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Rabbi Yudell Reiz, the associate rabbi at Chabad of University City in San Diego for the past two years, also has ties to the Kansas City area. The 27-year-old rabbi grew up in Overland Park and attended the Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy through sixth grade.

“After that, I went away to yeshiva schools in Pittsburgh and graduated high school there. I went on to study in London, Brooklyn, N.Y., Vancouver, British Columbia, and Pretoria, South Africa, where I was ordained,” he said.

He is the son of Pamela and David Reiz and the grandson of Andrew and Zelda Reiz and Erwin and Janice LaPine, who all still live in this area. He is also the first cousin of Rabbi Avremi, the new co-director of Chabad of MU and Mid-Missouri

“I love what I do! My responsibilities include giving Torah classes, planning holiday and social events, fundraising and bookkeeping,” he said.

Rabbi Reiz works together with his father-in-law Rabbi Moishe Leider. He said the synagogue he works at has been in existence for about 30 years and has been steadily growing.

“I owe much of my success to Rabbis Sholom and Mendy Wineberg and their families, both of the Chabad House Center in Overland Park. They provided me with support and guidance throughout my journey of becoming a rabbi,” he said.

Rabbi Reiz and his wife, Leeba, have two children, 2-year-old Zevi and Rivka, who is 6 weeks old.

It’s become a tradition for Jews to perform a mitzvah on Christmas Day as a way to help others observe the holiday with family and friends. For many years Congregation Beth Shalom arranged for a variety of places for its members to participate in tikkun olam that day.

Stefanie Williams, Beth Shalom’s director of informal education and youth activities, said over the past few years it had become harder for Beth Shalom to make arrangements for such a December outreach because fewer places were interested in having groups come in to volunteer for that day only.

So this year the Conservative congregation has decided to go a different route with a family-friendly Chanukah Bash. It begins with a Chanukah Bowl-A-Thon at 2:30 p.m. at Ward Parkway Lanes. Dinner will take place at 6 p.m. at Beth Shalom in Goldsmith Hall and then a concert featuring Rick Recht follows at 7 p.m. All members of the Jewish community are invited to participate in any or all activities.

The Bowl-A-Thon

The Chanukah Bowl-A-Thon, which is chaired by Carla Oppenheimer, will benefit Jewish Family Service, Wayside Waifs and United Hebrew Congregation of Joplin, Mo. The entrance fee is $6 per person and the fee covers bowling, shoes and snacks. Participants are asked to obtain sponsors for either a flat fee or per pin (a minimum of 10 cents a pin is required.) Sponsorship forms can be downloaded from Beth Shalom’s website, www.bethshalomkc.org. Sponsors may pay in cash or write checks payable to Beth Shalom. Register either individually or with a team of four to Norm Levitan by Dec. 21 at 913-647-7283 or email . The event will take place from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m.

Oppenheimer is excited about the event and the charities it will benefit. She said the congregation’s social action committee chose these charities for a variety of reasons.

“We’ve always been concerned about Joplin,” she said of the Reform congregation in the city ravaged by a tornado in late May.

“JFS is trying to help out families this time of year to have a happy holiday,” she continued. “While it may be too late to contribute to this year’s Chanukah project, we do know they always need funds to help out at the Jewish holidays. The money can go toward next year’s holiday or give the Passover effort a head start.”

The entire day’s activities, Oppenheimer said, should appeal to all.

“It’s a very family-oriented day where we can all be together and enjoy one another,” she said.

Chanukah dinner

Once again, the entire community is invited to the dinner which is set to begin at 6 p.m. Williams said the menu will be chicken noodle soup, potato latkes and applesauce, plain pasta with margarine, salad bar and sugar cookies. The cost is $10 for adults and $8 for youth. Reservations forms are available on the website (www.bethshalomkc.org) and need to be made by Dec. 14.

“In the past we’ve done kosher Chinese, but that’s gotten expensive. We changed the menu this year to make it more affordable and family friendly,” Williams said.

Williams said that families are also urged to bring their chanukiot with them along with six candles “so we can light them together.”

The concert

Beth Shalom also traditionally sponsored a big concert on Christmas Day, Williams said, but hasn’t done so in about four years. This year the congregation decided to bring it back, featuring the popular Rick Recht. The concert is presented by Beth Shalom and the Herman & Muriel Rose Foundation. It will also be held in Goldsmith Hall and is free.

