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In 1966 six families dreamed of providing a Jewish day school education for their children. While many were skeptical it could survive, the Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy not only survived, but grew and continues to thrive. It will celebrate its 45th anniversary at the annual Civic Service Awards Dinner on April 10 at Hyatt Regency Crown Center. Maria Devinki and the late Fred Devinki will receive the 2011 Civic Service Award for their philanthropic efforts in the community. (For more information, contact Kerry Cosner at (913) 327-8156.)

“I’m thrilled to be one of the founders and to see what the school has accomplished over the last 45 years and to know that all of our graduates are accepted into the finest colleges throughout the United States,” Carl Puritz said. “Most importantly we have achieved the mission that we set out for all of our students that we will teach them how to be knowledgeable and committed Jews and productive citizens. Our day school is now considered one of the top day schools in the United States and it’s really thrilling to know that’s been accomplished.”

Another founder, Blanche Sosland, added, “The quality of the education that our kids got was fantastic from the very beginning.” Not only did Blanche and Neil Sosland’s children attend the Academy, Blanche Sosland said it’s been a thrill for them to watch their grandchildren go through the school. So far two have graduated and a third will do so later this spring.

The school, which started with 33 students in grades kindergarten through third grades, now has 232 students. A total of 325 students have graduated from HBHA, even though a high school wasn’t a part of the original plan.

Howard Haas, who is completing his fourth year as HBHA’s head of school, believes things are going well for the school.

“I used to call this place the jewel of the Midwest. Now I refer to it simply as the jewel. There’s nothing like it in America,” said Haas, who often serves as an expert presenter at education conferences around the country.

“The beautiful message of the school truly is that we try to create a nourishing environment that really challenges children. We want them to come to an understanding of who they truly are. We often say we try to define the child’s eccentricities and allow them to grow,” Haas said.

Many people, such as Eric Kaseff, president of HBHA’s board, believe the school offers a top-notch education. He has two children who attend HBHA — 10th-grader Rachel and seventh-grader Lainie.

“From an academic standpoint, I relied heavily on my wife, the professional educator in the family, to determine whether or not the academics were of the caliber that we wanted for our children. After evaluating the school and observing in the classrooms, she concluded that this school truly provides an outstanding academic environment and that has proven to be true.

Both the secular and the Judaic education are second to none,” Kaseff said.

As you would expect to be the case of most HBHA parents, Kaseff said another reason his family chose the day school is its strong Judaic program.

“The school reinforces what takes place in the Jewish home we have created for our kids and leaves them very comfortable with and proud of their Jewish tradition,” he said. “I feel blessed to be able to pass along this rich heritage of Jewish teaching and ethics to our girls. What we didn’t expect, and what pleases us as much as anything, is the warm and caring atmosphere that was evident the first time we walked in the door and remains a hallmark of the school.”

The “caring community” is what keeps many families at HBHA, including the Shapiro family. Molly Shapiro and her siblings — Peter, Julia and Tony — all attended the school. Between the four siblings they have nine children, eight of whom attend HBHA (the other is still in preschool).

There’s a Shapiro in kindergarten as well as grades four, five and eight. The sixth and eighth grades each have two Shapiro students. When it was time for Molly Shapiro to choose a school for her two children, she said there was no question she would send them to HBHA.

It’s a family,” she said. “When I hand my kids over I feel like I am handing them over to family members. I feel the utmost confidence and security and love and that’s just such a great feeling.”

A little history

Sosland said people tried for 15 years to start a Jewish day school here. A group comprised of Carol and Sidney Deutch, Bea and Milton Firestone, Joan and Walter March, Joan Puritz, Carl Puritz, Beryl Silberg and Blanche and Neil Sosland finally succeeded in 1966. The Deutches now live in Pittsburgh. The Firestones and Walter March are now deceased.

When the doors opened the school was called The Hebrew Academy of Kansas City. Its first classes were held at Congregation Ohev Sholom.

“Every Friday the teachers had to pack up their wares and store them and bring them back out again every Monday so Ohev Sholom could have Sunday school. Nevertheless the quality of the education that our kids got was fantastic,” Sosland said.

She believes two people deserve special recognition for their help in getting the school up and running. One is Rabbi Morris Margolies.

“Although he was not among the school’s founders, he was one of the schools biggest supporters and played a significant role in the founding of the school,” she said. “He was a coach and a mentor.”

In an article about the schools 25th anniversary published in 1991, Rabbi Margolies said the school’s founders, and the others that followed shortly thereafter, were the true heroes of Kansas City Jewish education “because they put their children and themselves and their hearts where their mouths were.”

Sosland said Milton Firestone, who was editor of The Chronicle, was also very instrumental in getting the school up and running because he was able to use the newspaper to publicize news about the school.

Sosland said the founders wanted their children to have a better Judaic education than was available to them.

