of Dennis Hennessy, co-owner and co-artistic director of the New Theatre Restaurant. Jewish committee members include Joni Weiner, who is serving as co-chair of the silent auction. The evening’s theme is based on fine art and fine cuisine. Funds from the event will be used to support the oldest building on the college campus, Vanderslice Hall, which is listed on the national Register of Historic Places. For more information about the committee or the fundraiser, visit www.kcai.edu/vanderslice.

JWI PURIM STUDY GUIDE — Jewish Women International (JWI) has released the first in a series of study guides related to Women, Relationships and Jewish Text. “Rethinking Purim” is designed to spark new conversations about relationships by offering a fresh look at old texts. The guides are a project of JWI’s Clergy Task Force on Domestic Abuse in the Jewish Community, a group of prominent clergy committed to promoting Jewish responses and resources that end violence against women. Three more guides will be released in the coming year, each relating to a Jewish holiday. The guide is available for download, free of charge, at www.jwi.org/purim.

GOLDENBERG DUO FREE RECITALS — The brother and sister team of Susan and William Goldenberg will present a series of free recitals in March. Susan is a violinist with the KC Symphony. William is distinguished professor of piano at Northern Illinois University. They will present works by Handel, Rachmaninoff, Oscar Peterson, Gershwin, Grieg and Asian composers.

Tuesday, March 13, 7:30 p.m. at Grant Hall on the UMKC campus. For information call 816-235-2900 or visit umkc.edu.

Thursday, March 14, noon at Spencer Museum of Art-Central Court at the University of Kansas in Lawrence. Call 785-864-4710 or visit www.spencerart.ku.edu.

Wednesday, March 15, 12:15 p.m. at Visitation Parish. Call 816-753-7422 or visit www.visitation.org.

Monday, March 19, 2:30 p.m. at Baker University School of Music in Baldwin City, Kan. Call 785-594-6451 or visit www.bakeru.edu.

Wednesday, March 21, 7 p.m. at Kansas City, Kan., Public Library. Call 913-551-3280 or visit www.kckpl.lib.ks.us.

CNN’S JERUSALEM BUREAU — I got a couple of calls last week asking if CNN fired all its Jewish employees in its Jerusalem Bureau. I checked with the editor of JTA New & Features, our national news service. He said it was not true and sent me to CNN’s webpage. This story is dated Feb. 11.
“In response to inaccurate reports, CNN has strongly denied since Friday (Feb. 10) rumors that it no longer employs Israeli Jews in its Jerusalem bureau.
The company has said:
‘CNN has recently reviewed its worldwide operations, an exercise we do regularly to ensure operational and technological efficiency in everything we do. As part of this exercise, we have reorganized the CNN bureau in Jerusalem.’
To counter misinformation reported on various websites, the company has confirmed:
‘CNN currently has seven employees working in CNN’s Jerusalem bureau, four of whom are Jewish. There is no basis in fact for these reports.’
‘Some website reports also state that CNN’s Jerusalem bureau chief is Arab, which is also untrue.’
‘CNN strongly rejects any suggestion that the reorganization in the Jerusalem bureau is in any way based on the small number of contract employees concerned being Israeli, particularly given CNN’s long history of working with locals in the region.’ ”