Archived News

FOOD PANTRY NEEDS VOLUNTEERS — Jewish Family Services new food pantry opens this week and it still needs volunteers to help sort the food that was donated during the High Holiday Food Drive. Anyone interested in volunteering can call JFS at 913-327-8250 or email JFS staff member Adrienne Kizer () to sign up for a time to sort starting on Oct. 10. The JFS Food Pantry will offer both a Vaad-supervised kosher food option and a non-kosher option. JFS is also accepting financial contributions, donations of non-perishable food, and there are terrific volunteer opportunities as well. If you can’t volunteer Oct. 10, there are plenty of other volunteer opportunities available so please, give Adrienne a call!

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY — A gala last weekend at Johnson County Community College marked the 20th anniversary of the Oppenheimer Collection, now housed at the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art. For the past two decades, Marti and Tony Oppenheimer, who graced the cover of our own 2010 Guide to Jewish Life, have donated more than 150 major works of contemporary art to the college. “The Oppenheimer Collection is now synonymous with the Nerman Museum,” said Bruce Hartman, the museum’s executive director. “It is the foundation upon which our permanent collection rests. Do-Ho Suh’s sculpture ‘Some/One’ is an icon for the museum just as Jonathan Borofsky’s ‘Walking Man’ is a signature work for the entire campus.”

CULINARY GENIUS — The Johnson County Community College culinary team won the grand prize in the International Foodservice Expo 2012 student team competition held during the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Show last month in Orlando, Fla. Team member Adam Glass lives in Overland Park and is a member of the Jewish community. Ten teams competed in the competition and it included a knife skill and butchery test, followed by preparation of a four-course hot meal for four people, done in 75 minutes in front of American Culinary Federation certified judges including two master chefs.

The presidents of the Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Kansas City and the Jewish Heritage Foundation of Greater Kansas City have jointly announced that the Jewish Heritage Foundation has become a supporting organization of the Jewish Community Foundation. In making the decision to reorganize itself as a supporting foundation and create a formal affiliation with the Community Foundation, Heritage Board President Merilyn Berenbom said, “As we move forward, we will have the opportunity to significantly increase our grants and further our mission. The Jewish Community Foundation will help us maximize our potential. That will result in much-needed positive dividends in our community.”

Jewish Community Foundation Board President Ron Goldsmith added that, “this affiliation will maximize the core competencies of both organizations and will promote a creative collaborative environment that will enhance grant-making in the Kansas City Jewish community. We look forward to a long and happy partnership.”

As part of this affiliation, Heritage Foundation staff will become employees of the Jewish Community Foundation and will office on the Jewish Community Campus. The move became official on Sept. 19. The Jewish Heritage Foundation may be reached at 913-981-8866.

Since 1959, the Jewish Community Foundation has been at the forefront of charitable giving in Kansas City. The Foundation has partnered with individuals, families and community organizations to help them achieve their philanthropic goals and to increase current and future support for a vibrant and secure Jewish community in Kansas City, Israel and around the world. During fiscal year 2011, the Jewish Community Foundation distributed more than $17.2 million in 2,800 separate grants to different Jewish and secular charitable organizations.

Created in 1994 when Menorah Medical Center joined Health Midwest, the Jewish Heritage Foundation remains deeply committed to Menorah’s tradition of healing and compassionate service. Over the past 16 years, the Jewish Heritage Foundation has distributed more than $37 million, with the majority of the funds going to Jewish agencies and programs.

“Whether we operate as a private foundation or a supporting organization,” Berenbom stated, “we are always Heritage. We will continue to operate with the values that have been inherent in our foundation and our predecessor, Menorah Hospital.”

For more information, contact the Jewish Community Foundation at 913-327-8245 or www.jcfkc.org; or the Jewish Heritage Foundation at 913-981-8866 or www.jhf-kc.org.

Effective Oct. 1, Dr. Daniel L. Scharf will be joining Saint Luke’s Cardiovascular Consultants, a division of the hospital’s award-winning Mid America Heart Institute, bringing with him his more than three decades of clinical cardiology experience. Many of Dr. Scharf’s more than 1,500 cardiology patients have been anxious to hear where they can continue to see him since his departure from his previous practice. He will primarily see patients at Saint Luke’s South, located at 12330 Metcalf in Overland Park, but will also be seeing patients at Saint Luke’s Plaza location at 4330 Wornall Road.