“We wanted our children to get the kind of Judaic education that they would have to have in order to make an educated decision about what kind of Jewish life they would lead. The educational concept of the dual curriculum (Judaic and secular) is fantastic,” she said.

Each year after the Academy opened, a grade was added to the curriculum. In 1972 the Academy had reached the junior high school level. As the Academy gradually outgrew its space at Ohev Sholom, it began renting classrooms from the Asbury Methodist Church, which is located across the street from Ohev at 75th Street and Nall Avenue. In January of 1976, the first graduating class of nine students left the Academy and went on to further their studies in a variety of areas.

The school was renamed the Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy in 1997 following the death of Hyman Brand. HBHA’s first president, Brand was instrumental in raising the monies to get the school up and running and continued to find ways.

The school moved to its very own building at 5901 College in 1979. It moved into its current home at the Jewish Community Campus when the building opened in 1988.

The school’s future

Head of School Haas has found that the programs HBHA offers today are extremely innovative and unique. Because of those programs, and the school’s talented and passionate staff, he is happy to report that the future looks bright.

“We’re one of the few schools in America that is retaining students, certainly a higher percentage than we’ve ever had here and definitely more than across America. Our kindergarten two years ago was the biggest kindergarten we had in 10 years. That’s our first grade now and we have about 36 kids in that class, and our kindergarten this year has about 32. So we’re growing,” Haas said.

He said that while the school lost 18 students last year, 16 of those children moved out of the city.

“We’re not losing students because of dissatisfaction,” he said. “The percentage of kids who left is the lowest it’s ever been. We have more students than we had last year even though 16 moved.”

To help that growth, he said “we’re doing our best to bring in a program for our Orthodox community and we’re also doing a major concentration with our Reform community.”
Haas would also like to find a way to educate children with special needs. “That’s something that’s very close to my heart,” he said.

As it celebrates its 45th anniversary, Haas is proud of what the day school has accomplished and hopes to continue to accomplish.

“One hundred percent of our kids go to college,” he said. “The ideal is that these kids stay in the Kansas City area and become leaders of the community.”

Jewish federations have so far raised nearly $1 million to support the victims of the 9.0 magnitude earthquake that struck near the coast of Japan on March 11. Those funds are being used in part to help pay for the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee’s continuous, on-the-ground response in Japan. The deadly earthquake, ensuing tsunami and continuing nuclear crisis have left a reported 10,800 dead, while more than 16,000 remain missing and over 190,000 are living in shelters.

The JDC is now partnering with the Israel Defense Forces Field Hospital that will be operating in Minamisanriko, one of the many cities decimated by the earthquake and subsequent tsunami. JDC — which previously supported IDF Field Hospitals in Haiti and Turkey — will be providing equipment such as an infant ventilator and portable ultrasound as well as life-saving antibiotics and other medications.

Kansas Citian Patricia Uhlman believes it’s important for Jews here to know how the world Jewish community is helping these victims.

“The Joint is considered a transparent, responsive, reliable conduit for humanitarian aid dollars. The Jewish communities of North America can be very certain that their funds are going to be utilized effectively and in a very timely way to provide need to those in Japan who need it at this time,” said Uhlmann, who is chairperson of the JDC’s international development program that oversees all the international non-sectarian aid and trauma relief needed for all manmade and natural disasters.

She added that since the situation on the ground is “so fluid and traumatic,” the JDC is constantly re-evaluating it in order to respond in the appropriate way.

Uhlmann also wants to point out that the world-wide Jewish community, through the Federation system and allocations to the Joint, is one of the top contributors in the world of financial aid.

“We raised $30 million to help the victims of Hurricane Katrina and almost $10 million for the tsunami in in Southeast Asia in 2004. So the Jewish community should be incredibly proud of the work that is being done on behalf of the victims in Japan,” Uhlmann said.

“It’s part of our value system to be concerned not just about our own family but the family of man,” she continued.

JDC CEO Steven Schwager said it’s been the organization’s experience in other earthquakes and tsunamis that the kind of unparalleled medical treatment the JDC will help bring through the IDF Field Hospital is vital to the recovery of the Japanese people.

“Even as we quickly provide these services during the emergency phase of our response, JDC is monitoring needs and assessing projects to help improve local lives in the longer-term,” said Schwager, who visited Kansas City last year.

In the two weeks since Japan was struck, JDC has provided:

• food, fuel, blankets, tents, and other emergency supplies to evacuation centers through the International Rescue Committee;

• emergency supplies to the hardest-hit Miyagi and Fukushima prefectures through JEN, a Japanese NGO and the Jewish Community of Japan;

• learning materials, teaching aids, emergency school supplies, among other services at child-friendly spaces for Japanese children through the U.S. Fund for UNICEF/Japan Committee for UNICEF;

• a critically needed water shipment and other emergency relief supplies through JDC’s partner Afya Foundation and the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Japan’s aid and development arm;

• food and water bottle distribution from Chabad’s bakery in Sendai.