“The community is invited to the concert,” Williams said. “You don’t have to go to the dinner to go to the concert.”

Recht has performed in Kansas City several times this year, most recently on Nov. 2 for teens who participate in CAJE’s B’Yachad program.

“We decided on Rick Recht because he attracts audiences of all ages. He’s just one of those inclusive, good, kind people,” Williams said.

Following Recht’s Nov. 2 concert, he presented a breakout session to teens interested in song leading. Beth Shalom is inviting those teens to participate in the concert and join him in a few songs.

“Kids attending religious schools in the community are also learning some of his songs so they can participate in the concert as well,” Williams said.

For more information about any or all of these events, contact Williams at 913-647-7269 or Jill Goldstein at 913-647-7281.

When Anna Feldman joined the staff of Jewish Family Services as an older adult case manager a year ago, it was like reconnecting with family. It was JFS that helped to resettle Feldman’s own family in 1992 when they arrived from Odessa, Ukraine. Now, Feldman is “paying it forward” by helping people within the Jewish community.

Today, Feldman uses her own bilingual skills working primarily with Russian-speaking clients at JFS who come in seeking assistance. She’s involved in assessing their situation from a financial standpoint, helping set goals, and providing referrals for appropriate social services. Feldman is also involved in translating documents from English to Russian or Russian to English, coordinating services with other JFS programs and communicating with such entities as the Social Security Administration.

“It’s great to have Anna here at JFS,” said Don Goldman, JFS executive director. “But it’s even more wonderful to know that JFS, in cooperation with the whole Kansas City community, helped bring Anna and her family to the United States. It’s a great happy ending and a great beginning.”

Besides her role with the émigré community, Feldman coordinates JFS’ holiday projects, which help Jewish people in need celebrate the Jewish holidays.

“Jewish Family Services was an enormous help to us when we came here, providing financial assistance and case management,” said Feldman, who was just 9 years old at the time. “I remember immediately walking into a completely furnished apartment and having volunteers from the Jewish community who helped us navigate around Kansas, took us to fun activities like the movie theater, and made sure that my brother and I had everything we needed to start school.”

Feldman, who speaks Russian fluently, likes the work she does at JFS.

“I feel like I make a difference in the life of my clients and help them improve their situation, whatever that may be,” Feldman said.

It wasn’t that long ago that Feldman and her family were in the same place as those she’s assisting now. Feldman came to Kansas City with her parents, her older brother Leo, her grandmother and great-aunt. While there were challenges, Feldman’s parents were able to acclimate to their new home. Her father, Vladimir Feldman, found an engineering position that corresponded with his professional background from the former Soviet Union. Her mother, Yelena Pinzur, went back to medical school and has been practicing medicine in the greater Kansas City area since 2002.

A graduate of Blue Valley High School, Feldman went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a clinical focus from the University of Kansas. Her brother earned an accounting degree from KU and a master’s degree from the University of Missouri-Kansas City; today he’s a CPA.

“We are very proud of our daughter and her achievements at JFS,” said Feldman’s parents. “We hope to see her continue her success there for years to come.”

Leo Feldman is proud of his sister, too.

“I’m really happy that Anna’s position with JFS allows her to make a difference in the Russian Jewish Community,” said Leo Feldman. “She really cares and I couldn’t be more proud to have a sister like her.”

In her spare time, Feldman enjoys spending time with family and friends and reading. Feldman said her work at JFS has completed the circle she started back in 1992 when she first came to Kansas City.

“I’m very lucky to work with such great people as the rest of the JFS staff,” Feldman said. “It especially means a lot to me to work for an organization that I believe in.”

Nestled back in a strip mall at the corner of State Line and 103rd Street sits an unassuming little place. Neighbor to Jaspers Italian Restaurant, this restaurant with mustard-yellow colored walls could be missed on a quick glance. However, hungry shoppers and commuters looking for an old-fashioned, family-dining atmosphere should look again, and they might notice the sign reading Jerry’s Café. Walking by the front of the restaurant, passersby may find it hard to ignore the delicious aromas of handmade cinnamon rolls wafting out the door.