“I want to be available to as many of my patients as possible including those who live closer into town as well as those farther south,” said Dr. Scharf, who has been a cardiologist here in the Kansas City metro area for 35 years.

Dr. Scharf expressed his excitement for the move, citing Cardiovascular Consultants and Saint Luke’s track record of excellence in the field of cardiology.

“They have enormous capabilities in a wide variety of cardiovascular disciplines. I’m particularly impressed by the sheer volume of clinical research that is done regularly at Saint Luke’s Mid America Heart Institute, which places them on a par with the great academic medical centers in our country.”

Saint Luke’s Mid America Heart Institute publishes more academic papers than any other cardiology group in the region. The Mid America Heart Institute also features one of the 10 largest transplant programs in the country, staffs the largest team of cardiologists and surgeons in the region and has pioneered more than 115 cardiovascular research trials.

“Their advanced research capabilities will allow me to offer many of the new technologies available in cardiology to my patients and that is something that greatly appealed to me in making my decision to join Cardiovascular Consultants,” Dr. Scharf said.

Dr. Scharf first came to Kansas City in 1977 after serving two years in the United States Navy as a lieutenant commander. He founded Midwest Cardiology Associates in 1981, and during his career he has pioneered many major advances in heart care in this region. He introduced the first electrophysiology laboratory for studying and treating complex heart rhythm disturbances, the first two-dimensional echocardiography laboratory for studying structural heart problems and participated in the area’s first heart transplant as medical coordinator. He has been a leader in advancing the care of patients suffering heart attacks using angioplasty balloons and stent procedures to open clogged heart arteries. He is looking forward to working with his new colleagues at Saint Luke’s to further advance cardiovascular care for his patients.

Dr. Scharf earned his medical degree in a combined program at Albany Medical College and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, N.Y., in what was one of the first six-year medical school programs in the country. He completed his internship and residency at New York University-Bellevue Hospital and did his cardiology fellowship training at the University of Pennsylvania.

Over the years Dr. Scharf and his wife Miriam have dedicated a significant amount of their time to the Kansas City Jewish and general communities. Dr. Scharf has served on the boards of the Jewish Heritage Foundation (president from 2006-2008), the Jewish Federation of Greater Kansas City and the Jewish Community Foundation. He has been the chairman of the Council on Aging and also the chairman of the Special Task Force on Education for the Funder’s Council. Miriam Scharf is the current president of the Greater Kansas City Jewish Federation.

Appointments to see Dr. Scharf may be made by calling 816-751-8445 or by visiting the website at www.saintlukeshealthsystem.org/slcc.

When Jessi Glueck was looking for summer opportunities, she wasn’t sure going to Israel was the best fit for her. After all, the Blue Valley North Senior had already been to Israel with her family 10 times. But it turns out The Bronfman Fellows intensive five-week program of study and travel in Israel, designed to develop future community leaders committed to Jewish unity, was an experience she loved and will never forget.

Jessi, a member of Kehilath Israel Synagogue and the daughter of Miriam and Robert Glueck, said it’s hard to describe the program and the experience succinctly. She’s also quick to point out that anything she says about the Bronfman experience is strictly her personal opinion and nobody else’s. Throughout the five weeks, much time was spent discussing and debating various viewpoints on a variety of Jewish texts and Israeli issues and, more often than not, agreeing it is OK to disagree.

“Any attempt to represent this experience is hard because 26 different people went on it starting in 26 different places and we all ended up in 26 different places,” she said. “The way I tell it is my personal and individual experience of it. I loved it and I feel like I learned a lot, but I want people to realize that what I say about Bronfman is hardly the absolute truth. … We all have different interpretations of it.”

One thing she learned about the world and how she sees it is that no matter how much she’s seen and done, her ideas “are still narrow and still need to be broadened by different perspectives.”

Following a competitive application process, this year’s Bronfman Fellows came from 12 states across the United States and Canada. They represent diverse Jewish backgrounds, including Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, Reconstructionist, unaffiliated and non-denominational.