The Jewish Federation of Greater Kansas City is continuing to accept donations for the emergency relief fund to provide aid and support victims in Japan. Donations may be made online at the Federation’s website, www.jewishkansascity.org. Credit card donations may also be made over the phone by contacting Gail Weinberg at (913) 327-8123. Donations may be mailed to: The Jewish Federation of Greater Kansas City, Att: Pacific Relief Fund, 5801 W. 115 St., Suite 201, Overland Park, KS 66211.

A few weeks ago Lori Palatanik, director of the Jewish Women’s Renaissance Project, was in Kansas City as a guest of the Community Kollel of Kansas City. At one event attended by more than 100 young adults, she discussed the Transform and Grow Israel Tour JWRP sponsors every summer. The women who were there were intrigued.

“Almost every woman who was in attendance came up to me or Gevura (Davis) and asked if she could go,” said Esther Sokoloff, wife of Rosh Kollel Rabbi Yehuda Sokoloff.

In just a few short weeks Sokoloff and Davis made arrangements for 10 local women — nine plus Sokoloff — to participate in the JWRP’s 10-day TAG Israel Experience. The women will leave July 18 and return July 28. The trip is sponsored by JWRP and the Kollel. The participants, who will be chosen through an application and interview process, pay solely for their airfare. The rest of the trip’s expenses are paid by the sponsors.

“I spoke to someone in Dallas and she said everything we do is the best of the best,” Sokoloff said. “Because this is a once-in-a-lifetime experience the educators are the best also.”

The trip is designed for women who have at least one child at home, who are interested in learning more about Judaism and who hope to become more involved in the local Jewish community.

“This is a unique program for Jewish mothers who, until now, have chosen everyone else above themselves,” Sokoloff explained.

“When these women go to Israel they will connect on many levels with each other and their Judaism. We hope they come back and give back their time to the community,” she continued.

Sokoloff said the trip itself will concentrate on fulfilling a woman’s spiritual, physical and emotional needs. Participants will travel across the Jewish state from Safed to Jerusalem. Among the items on the itinerary are floating in the Dead Sea, kayaking on the Jordan River, riding camels in the Judean desert, and visiting the Western Wall.

As well as touring the country, Sokoloff said there is a strong educational component as well. The women will attend Torah lectures, learn to make challah and serve the poor in soup kitchens. They will also have the opportunity to be inspired by the women of Israel who are soldiers, business leaders and politicians. About 1,000 women from around the world will take part in JWRP missions this summer.

The Kollel is currently seeking grants and donations to pay their share of the trip expenses. Sokoloff said as a trip sponsor, the Kollel is asking each woman who is chosen for the trip to volunteer 30 hours of their time upon their return to various activities in the Jewish community “in whatever way that they think is suitable for them.”

Application are currently available by contacting Sokoloff at . The will also soon be available at https://www.jwrp.org/SF/SSI/ApplicationForm.php. Applications are due by April 12.

Between the application and the interview, applicants will be asked to discuss a variety of subjects, including their Jewish background, whether or not they have been to Israel before, what types of Jewish experiences they have had in the past and what they hope to gain from participating in a TAG Israel Tour.

Sokoloff stressed that the idea of the trip is to inspire the participants, not necessarily to change them.

“The hope is that if a woman is inspired, she will inspire her family and ultimately inspire her community,” Solokoff said.

As a wife and the mother of three little boys, she understands it could be very hard to leave the family for this 10-day trip.

“But I think in the long run I’m doing the best thing for my family,” she said. “It’s a very small price to pay for the long-term results.”

Lunch is always a challenge for those who work during Passover. For the past 25 years Kehilath Israel Synagogue has tried to make that easier by sponsoring strictly kosher-for-Passover luncheons downtown. This year they will be held at noon on the two intermediate days of Passover, Thursday and Friday April 21 and 22.

“If people don’t want to do a sack lunch and have crumbs all over their desk they are more than welcome to join us,” said KI Senior Rabbi Herbert Mandl.

The meat lunches, which cost $12, will be catered by Hen House and are open to anyone in the community. They will be held at Paul Blackman’s office, Suite 800 Lawyers Associates, 1102 Grand Boulevard, in the conference room on the 20th floor. Parking is available on the street on in the parking garage at 11th and Grand. Rabbi Mandl also pointed out that the Downtown Minyan meets at that location as well.

“It has a gorgeous view of the whole downtown area,” he said.

In past years as many as 20 people have attended a luncheon. Rabbi Mandl sees these luncheons as a community service.

“I’d say at least half the people who come are not our members, just like the Downtown Minyan is made up of everybody in the community,” he said.
Rabbi Mandl said every year he sees people who office downtown, on the Plaza and even from North Kansas City.