Open from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday, Jerry’s Café is a traditional diner serving breakfast and lunch. Jerry himself, Jerry Naster, is quick to greet patrons as they enter and to point out any dining options that the hungry customer may enjoy.

“We always keep our customers in mind, and what they would enjoy to eat,” Naster said. “It’s not fancy stuff. We keep is simple, but everything tastes really good.”

On a typical weekday afternoon, Jerry’s Café is bustling with clientele. Jerry’s has been kept small, seating approximately 44, which adds to the diner’s down home feel.

“People don’t come in because it’s a big, fancy place. People come in for the food,” Naster said. “We want everyone to feel welcome and to enjoy this as a nice, old-fashioned place.”

Though the dining area may be small, everything else comes big at Jerry’s Café. The portions are big. The attention to detail is big and welcoming. The smiles are all big. This even carries over to the condiments, evidenced when Naster brought out an enormous ketchup bottle to one table.

“This ought to do it,” he joked.

Constantly on the move, Nester bobs from table to table, chatting with patrons, joking around and answering questions. He may not know the names of all of his customers, but he certainly gives the impression of knowing them all.

“How’s work?”

“How’s the kids?”

“How’s the food?”

Everyone gets the same friendly treatment.

Jerry’s Café seems to take on the personality of its exuberant founder.

“As long as I have worked here, I have never seen one complaint from a customer,” said Yvette Rowland, a waitress with Jerry’s Café for about a year. “I think we send people home happy. Since re-opening, some people haven’t found the new location, but word of mouth is changing that. People are telling their friends. Right now, I think we are the best kept little secret around. But new people are discovering us every day.”

At different locations, the Jewish restaurant owner has been filling up patrons for the past 15 years. He originally owned a Jerry’s Woodweather Café, located in the West Bottoms, but sold it a few years ago. Unable to leave his passion for running a restaurant, Naster opened this new location 15 months ago, offering breakfast and lunch options for the local suburbanites.

“It’s been better that I hoped for,” he said of the new location. “It has smashed all of my expectations.”

Naster realized his love for running a restaurant soon after he started. The Lenexa native worked as a meat cutter for 30 years, when he decided he wanted a change. When he started, Naster says he couldn’t boil an egg. His cooking education was a trial by fire, as he learned on the job.

“I had a lot of help at the beginning,” Naster said. “Some good and some not so good. But I learned a lot.”

Now Jerry’s Café is staffed by experienced chefs and has carved out a niche with its generously-sized portions of comfort food.

“Breakfast is our big thing,” Naster said. “We get a lot of people in who want to have a good meal in the morning.

To start the day off with a hearty meal, Jerry’s Café serves pancakes the size of platters and omelets that can feed two people. For lunch, Jerry’s is well known for its Rueben sandwich and robust homemade soups. Or customers can simply chow down on a burger and fries.

“I think we make the best burgers in town,” Naster said. “I know a lot of places make those claims but I don’t care. I would put ours up against anyone around.”

The lunch rush for Jerry’s Café lasts almost until closing time at 3, and Naster stays busy, but does take a moment to consider what makes a successful restaurant.

“Serve delicious food,” he says. “That’s really it.”

COMEDY CITY — KC native Corey Rittmaster and his wife, Monique Madrid, will sit in with ComedyCity on Friday, Dec. 23, for the 7:30 p.m. performance, which is appropriate for all ages. ComedyCity is located in the Westport Flea Market, 817 Westport Road in Kansas City, Mo. Tickets can be purchased online at http://www.comedycity.cc/Tickets.html. Or you can get more info by calling the box office at 816-842-2744. ComedyCity is the competitive improv comedy show that used to be called ComedySportz. Both of the comedians started their performing careers there, before moving to Chicago about eight years ago. Most of their time recently has been spent performing with The Second City on board Norwegian Cruise Line ships in Alaska, the Caribbean and Hawaii.