“We have the privilege of working with young participants who are already leading in their communities. We, in turn, instill in them a love for learning Jewish texts, a commitment to pluralism, and a sense of social and Jewish responsibility,” said Rabbi Mishael Zion, co-director and director of education of The Bronfman Fellowship.

Bronfman’s commitment to pluralism is probably one reason Jessi was chosen from among more than 200 applicants, and the same reason she thought she probably wouldn’t be accepted, or even be an appropriate fit for the summer program.

Jessi said that before she went to Bronfman, she didn’t have much interest in exploring her Jewish identity; but after a summer spent analyzing Jewish texts and ways of Jewish life, she has realized the importance of Judaism in her world. She began to get an inkling that the program would be a good fit during her interview with Rabbi Zion.

“He asked me to analyze a story told by Rabbi Nachman of Breslov about Shabbat. I loved that I was being asked to analyze a story on the spot. I really like literary analysis. I came up with an interpretation that he really liked and we had a great conversation about that and a number of other things,” Jessi said.

During the virtual orientation she had the feeling she would really like the program when she was given some texts from Pirkei Avot including, “Make for yourself a teacher, acquire for yourself a friend,” by Rabbi Yehoshua Ben Perachya.

“We had a very long, intense debate about what it means to make for yourself a teacher, acquire for yourself a friend. People were brilliant and had all these interesting ideas. It was a fascinating discussion and this is a group unlike anything I’ve been a part of before. These kids are really smart and really want to engage with texts and really want to engage with big philosophical questions,” Jessi explained.

Rabbi Zion noted that the organized Jewish community is often very centered around the large communities on the East and West Coast, but in Bronfman’s recruitment for this year’s fellowship they discovered some of the most creative young thinkers came from the Midwest.

“Jessi was an inspiring fellow. She is a gifted writer, a thoughtful presence and someone who was especially keen to understand the relationship between Israel and America. We are excited to see where Jessi will take her talents — and the questions she began asking at Bronfman — to the next stage, and to the benefit of the Jewish future,” Rabbi Zion said.

The diversity among the teens in the group, and her professors, were two of the things she enjoyed most about the experience.

“A lot of learning about these issues consisted of just talking to one another. They had people from very diverse backgrounds. We had two people from Teaneck, New Jersey, which is a very, very observant Orthodox Jewish community where everyone practices essentially the same kind of Judaism,” Jessi said.

Several teens on the program considered themselves atheists.

“We explored the possibilities of how one can be Jewish and consider himself or herself to be an atheist. I didn’t think it was possible, but it apparently is,” Jessi said. “I heard a lot about what it means to feel a connection to the Jewish community without necessarily feeling a connection with God. It was very interesting.”

She said she came home from the experience changed in a number of ways.

“I realized that I actually really cared about Israel and it’s not just an idea that I inherited from my parents,” she said, referring to the fact that her parents are active supporters of Israel and Israeli causes and have spent many summers living in Israel.

During the Bronfman program, she began forming her own opinion of Israel separate from what she has experienced with her family.

“When I got there this time I did feel a connection to Israel and I didn’t even quite realize the strength and reality of that connection before,” Jessi said.

She also believes she’s become more spiritually connected with Judaism, but that may not change how she practices the religion.

“I’m a lot more interested in learning about Jewish topics than I was and I’ve discovered that there are some really great Jewish philosophers like Rabbi Nachman and Rashi who I am actually really interested in learning about and who I would not have picked to study before I went on this program.

“It means I certainly know a lot more about Judaism then I did and I certainly feel a deeper connection with certain aspects of the actual religion itself then I did. It doesn’t necessarily mean that I’m going to start going to synagogue every Saturday morning or even most Saturday mornings. If there’s one thing that I take away from Bronfman it’s that it’s OK to be confused. It’s OK to be a little bit hypocritical or contradictory in terms of your practices. It’s OK to do whatever feels right to you and I think I’m going to do that.”

Providing students at public high schools a more in depth and serious study of Judaism is the focus of the Scholars Program developed by the Jewish Student Union. JSU is an organization for students in Kansas City public schools and serves approximately 150 students.