“It’s probably worthwhile for anyone who is within 15 to 20 minutes from downtown,” Rabbi Mandl said. “There’s ample parking in that area. And we serve right away if anyone is on a tight schedule.”

Reservations for the luncheon are being accepted by KI through April 15. Send checks, made out to Kehilath Israel Synagogue, to 10501 Conser, Overland Park, KS 66212. Be sure to include whether the reservation is for April 21, April 22 or both days. For more information, call (913) 642-1880.

The lack of and desire to have a pet, led to Elizabeth Gerson’s Bat Mitzvah project, “Paws for a Cause.”  Like many today, having a Bat Mitzvah means learning to give back to society. And Elizabeth did that in a big way! She earned more than $2,000 that was split between Wayside Waifs and Animal Haven, two animal shelters in the Kansas City area.

“Since at home we don’t have any pets, I wanted to help animals and get food for shelters,” said Elizabeth, who became a Bat Mitzvah at New Reform Temple in November.

She analyzed her market and came up with a wonderful plan. “I knew friendship bracelets were very popular with my friends at school,” said Elizabeth, a seventh-grade student at Pembrook Hill. She was able to purchase woven friendship bracelets and little silver paw charms with her Bat Mitzvah money. She then put them together with packaging and made 500 Paws for a Cause friendship bracelets.

Each bracelet sold for a $5 donation. Elizabeth and her dad, Jim Gerson, went to several weekend events sponsored by both Wayside Waifs and Animal Haven, like “Strut with your Mutt” held this fall for Wayside Waifs. She set up her bracelet display at each event. “Some people gave more than the $5 donation,” she said.

“We are beyond thrilled she was able to raise so much money for the animals,” said Ashlee Parker, communications relations manager at Wayside Waifs. “It was remarkable to have a 13-year-old girl be able to do this.”

“This was a labor of love for Elizabeth,” said her mother, Katie Gerson. “Because she enjoyed this so much she has asked about extending her volunteerism and wants to do more.” That’s a feeling that makes her parents very proud. “It has given her a good start, and now she has other ideas to help others,” added her mother.

In fact Elizabeth says, “I am definitely looking into volunteering. It would be awesome to volunteer at a shelter!”

Elizabeth also acknowledges her mother’s help. “My mom helped with the name, ‘Paws for a Cause.’ I wanted something really catchy!”

After selling about 400 of her 500 bracelets, Elizabeth had almost 100 left over. She donated these to the two shelters, giving each a display as well. So even though her project is officially over, the shelters are still earning some money from her work.

“What an amazing young woman. Her generosity and compassion will help so many homeless pets while they are in our shelter,” said Teresa Johnson, Animal Haven’s chief executive officer. “The money she raised for Animal Haven will help us pay for food to feed all the dogs and cats in our shelter for almost a month.”

But Elizabeth knows she could not have done this project by herself. “I could not have done this without the help and support of friends and family, and the people at Wayside Waifs and Animal Haven,” she said. “Thank you to everyone who bought a bracelet!”

Once upon a time Gevura Davis was called Lauren and wanted to be editor of The New York Times. Today, when she thinks about her goals, she’s reminded of what one of her favorite rabbis said: “To be a Jew and live Judaism is to try to take care of as many people with your one precious life that you can, starting with yourself, your family and your community.”

“I had some character building Jewish experiences that led me in this direction,” said Davis, “starting with quitting my cheerleading squad because my evangelical coach wanted everyone to go to church together. Then I went to and worked at a Reform Jewish summer camp and later Camp Ramah.”

At Emory University, Davis enrolled in Deborah Lipstadt’s class around the same time Lipstadt was sued for libel by a Holocaust denier. “I had a moment in her class when I thought, wow, this is the world I was born into. What am I going to do about it?”

These experiences propelled Davis to Hebrew University in Jerusalem for what she thought would be a year. But, as she puts it, “I fell in love with the Zionist dream.” Davis went back to Emory for one semester, graduated a year early, made aliyah, became a fully observant Jew, and committed herself to making the world a better place.

Back in Israel, she attended a center for advanced women’s studies, met her husband, Rabbi Binyomin Davis, and had her first child, all by age 22. The couple moved to Kansas City in 2007 to serve the Kansas City Kollel, a group of scholars who study and teach Torah in classrooms, board rooms and one-on-one study.

Much in common

Davis recalls participating in Jewish Federation programs as something fun to do with her children and to meet new people. She was hesitant at first to attend Women’s Division B’not Kehillah leadership program because she didn’t know anyone else and had just had her third baby a few weeks earlier. She ended up enjoying it so much she went through the program a second time and, after joining the Young Women’s Council, came up with Yehudit, the group’s new name, which means “of the tribe of Judah” and recalls the heroine of the Chanukah story.