MAT CATCHES MESSY CANDLE WAX — In the category of why didn’t I think of this comes the MenorahMate. I was shopping this weekend at a popular kitchen and bath chain store when I came across the MenorahMate. I picked it up and was struck by the thought conveyed on the package. It noted that we may use our beautiful heirloom menorahs and table cloths, but the beauty of the moment is ruined because we place aluminum foil underneath the menorah to catch the candle drippings. MenorahMate takes the place of the ugly aluminum, and protects linens and tables from the dripping wax and the soft backing prevents scratches on tabletops. It also features the three Chanukah blessings printed in Hebrew, English and transliteration. To clean, simply place in freezer for at least two hours then flex where wax has dripped. I was at a local synagogue gift shop on Sunday and noticed another similar product. I’m so impressed I plan to get a few as gifts this year. Happy shopping!

CANDLES PART II — A few years ago we featured Creative Candles, owned by Ken Weiner and Pam Fleischer, in Jewish Life magazine. Creative Candles has been featured in Martha Stewart Living, Martha Stewart Wedding and on The Martha Stewart Show. While Stewart was in Kansas City recently, she stopped to visit the facility. She enjoyed the visit and mentioned it on her blog. Here’s what she said:
“I even listed Creative Candles as one of my ‘secret sources’ on my website, and for good reason. These candles are crafted with old world techniques, using only the finest blend of waxes. They burn cleanly and for a long period of time. The color choices are fabulous and there are several styles from which to choose. It was wonderful seeing Ken Weiner and Pam Fleischer, the lovely husband and wife team who own Creative Candles. I really enjoyed our in-depth tour of the facility.”

PANERA GIVES BACK — Our friends at Panera Bread, led by Marketing Director Michelle Cole, have been busy conducting charitable activities lately. In October the restaurant chain sponsored the 4th Annual Swing for Life Gold Tournament. The one day event raised more than $25,000 to be donated to Gilda’s Club of Kansas City, an organization that provides networking and support activities to cancer patients. Panera Bread of Kansas also donated 10 cents from every Pink Ribbon Bagel sold and $1 from every baker’s dozen sold during the month of October to Gilda’s Club. Cole noted that due to the “amazing support of our customers, the sales of the Pink Ribbon Bagels and baker’s dozen added another $7,300 for the charity for a grand total of $32, 965.83 to be donated.”

More than 200 people filled the lobby and social hall of the Jewish Community Campus last year for the community’s Chanukah celebration. This year organizers hope at least 300 people will attend Return to Maccabee Town: A Community Chanukah Celebration! Sunday, Dec. 11.

Bridey Stangler, the Jewish Community Center’s director of camps and family program coordinator, said this year’s Maccabee Town is absolutely a community endeavor with 12 different partners. Coordinated by the JCC, partners include congregations BIAV, Beth Shalom, Beth Torah, B’nai Jehudah, Kol Ami and Temple Israel; Torah Learning Center; Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy; Jewish Family Services; Jewish Federation/PJ Library and KC Kollel. Funds are being provided by the Jewish Heritage Foundation, the Jewish Federation and the Jewish Community Foundation.

“The most exciting piece of this event is the collaboration of the different Jewish faith-based organizations,” said Mickey Bowen, the event co-chair. “We hope all these organizations bring lots of people to Maccabee Town.”

Stangler said the event is geared for people of all ages. In only its second year in this format, it has grown tremendously. Last year’s event, spearheaded by the JCC, was also sponsored by HBHA and The PJ Library.

“We planned the activities, we took care of the food, but this year we have a whole bunch of people contributing a whole bunch of things,” Stangler said.

While the JCC is still the organizing agency, Stangler is proud that “it’s the community that’s coming together to provide the real Chanukah fun.”

The event is scheduled before Chanukah begins as a way to extend the fun.

“During Chanukah, families seem to have a different option every night, whether it’s a party, a temple celebration or dinner with the family. This year we didn’t want families to have to choose. With Maccabee Town on the sixth night last year, it almost felt like people were Chanukah-ed out, and had had their fill of latkes and dreidels. We’re trying to beat the rush,” Stangler said.

Several favorite activities from last year, such as the life-sized maze, will return.

“We weren’t planning to bring it back, but so many people asked if we were bringing it back that we thought we should,” Stangler said. “It’s going to be big and as exciting as it was last year.”

As in previous Chanukah celebrations, potato latkes will be sold. However this year HBHA’s ninth-grade class is in charge of the latke sale and it will serve as a fundraiser for the students’ trip.

Stangler pointed out there are other new activities this year as well.