Fifteen students will be chosen, based on their applications, to become a JSU Scholar. The scholars will attend 10 programs beginning on Oct. 15. They will have dinner together and then discuss a topic with an assigned mentor. Each session will also feature a short presentation related to the evening’s topic from a local Jewish leader — possibly a rabbi or a Jewish educator or a professional such as a doctor or lawyer who is active in the Jewish community. Students interested in becoming a Scholars Program participant should go to the website at www.KCJSUSCHOLARS.org and complete the application.

The Scholars Program is a continuation of JSU’s efforts, which began six years ago. JSU strives to connect Jewish teens who attend public schools in the Blue Valley and Shawnee Mission school districts with Jewish activities. Each school has a local school sponsor, but the after school events are facilitated by the teens. Hillel Goldstein, the Kansas City director of the program who also heads up the NCSY program in Kansas City, helps as well.

“We try to reach out to the unaffiliated teens,” Goldstein said, “and get them connected and involved in other Jewish activities.”
Goldstein was encouraged to initiate the new scholars program following incidents involving students at Blue Valley North and Blue Valley Northwest high schools last year that produced cries of anti-Semitism. Because of the JSU program, teachers know Goldstein at those schools and went to him for advice.

“Teachers at Northwest approached me to discuss the issue,” Goldstein said. “We were very involved in it because people know us.”

Those incidents also inspired area students to request “more serious learning than was provided involving very practical questions,” Goldstein said.

“I saw a need in the community,” he continued.

Luckily for JSU and Goldstein, the Jewish community’s Funders Council was offering a grant for new learning initiatives in the community at that time. A JSU grant request for funding was accepted.

Goldstein hopes to limit the enrollment in the Scholar Program to 15 students to provide better relationships with the mentors and with each other. The 10 sessions will be held on Mondays, from Oct. 15 until Dec. 17. It is geared toward high school juniors and seniors. However, Goldstein said that any interested and motivated high school student can apply. The cost for the program is $25.

During the two-month program, Goldstein expects to discuss several topics including: “Why do we pray for the government?”; “Can one violate Shabbat to save a life?”; and “Why do we need to give charity, it’s my money?” JSU also plans to hold a second session beginning in January for another group of students.

As an added bonus all participants who complete the program will be eligible for scholarships to attend a follow-up Jewish experience. Students can receive $125 to attend a weekend trip to a BBYO, NCSY or other Jewish youth organization weekend convention. They are also eligible for a $250 scholarship to go on an Israel trip.

Tova Twersky, the volunteer program coordinator for the Scholars Program, hopes the students “develop an understanding of the Jewish perspective on important and life relevant areas, and that they come to appreciate the intellectual and spiritual depths of their religion.”

Twersky grew up in St. Louis and previously helped run JSU clubs in Kansas City in 2009.

Goldstein is also searching for five or six young adults, preferably in their 20s or 30s, to serve as mentors to the students in the Scholar Program. He is hoping to pair no more than three students with each mentor. The mentors must be able to commit to all 10 sessions. Mentor applications are also available on the www.KCJSUSCHOLARS.org website.

Daniel Rosenthal, who grew up in the Kansas City area and attended the Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy, has already agreed to be a mentor.

“When Hillel asked me to be a mentor, I was very honored,” said Rosenthal. “I hope these students learn as much from me as I know I will from them. I know these students are going to be strong leaders of the Jewish community, and I look forward to being a part of their growth.”

Rosenthal has volunteered with JSU for the past few years, helping with some of the sessions at Blue Valley North High School and Shawnee Mission East High School. He sees the new Scholars Program as an asset to JSU.

“The JSU Scholars Program is an awesome opportunity for these students to shine as future leaders of the Jewish community,” Rosenthal said. “I am very excited to be a part of this program.”

Cinema lovers in Greater Kansas City do not need to travel to Cannes, Toronto or Sundance to attend a first-class film festival. Opportunity knocks starting next weekend when local audiences can find their very own slice of film nirvana in Overland Park at the 12th annual Kansas International Film Festival (KIFF). KIFF will take place Oct. 5-11 at the Glenwood Arts Theatre located inside the Metcalf South Shopping Center.

This year’s festival will premiere more than 45 films over seven days. The lineup contains an eclectic mix of dramatic features and documentaries with many filmmakers in attendance. High profile major studio releases premiering at KIFF before their regular fall openings include “The Sessions,” “Smashed,” “Butter” and “A Late Quartet.”