“We all share our struggles and joys in life and have so much in common,” she says. “I really love getting to know different women and people I would never come in contact with if not for the Federation.

“The bottom line is that the Federation helps several thousand people a year who are really in need. When I help strengthen the Federation, I feel like I’m helping to strengthen them. I also realize that if I want strong institutions to be here for my children, I need to roll up my sleeves.”

Kollel rebbetzin

As the wife of a Kollel rabbi, Davis’s volunteer roles blur a bit. For the Kollel, on average, she hosts 100 people a month in her home. She also spends many hours helping her husband make sure the Kollel programs are well marketed, well attended and well executed.

“One of the Kollel’s goals is to bring the community together through Jewish living and learning,” she said. “What I call ‘down-to-earth spirituality.’ ”

In February, Davis taught a class for Women’s Division’s Yad B’yad Series on the three “women’s mitzvot.” She also organized a sold-out challah baking program jointly sponsored by Yehudit, B’not Or Hadassah and the Kollel and makes herself available to provide a hands-on challah-baking class for groups of three women or more in their home or hers.

Her most recently commitment, and one she is “extremely excited about,” is helping a group of women go on a learning and leadership mission to Israel sponsored by the Jewish Women’s Renaissance Project. Those interested in learning more about it can contact her at .

Davis’s primary commitment is to her four young children, but she’s also involved as a parent at the Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy, serves on the board of Congregation BIAV, has a part-time job as administrator of Kehilath Israel Synagogue’s religious school, and is in the process of applying to go back to school for a master’s degree in social work with a concentration in nonprofit administration.

“People often say to me, ‘Aren’t you tired,’” she said. “I feel such a strong debt of gratitude for being born in this generation. So one of my philosophies of life is to use my energy to be happy doing as much good as I can.”

Gevura Davis

Born in Atlanta, 1981
Wheeler High School, Marietta, Ga., 1999
Emory University, B.A., Judaic Studies, 2002
Married to Rabbi Binyomin Davis, 2003
Lives in Overland Park
Children: Baruch Mordechai, 7; Ezriel, 5; Temima, 3; and Rochel Leah, 15 months
Recent Reading: CNN website, books on parenting and health
Favorite Movie: “Pay It Forward”
Favorite Jewish Food: Matzah balls
Trips to Israel: Lived In Jerusalem for six years
Synagogue Affiliation: Congregation BIAV

JEWISH SUPERFAN — I mentioned KU Superfan Matt Rissien in this column a few weeks ago, but I just can’t resist reporting that he hit the big time early this week. Matt, the son of Aaron and Shelley Rissien and a KU senior, has been dubbed KU’s superfan because he’s frequently in the front row of KU games wearing a Jayhawk fuzzy hat. Like many KU fans he traveled to San Antonio, Texas, last week to cheer for KU in the NCAA tournament. Sadly, KU didn’t win the game, and Matt, as usual, was shown on TV many times. But since KU lost for only the third time this year, and the loss ended the KU season, the camera caught Matt when he was a little down. ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel (or one of his writers) caught the moment also and turned it into a comedy bit for the show. He’s not mentioned by name but the show did air footage, and a few jokes at Matt’s expense. Those who are on Facebook can catch a glimpse of the video at http://www.facebook.com?#!/video/video.php?v+960284614939&commer. (I’m sure there’s another way, but I’m not techno savvy enough to figure it out!) Matt, we hope this doesn’t deter you from wearing the hat in the future!

PREPARING FOR PASSOVER — Those charged with cleaning the house for Passover, shopping for seders and eight days of breadless meals and snacks, and cooking and baking those meals would be a lot more frantic and frazzled if not for the annual OU Guide to Passover. A special issue of Jewish Action, the family magazine of the Orthodox Union, this year’s Guide, for 5771/2011, is now available to help facilitate Passover preparation and observance.
There are also many new and interesting features with beautiful photos accompanying them — and the heart of the guide remains the same: listing food and other products that are certified Kosher for Passover by the OU.
The guide has two basic lists: one with items that must have an OU-P appear on the label, such as baking mixes, baked products, beverages, candy, condiments, dairy products, matzah products, meat and poultry, olive oil, snack food, wine and liqueurs; and one with items that do not need a special Passover certification, such as aluminum foil, candles, cleansers, and paper goods, where the regular OU symbol is sufficient for year-round use.
It can be viewed online http://images.ou.org/files/Pesach2011_.pdf. Hard copies can be ordered as well by contacting or calling (212) 613-8125.

HOLOCAUST HAGGADAH — Last week’s issue (March 25) included a story about Rabbi Berhhard Rosenberg’s new Holocaust siddur. This week we learned that the Kansas City native has also published The Rosenberg Holocaust Haggadah. Like the siddur, it’s available free online. The 143-page book can be downloaded from any computer for free and printed anywhere. Prayers are included in Hebrew, Hebrew transliteration and English translation. It can now be found at www.holocausthaggadah.com.