“Last year the social hall was filled with carnival type Chanukah activities. Our goal this year is to recreate the time period of the Chanukah story, 167 BCE as much as we can,” she said.

She said the organizations and congregations have really risen to the challenge.

“They are not just coming up with latke bingo or Chanukah card making, but getting into the time period. One group is going to do weaving. One group is going to do candle making. Another is going to do a small cooking project, maybe latkes. It’s going to be in the spirit of last year only bigger and better and something different than the community has ever seen,” Stangler said.

A Chanukah shuk (marketplace) is also new this year. Every participating organization has the option of setting up a booth in the dining room.

“Anybody who needs to do some Chanukah shopping will be able to do so right at Maccabee Town,” Stangler said. “You can buy your candles and maybe even a new Chanukiah.”

Around 5:30 p.m., Maccabee Town events will begin winding down. At that time Jill Maidhof will tell the Chanukah story. That will be followed by an educational lighting of the menorah.

“It won’t be a ceremonial lighting, as Chanukah will not yet have begun,” Stangler explained.

Children will want to stay for the very end and see the sword-fighting demonstration, which Stangler said was very popular last year.

The evening will end with a performance by the Tikvah Dancers. The Israeli dance troupe will invite members in the audience to join them at the conclusion of the event.

Once again, Stangler is thrilled with the cooperative aspect of the event.

“It’s really nice to collaborate because the combined creativity and the efforts of everybody just really benefit this community.”

Maccabee Town

Time: 3 to 6 p.m.
Date: Sunday, Dec. 11
Place: Jewish Community Campus
Cost: $5 per person by 5 p.m. Friday, Dec. 9; $6 at the door
Children under 2 free
Register: 913-327-8000
All ages welcome. Activities include a life-size maze, dreidel tournament, crafts, latkes, Chanukah gift shop and a sword-fighting demonstration.

Col. Richard Kemp, a retired British Army Officer and counter-terrorism specialist, has seen his share of combat. On Sunday, Dec. 4, he will share his unique perspective on the Israel Defense Forces’ ethical conduct on the battlefield as the keynote speaker at the fourth annual Kansas City Israel Action Forum. The forum, sponsored by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, will be held from 1:30 to 5 p.m. at The Temple, Congregation B’nai Jehudah. The theme of the event is “Israel’s Legacy of Morality.”

Kemp will speak for approximately 30 minutes.

“My intent is to present a fair view of the events,” Kemp said. “Israel is at the forefront of Jihadist attacks, and also propaganda attacks.”

Kemp began a recent telephone interview by giving a little history lesson about what is known as the Gaza Freedom Flotilla. In May 2010, Israel deployed a military operation against six ships that were a part of the flotilla. Organized by the Free Gaza Movement and the Turkish Foundation for Human Rights and Freedoms and Humanitarian Relief (widely considered a terrorist organization by a number of bodies — including the Israeli government), the ships were carrying humanitarian aid and construction materials, with the intention of breaking the Israeli-Egyptian blockade of the Gaza Strip.

A conflict on one of the boats resulted in the deaths of nine activists and injuries to several people on both sides. Israel was then criticized for using too much force during the conflict.

A United Nations report on the incident also addressed these concerns, while also saying that Israel’s blockade was legal and questioned the true motives of some of the activists on the flotilla. Since then, the Gaza flotilla incident has been used as a tool in anti-Israel campaigns in some parts of the world.

“In my opinion, much of this criticism is totally unfair,” said Kemp. “No country, no army is above being criticized, but whenever Israel is involved, the voices get much louder. The anti-Israel message is spread very effectively.”

As an expert in this area, Kemp was asked to address the United Nations Human Rights Council. He was brought in to provide objective, expert commentary and analysis on the Gaza conflict, the wider issue of Israel’s security — including conflict with Hezbollah — and the Gaza “flotilla” incident.

“Israel is held to a higher standard than other democratic nations,” Kemp said. “Israel conducts itself the same way as other democratic nations who do not receive the same kind of scrutiny. And that doesn’t include countries that don’t have a democratic government, where we see lots of examples of acts that deserve worldwide condemnation.”

Kemp has been complimentary of Israel’s actions throughout Gaza. He reported to the United Nations Security Council that,

“During its operation in Gaza, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) did more to safeguard the rights of civilians in a combat zone than any other army in the history of warfare.”

