When walking the halls of Village Shalom, one will typically encounter an abundance of smiles and sincere greetings from the retirement community’s staff and residents. Following a June 9-15 survey by the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services (KDADS), one can now find an abundance of “0” signs — a tribute to the rare “zero deficiency” score the community received on its annual KDADS survey.
LAUGH OF THE WEEK — This is a true story from a Chronicle subscriber who wishes to remain anonymous.
“When people ask my mother what congregation she belongs to, she replies ‘The Chronicle and the JCC!’ ”
Greater Kansas City Hadassah Past Presidents met recently at the home of Sue Vile to celebrate the 100th birthday of Ede Bratt, Chapter president from 1974-1976. Pictured around Bratt (from left) are Arlene Shalinsky, Rickie Haith, Sue Vile, Marian Kaplan, Rita Shapiro and Barbara Hecht. Former presidents unable to attend included Rachelle Milgram, Flossie Pack, Frances Schlozman and Shari Sokol. The women shared a letter of congratulations from Ellen Hershkin, national Hadassah president, and presented Bratt with a certificate for their contribution in her honor to the Mother and Child Pavilion at Hadassah Ein Kerem in Jerusalem.
Now that armed security guards have been at the Jewish Community Campus for a little more than a year, auto thefts, auto burglaries and other types of incidents at the Campus have dropped to nearly zero.
Last week a man was officially charged with making a threat to Congregation Beth Shalom. Neither officials at Beth Shalom, located at 143rd and Lamar in Overland Park, nor the Jewish Federation, which employs the Jewish community security director, would comment on the type of threat made to the congregation.
Last year Bill Kort, president of Epsten Gallery Foundation’s board of directors, announced that the gallery wanted to widen its net by increasing its programming to appeal to an even broader range of people in the community. A year later, Kort can report that the gallery’s net has indeed widened and its programs are now taking place on both sides of the state line.
In the Jewish community, we are all — more or less — familiar with the Torah, also known as the five books of Moses. The Talmud, which frequently cites the Torah, is another well-known book — the book of Jewish law. A huge collection of doctrines and laws compiled before the eighth century, the Talmud is the repository of Jewish oral tradition, which contains Jewish civil and ceremonial law.
MOVING FORWARD — A flash mob of singers clapped, sang and danced on Friday, June 17, to Rabbi Rick Shapiro’s favorite version of Oseh Shalom to close the separation service at Congregation Beth Torah as Rabbi Shapiro moves on to another interim assignment.
Dr. Steven and Louise Gruenebaum of Prairie Village announce the engagement of their daughter, Lauren Nicole Gruenebaum, to Daniel Lee Neuman, son of Clifford and Andrea Neuman of Overland Park. The bride-to-be is the granddaughter of the late Dr. Leo and Adele Pollock of Mission Hills, and Herbert Gruenebaum of Overland Park and the late Ruth Gruenebaum.
Vicky and Howard Mayer of Leawood, Kansas, announce the engagement of their daughter, Madeline Elyce Mayer, to Jay Garrison Benjamin, son of Judy and David Benjamin of San Antonio, Texas.