PADDY CHAYEFSKY’S “GIDEON” — At least two local Jewish actors will be taking part in a one-time only reading of Paddy Chayefsky’s “Gideon.” (Chayefsky was Jewish as well.) It will be presented by EARTh (Equity Actors’ Readers’ Theatre) at 7:30 p.m. Monday, April 11, at St. Teresa’s Academy, located at 5601 Wyandotte in Kansas City, Mo. This story, 3,000 years old, becomes the vehicle for exploring nothing less than Man’s relationship with God and God’s with Man. Chayefsky — the only author to win three solo Best Screenplay Academy Awards (for “Marty”, “Hospital,” and “Network”) uses his remarkable sense of language, humor, poetry and irony to examine this intricate web of faith and disbelief, of acceptance and defiance, of free will and destiny. The cast includes Ruth Baum Bigus and Victor Raider-Wexler. Admission is free; donations are accepted and encouraged. For more information contact or call (816) 289-3859.

IMPRESSIVE ACHIEVEMENTS — I was contacted by a proud parent this week who wanted me to know about the excellent showing of several local Jewish high school students at the Kansas state DECA competition held just before Spring Break in Overland Park. DECA prepares emerging leaders and entrepreneurs who are in high school and college for careers in marketing, finance, hospitality and management. These students, all from Blue Valley North, finished among the top three at the recent competition: First place finishers included Andrew Borowick and his partner, Reid Waldman, in the Financial Team competition (for the third time!), Joel Perowsky in Business Services Marketing and Andrew Grin in Retail Merchandising. Sarah Raider-Wexler and her partner, Hunter Jones, finished second in Hospitality & Tourism Marketing Team competition and Ryan Shapiro and David Tauber finished in third place in Business Law and Ethics Team.

SENDING PRAYERS — As we were putting together the paper Wednesday morning, we learned of a terrorist bombing in Jerusalem, the first since 2004. Now we’re hearing from Federation Israeli Shlicha Lilach Nissim  that rocket attacks on the south of Israel are being launched from Gaza. Our correspondent in Jerusalem, Sybil Kaplan and her husband, Barry, were not near that bus stop in Jerusalem that was bombed,  but they use it often. So today we send prayers for peace, comfort and healing to all who are suffering and grieving in Jerusalem and throughout Israel.


WRITE YOUR OWN HAGGADAH — About 20 years ago I met a man who put together his own Haggadah. Before that time I assumed a Haggadah had to be written by a rabbi or someone who was considerably more knowledgeable than I. Soon after, I compiled my own Haggadah and then continued to revise it every couple of years with ideas I borrowed from other people. So I was intrigued this year to learn about ways to put together a Haggadah using the Internet. Behrman House Publishers has a custom Haggadah you can personalize online and get professionally printed. Jess Gurtman of Berhman House said it’s easy to use and allows you to upload and place photos to use along with the basic text from the “Family Haggadah,” a popular and child-friendly Haggadah that guides you through a seder of 30-45 minutes. Time to order for this year is running out. For more information go to www.behrmanhouse.com.


PERSONALIZED HAGGADAH PART II — I did get a chance to check out the new website Haggadot.com. It allows individuals or groups to create customized Passover Haggadot. The site pools non-copyrighted texts and graphics, inviting Jews of all backgrounds and from all over the world to share their traditions and carve their place in the Passover conversation through the seder’s central text. It is the brainchild of Eileen Levinson, a Los Angeles designer and artist. The seed money was provided by ROI Community of Young Jewish Innovators, the project of philanthropist Lynn Schusterman.


SAVE THE PLANET — If you are interested in helping your congregation save the earth, check out a Green Teams Rally on Thursday, March 31, sponsored by the Sustainable Sanctuary Coalition. David Nachman, a member of The Temple, Congregation B’nai Jehudah, and Barry Dicker, a member of Kehilath Israel Synagogue, both serve on the board of SSC, an interfaith nonprofit that helps congregations care for the earth. The rally will be at Unity Church of Overland Park located at 103rd and Antioch. The purpose of the rally is to build community and collaboration among green teams from area churches and synagogues. The free program includes networking, sharing of resources and green initiative ideas, problem-solving about challenges, a prayer ritual, snacks and door prizes. To register, contact Kate Becker at or call (816) 223-2101.

A NEW THEATER EXPERIENCE — Spinning Tree Theatre will premier its first production April 1 called “Make Me A Song.” One of the two founders, Michael Grayman, is Jewish and relocated here from New York City in the fall to open the theater with Andy Parkhurst. My friend Ruth Bigus, who is a theater aficionado, reports that Spinning Tree plans to produce a variety of works, including ethnic and Jewish pieces. You can learn more at http://www.spinningtreetheatre.com/Spinning_Tree_Theatre/Home.html.