He went on to say, “In these most difficult circumstances, the IDF commanders took unprecedented measures to minimize civilian casualties. When possible, they left at least four hours’ notice to civilians to leave areas designated for attack, an action that handed a distinct advantage to Hamas.”

Kemp sees the media as an increasingly powerful tool in the war of words to undermine Israel and its interests. However, it is a tool that can be used both ways, to also get the message out of the good work that Israel does.

“There is a campaign going on worldwide to delegitimize Israel, and obviously a lot of the criticism is directed at the Israel military,” Kemp said. “I’m not Jewish and I’m not Israeli. I’m an objective observer. Through my experience working and learning directly from Israeli anti-terrorist specialists I have learned what an important job they do in defense of all of us.”

Kemp has worked for the British Army for 30 years, serving in such hot spots as Northern Ireland, Germany and Afghanistan. Previously Kemp completed a total of 14 active duty tours as a military commander in locations across the world. Working alongside U.S. forces, he took part in the liberation of Kuwait in 1991. He commanded British troops in the United Nations Protection Force in Bosnia and was counter terrorism adviser to the Macedonian government. He was made Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for his work on the July 2005 London bombings and in Iraq; Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for intelligence work in Northern Ireland; and was awarded the Queen’s Commendation for Bravery for his action during the Bosnia conflict.

The last four years he has been working for Britain’s prime minister’s office, working in its crisis issues and management division. While he is no longer an active military man, he says he still stays actively involved in a number of international speaking engagements.

“I have been to Boston and New York before, but this will be my first trip to Kansas City and I am looking forward to it,” Kemp said.

AIPAC’s mission is to strengthen the ties between the United States and its ally Israel. As America’s leading pro-Israel lobby, AIPAC works with Democrats, Republicans and Independents to enact public policy that enhances the U.S.-Israel relationship.

Kansas City Israel Action Forum

Col. Richard Kemp will serve as the keynote speaker of AIPAC’s annual event Sunday, Dec. 4, at The Temple, Congregation B’nai Jehudah. Registration begins at 1 p.m. The opening plenary begins at 1:30 p.m. and the event concludes at 5 p.m. Admision is $30 per person, $5 for students. Advance reservations are preferred. To register visit www.aipac.org/kcforum2011 or contact Tali Jubelirer at 312-253-8984 or .

More and more, women are taking an active role in deciding how their philanthropic dollars are spent. One way local Jewish women can do that is by joining the Circle of Chai.

The Circle of Chai is a women’s giving circle established last year under the auspices of the Jewish Federation of Greater Kansas City’s Women’s Division. A giving circle allows donors to leverage their assets by pooling their contributions to achieve a greater impact. Those that are democratically arranged, such as Circle of Chai, give donors equal voice in deciding where their contributions go. In the process, donors connect with one another and with their community.

For the second consecutive year the Circle of Chair is being co-chaired by Susan Gersh and Cindy Liebenthal. Last year 21 women participated.

Gersh is involved because she believes it is important for women to become empowered in deciding where their money should go.

“Being a part of Circle of Chai gives them ownership,” she said.

Liebenthal said that this giving circle provides its members with social, educational and philanthropic opportunities. From the beginning she has been enthusiastic about it.

“I love bringing together a diverse group of people,” Liebenthal said.

Many of those in the circle did not have much previous involvement with Federation programs.

“I get a good feeling about introducing them to all the good things Federation does. I feel really good about being with a group of women who are intelligent and want to do good things,” Liebenthal continued.

Deborah Bretton Granoff, Federation’s director of special projects, said the Circle of Chai asks that women who join the group make a minimum commitment of $180 “over and above whatever their annual gift to Women’s Division is.”

The first meeting was held in December 2010 and the group concluded its inaugural session this past June. Last year’s focus was on women and children in need. Four meetings were held last year and proposals were received from the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, the Jewish Agency for Israel and Jewish Family Services.

After all the proposals were presented, the members reviewed all the proposals and unanimously decided to approve the Jewish Agency’s proposal for Emotional Therapy for Orphaned Ethiopian Immigrants who are now living in Israel. The circle presented a grant in the amount of $5,000 to the Jewish Agency for the program.