SEDER CD — Paul Zim, who at one time sang at Congregation Ohev Sholom, called last week to suggest our readers purchase his new CD called “Let’s Make A Seder.” It’s a one-hour recording that teaches the important highlights of the Passover seder. The CD contains the music of the seder and brief explanations in the same format as the Passover Haggadah. He said it is available locally at synagogue gift shops.

FEATURING SETH RUDETSKY — When Betty Buckley performs “For the Love of Broadway,” at 8 p.m. Saturday, April 2, at the Music Hall, she will be accompanied by musician and comedian Seth Rudetsky. As a pianist, he has performed in more than a dozen Broadway shows, including Les Miserables and Phantom of the Opera. He is also the host of Seth’s Big Fat Broadway on Sirius Satellite Radio. Tickets are on sale now through Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster.com and the Music Hall box office. For more information, check out www.PianeProductions.com.

Forty-four members of the Jewish community returned from Israel early last week after taking part in the Jewish Federation of Greater Kansas City’s latest mission to Israel. No matter how many times the participant had visited Israel, it was a memorable trip.

Federation President Bill Carr, who has been to Israel five times and four times in the past five years, said this trip made him feel closer to the Jewish people than ever. A Shabbat visit to the Wall, where he was able to pray alongside Jews of all denominations, especially made an impression on him.

Pete Levi, who has been to Israel six times, but not since 2000, said, “It’s easy to get renewed when you are in Israel.”

“Praying at the wall, being surrounded by fellow Jews from all around the world and seeing what they’ve done with the state of Israel is just a marvelous feeling,” he said.

First time visitor Susan Hammer, who was joined on the trip by her husband, Steve, “absolutely loved” visiting the Mahane Yehuda outdoor market in Jerusalem. A visit to Yad Vashem also made an impression.

“To be in Israel and to see the memorial for the high-minded Gentiles who risked their lives to save Jews is such a reminder of those heroic people,” she said.

But it was those extras that come with participating in a Federation mission that made her trip extra enjoyable. Hammer said they especially enjoyed traveling with Federation leaders, such as Executive Vice President and Chief Executive Officer Todd Stettner and Debbie Granoff, special campaigns projects director, who have been to Israel numerous times and were able to help guide the first-timers.

Levi said Federation trips are a great way to see Israel.

“It’s great to see what the Federation does for Israel, for communities and individuals in the country. The number of people who were there for the first time remarked about that at the end of the trip,” Levi said.

Many in the group, including the Hammers, were moved by a visit to Independence Hall in Tel Aviv, where Loeb Granoff read the group a letter he received in 1947 from his father, A.J. Granoff. The letter was about a visit that took place in Washington, D.C., between A.J, Eddie Jacobson and President Harry S. Truman. The purpose of their visit was to thank the president for his “contribution toward a Jewish state...”

“I was watching the faces of the young adults who were on a Birthright Israel trip who were listening to Loeb reading the letter and they were mesmerized by him,” Susan Hammer said. “It was truly something I will long remember.”

Hammer also enjoyed spending time with Trish Uhlmann. Uhlmann, who is on the board of the Joint Distribution Committee, who explained to some of the travelers “what Israel is dealing with socially, economically and politically.”

“It was most enlightening,” she said.

Politically speaking the Middle East is a hot zone right now, but Carr said the current tensions did not affect the travelers from Kansas City. In fact, when he asked several Israelis about the Egyptian situation, he learned that they believe the situation “will need to sit for about six months.” He said no one seemed alarmed at this time.

“I never felt any unease,” Carr said.

A vibrant economy

A booming economy caught the attention of the Kansas Citians.

“There are more construction cranes in Israel — everywhere, in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem — than I would guess are in Denver, Kansas City and Chicago. It looks like Israel is in good economic shape,” Carr said.

Levi was also struck by the economic vibrancy of the country.

“The modern buildings that we were in would rival anything in the United States. The economy seemed to be bustling, particularly compared to when I was there in 2000 right before the Intifada. You can really see the results of the growth of commerce and industry in Israel and the reinvestment in the state of Israel in the populated areas and in the cities,” Levi said.

Hammer, Levi and Carr were all impressed by a visit to the Ayalim Program, which is comprised of young Israeli men and women who want to continue giving back to Israel after they have completed their military service. They work in border regions, helping mentor young kids in the areas. The Federation group visited an Ayalim group in the Negev, where, Levi said, they are working together to bring the Negev into greater prosperity.

“It’s kind of like Obama’s internal peace corps,” Carr said.

The program is described as a student-run association that is a modern example of the pioneering spirit that helped build the state of Israel in its early days.

“We had lunch with these students. You can feel their energy and their enthusiasm for both the country and what they are doing,” Carr said.