“Although the women made a minimum commitment of $180, most of them decided to put in a few more dollars in order to bring the total to $5,000,” Granoff explained.

“Their participation made a significant difference in the lives of three orphaned Ethiopian children in Israel,” she continued.
Gersh and Liebenthal said the group, which will have its first meeting on Dec. 15, is expanding this year.

“All but two from our original group are returning,” Liebenthal said.

The pair said they received excellent feedback from those who were involved last year, especially about the educational aspect.

“For many in the group what was presented was new information. Others were more familiar and it reinforced what they already knew,” Liebenthal said.

The co-chairs believe everyone felt good about being able to have a voice in where their funds should be sent.

“We had unanimous support for the proposal we chose,” Liebenthal said.

“There is something about a giving circle that really draws me in. It’s so personal and we get to choose where our money goes,” Gersh added.

Liebenthal said this coming year’s giving circle will double in size.

“We wanted to expand to fund more projects. With our increased numbers we expect to triple that. Last year we funded one project, this year we should be able to fund three. That’s very exciting,” she said.

Besides having a larger group, Granoff said the format will change a little this year. Because they plan to fund more than one proposal, each session will have one focus. At the end of the presentations made at that session, a funding decision will be made.

Only the focus for the first session has been determined. It will be feeding the hungry. As was the case last year as well, all proposals will come from Federation’s partner-supported agencies.

“We’ll look at proposals from our partners in Bulgaria/Romania, Israel, probably the Gezer region, and locally here in Kansas City,” Granoff said.

The members of the circle will help determine the focus of the remaining sessions for the 2011-12 year. Areas to be considered could include enhancing Jewish life through education, fighting poverty or caring for the indigent elderly.

“We’re hopeful we’ll have about $3,600 after each of these meetings in order to fund,” Granoff said.

Anyone interested in joining the Circle of Chai or who would like more information may contact Granoff at 913-327-8106 or .

Amy Shapiro’s answer to the question why she is so committed to the Jewish Federation of Greater Kansas City reveals a lot about what makes the Federation uniquely important, as well as what makes it hard to communicate its often behind-the-scenes role in making our Jewish community a great place to work and live.

“The feeling that the Federation was the right place for me to give my time was gradual,” said Shapiro. “But the more Federation programs I attended and the more I learned, the more I realized that the Federation supports all of the agencies that are meaningful to me.”

Pieces of the puzzle

Shapiro graduated from the University of Kansas with a degree in business and worked at UMB Bank as an auditor and private banker. Afterwards, little by little, the pieces of the Jewish community puzzle came together for her.

Steve Israelite hired her in 1995 as the first program officer at the newly established Jewish Heritage Foundation, where she gained in-depth knowledge about community needs and the role of local foundations. A few months earlier, she married Peter Shapiro, an ear, nose and throat physician with a passion for reading Torah.

Shapiro remembers being initiated into volunteer work in 1997 by Cathy Tivol, who asked her to join the board of the Menorah Medical Center Women’s Auxiliary. When the hospital sold to for-profit HCA in 2003 and Shapiro was the Auxiliary’s incoming president, she came up with the idea of using its assets to create a “miniature Jewish Heritage Foundation.” The Menorah Women’s Foundation, where she continues as president, grants approximately $30,000 annually to causes that fit with the spirit in which the Auxiliary funds were originally raised.

A growing portfolio

Shapiro’s involvement with the Jewish Federation also began in the late 1990s, mostly for “social reasons.” However, she quickly became engaged on the Women’s Division board and the committee that planned and launched its signature B’not Kehillah leadership program.

Later, with two young daughters, she introduced them to Federation/CAJE-sponsored activities like Rosh Hodesh: It’s a Girl Thing and BLING (Building Liberated Independent Nurtured Girls). Sophie is currently in ninth grade and Emma in seventh grade at the Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy, where Shapiro serves on the PTO board and heads up the Café volunteers. Her example as a volunteer is already rubbing off on Sophie, who serves on the Federation’s B’Yachad (formerly Hebrew High School) student advisory committee and the Jewish Community Foundation’s B’nai Tzedek program. Sophie also recently returned from a Midwest Center for Holocaust Education trip to Washington, D.C., which was supported in part by the Federation.