Carr went to Ma›aleh School of Television, Film & the Arts in Jerusalem in Jerusalem and viewed short, student-made films about controversial issues in Israel. He found them enlightening and would recommend that they be shown here in Kansas City because he feels they would lead to good discussions. For instance one short film he saw focused on the problem Israel is facing with illegal immigrants from the Philippines.

“Many of them serve as inexpensive helpers for the elderly,” he said. “In the end the elderly Jew protected the Filipino from detection by the police. It was interesting and it’s an issue I knew nothing about.”

Quality medical care

Hammer was also impressed by the Assaf HaRofeh Medical Center, which is affiliated with the School of Medicine at Tel Aviv University as was Levi. Unfortunately after the official visit, the Levis saw the hospital from a patient’s point of view.

Levi explained that it was raining the day of that visit and his wife, Enid, slipped and fell in the parking lot and hit her head on the pavement. At the time the Levis were in two different groups, so he wasn’t close to his wife. Two bystanders, who happened to be Arab, stopped to help her and drove her back to the hospital.

“We witnessed some really outstanding, high-quality medical care,” Levi said. “She had a CT scan and full blood work and an EKG and was seen by a whole team of doctors and nurses. She’s fine now and all healed.”

Besides what he called extraordinary care, he noticed that the hospital cared for a cross section of people, including immigrants, and “they were all given excellent care.” He was also surprised by how reasonably priced the care was for what amounted to a two-hour visit to the emergency room.

“I was handed a bill and I thought it said $968. I thought that’s pretty cheap in dollars, but actually it was shekels. So the total cost of the medical care was around $250,” he said.

Once again Jewish Family Services is preparing for its annual Passover Holiday Project. This year approximately 140 families, or a total of about 300 people, will get a food basket to help them celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

Sondra Levy Atherly, JFS’ project coordinator, says that number is about the same as last year, “but it’s not necessarily the same families getting help.” To put these numbers in perspective, when Atherly joined the staff at JFS five years ago, only 60 families received holiday food baskets.

The project, which also helps families at the High Holidays and for Chanukah, is a huge undertaking.

“It involves the entire JFS staff, there are 20 of us, and I currently have a list of 20 volunteers. We’ll probably have another five to 10 volunteers before all is said and done,” Atherly said.

The community and these particular volunteers help the project in three ways. The community, with the help of several congregations and the Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy, conduct food drives and donate food to be included in the baskets. The volunteers help bag the food and deliver it to the recipients. Monetary donations are also needed to purchase food, especially fresh protein. Yachad — The Kosher Food Pantry provides both food stuff and money. Liberty Fruit donates all the fruits and vegetables.

“Liberty Fruit is incredibly generous and donates a substantial amount of fruits and vegetables. Everything you need to make soup, and then some, and everything you need for a seder plate. Arnie (Caviar) is terrific,” Atherly said.

“The volunteers are especially helpful in doing the deliveries and seem to enjoy that,” Atherly said.

Volunteers can’t always handle all the aspects of programs such as this because of sensitive confidentiality issues. In some cases Atherly said volunteers sign confidentiality agreements. In all cases the recipients have to approve a volunteer coming to their homes.

“If they are not comfortable with that, a staff member will deliver the items,” Atherly said.
Sometimes JFS staffers do the deliveries simply because they know the recipient will be more comfortable that way.

“Anna Feldman delivers all the food to the Russian clients,” Atherly said.
The project hopes to provide families with enough Passover food for the entire week. But Atherly said “in reality it’s going to be close.”

Each family receives two major meats, almost always a chicken and then either a second protein, which is either a frozen chicken, ground beef or stew meat. They also get cheese, gefilte fish, horseradish, matzah and fresh fruits and vegetables.

“Those who like to bake will get cake mixes and brownie mixes and matzah meal and those who don’t will get some sort of dessert item either marshmallows or fruit jells or a chocolate bar,” she said.

As Passover draws closer, JFS is still in need of monetary and food donations to make the project a success.

“We need dessert items. Those little Elite chocolate bars are expensive. We also need gefilte fish. And we need cash for the chickens, the meat and the proteins,” Atherly said.

If your family could use some assistance this Passover, please call Sondra Levy Atherly at JFS at (913) 327-8265 or . All information will be kept confidential. Donations may be made by sending a check to Jewish Family Services Holiday Project, 5801 W. 115th St., Suite 103, Overland Park KS 66211, by calling (913) 327-8250 with your credit card or by logging into the Jewish Family Services website at www.jfskc.org.

KC Kosher Co-op is also lending a hand to JFS in this endeavor. The co-op has set up a function on its website that allows people to make a donation of $18 or $36 to JFS when they make a purchase and go through the check-out. The donated amount is matched by KC Kosher Co-op. Please visit the site at www.kckoshercoop.com.