Shapiro is now in her sixth year on the Federation board of directors, where her portfolio has included the Planning and Allocations Committee and the Identity and Education Task Force. Over the years, she has pursued a variety of adult Jewish education opportunities, including an adult Bat Mitzvah, graduation from the Federation-sponsored Helzberg Leadership Fellows and from the Florence Melton Adult Mini-School at the Jewish Community Center, where she is currently enrolled in Ayeka, a spiritual and personal development workshop.

Besides volunteering at HBHA, she is in charge of alumni relations as a board member of Jewish Family Services and is serving her first year on the board of KU Hillel. This summer, she’s been chosen to lead a Kollel-sponsored mission to Israel for women.

Federation at the core

The Federation’s central role in so many of the programs that benefit our Jewish community is not obvious to many at first. Shapiro’s recognition of its role and her feeling that the Federation was the right place to give her time has grown substantially over 15 years.

“When my kids were young, I didn’t pay full attention to why I was choosing certain volunteer activities,” she explains. “Later, when I had more free time and opportunity to choose projects that were meaningful to me, I realized that so much of the work I had done — without my knowing it — was tied to the Federation.”

I just realized that the Federation was always at the core and that its mission and vision mirror my own personal values,” she says. “It is constantly working to make sure that we have a continuum of opportunities from birth to seniors. It seeks to strengthen Jewish life in Kansas City and around the world. I cannot do that on my own.”

AMY SHAPIRO

Born in Kansas City, Mo.
Shawnee Mission South High School, 1987
University of Kansas, B.A., Business Administration, 1991
Married to Peter Shapiro, M.D., 1995
Lives in Leawood
Children: Sophie 14, and Emma 13
Recent Reading: The Secret Life of Henrietta Lacks, and Sarah’s Key.
Favorite Movie: Any romantic comedy
Favorite Jewish Food: Falafel
Just for Fun: Tennis, reading and travel
Trips to Israel: Four
Synagogue Affiliation: Beth Shalom

JEWISH REPUBLICANS REORGANIZE IN K.C. — The Republican Jewish Coalition (RJC) has reorganized in Greater Kansas City. To help kick off the new effort, Dr. Jay and Margie Robinow hosted a dinner at their home during Sukkot for more than 50 members of the community. JCRP President Ronnie Metzker was on hand, along with Kansas Lt. Gov. Jeff Colyer and Doris Riley, Johnson County Republican Party vice-president. JCRP helped reorganize the local group.

The launch also featured RJC National Grassroots Director Harris Vederman of the Washington, D.C. office, representing RJC Executive Director Matt Brooks.

“The Republican Jewish Coalition is very excited about the reformation of our Kansas City area chapter,” said Brooks. “We have high expectations for the chapter, we are very impressed with the chapter leadership and the plan they have in place to grow our presence in the heartland of America.”

“The relationship will be as a strategic partnership, cooperating to build the Republican influence regionally,” said David Seldner, president of the newly named Heartland RJC. “It will serve primarily in Johnson County, but will also include efforts state-wide in Kansas.”

Robinow has been named Heartland RJC vice president.

“The next event will be a membership brunch on Sunday morning, Dec. 18, 10:30 a.m., at a private home,” added Robinow.
For more information about Heartland RJC or the membership event, contact Seldner at .

HAPPY THANKSGIVING — As Thanksgiving approached last week, a few of Kehilath Israel’s Kosher Country volunteers gathered to assemble Thanksgiving dinners for eight families. A total of 32 people, all clients of Yachad: The Kosher Food Pantry, were fed. K.I. volunteers included Maury and Phyllis Kohn, Alfie Kass and Dan Kass. Rabbi Mendel Segal of the Vaad HaKashruth of Greater Kansas City served as the kosher supervisor and pitched in to help the cooking effort. A Yachad client also helped provide this mitzvah. Dan Kass, also known as the chief Kosher Country chef, organized this project because he wanted to start a chesed project at Kehilath Israel Synagogue that would reach out to others in the Jewish community. He contacted Sherrill Parkhurst, Yachad’s volunteer director, because Kosher Country already collects food for the food pantry at K.I. events. Anyone interested in cooking holiday meals for Yachad’s clients in the future should contact Dan Kass at .