Five films will have a distinctive Jewish flavor. They are “Remembrance,” “Kinderblock 66: Return to Buchenwald,” “A.K.A. Doc Pomus,” Within the Whirlwind,” and “Policeman.”

“Remembrance” is a romantic war drama spanning three decades inspired by true events. A German Jewish woman and a Polish partisan forge a passionate bond in the dark shadow of the Holocaust. After a daring escape from a Nazi death camp and surviving a treacherous journey through the woods to freedom, Hannah and Tomasz are separated during the chaos at the end of the war. Each is convinced that the other has died. The events of 1944 Poland interchange with 1976 Manhattan, where an older Hannah — now a happily married 52-year-old mother — accidentally glimpses a television interview that leads her to a stunning revelation. She is forced to confront her unresolved past. The dialogue is partially in German, Polish and Russian with English subtitles. It will be shown at 12:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 6. My rating 3 stars out of 4). [Editor’s note: This film will also be shown at the Kansas City Jewish Film Festival on Oct. 13 at the White Theatre.]

“Kinderblock 66: Return to Buchenwald” is a documentary about four men who, as young teenage boys, were imprisoned by the Nazis in the Buchenwald concentration camp. They along with other Holocaust survivors return to commemorate the 65th anniversary of their liberation on April 11, 1945. The true hero of the story is Antonin Kalina, a Czech communist who served as the block elder. He committed himself entirely to saving 1,000 Jewish children that he barely knew. At this time, Yad Vashem is still considering Righteous Among the Nations status for this courageous patriarch. Writer/director Rob Cohen has crafted a stirring history lesson of traumatic childhood memories utilizing black and white archival footage provided by Steven Spielberg’s Film and Video Archive and the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. Jewish actor Liev Shreiber (“Defiance”) is the narrator. The documentary is partially in Hebrew and German with English subtitles. It screens at 5:25 p.m. Monday night, Oct. 8. My rating 4 stars.

“A.K.A. Doc Pomus” is a touching and emotional biographical documentary about Brooklyn-born Jerome Solon Felder, better known as blues singer and songwriter Doc Pomus. His parents were poor Jewish immigrants. This heavyset Jewish kid contracted polio at age 6. Although confined to crutches and a wheelchair, he demonstrated a lot of chutzpah by living more during his 65 years than others could experience in several lifetimes.  He made a difference in the world as the lyricist of more than 1,000 songs, including “Save the Last Dance for Me,” “This Magic Moment,” “A Teenager in Love,” ”Suspicion,” “Can’t Get Used to Losing You” and “Viva Las Vegas.” His endearing tunes were recorded by the giants of the music industry including Elvis Presley, Ray Charles and Bob Dylan. This documentary is packed with incomparable music, rare archival footage and celebrity interviews. Pomus was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992. It will be shown at 1 p.m. Sunday afternoon, Oct. 7. My rating 3 1/2 stars.

“Within the Whirlwind” (7:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 8) is a biopic based on the memoir of Eugenia Ginzburg (Emily Watson), a Jewish educator, journalist and university administrator. During Stalin’s reign of terror, she was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment with deprivation of political rights and confiscation of all her personal property. She was sent to a gulag in Siberia. Having lost everything, and no longer wishing to live, she meets the camp doctor who probably saved her life by recommending her for a nursing position. The film has previously shown in Jewish film festivals in Boston, Atlanta, Barcelona and New York. My rating 2 ½ stars.

“Policeman” (5 p.m. Monday, Oct. 8) is an Israeli drama about the members of the most dangerous unit in the Israeli police. They clash with a group of young radical revolutionaries, who take three billionaires hostage at a wedding reception. The slow and methodical pacing may put you to sleep. The dialogue is in Hebrew with English subtitles. The movie was nominated for seven awards by the Israeli Film Academy (equivalent of the Oscars) including best film, director, screenplay, cinematography and actor. My rating 2 ½ stars.

Full festival passes, which cover admission to all KIFF films along with special advance seating privileges, are priced at $60. Individual tickets are $6.50 before 5 p.m. and $8.50 for evening shows. Seniors 60 and over pay $6.75 anytime. Discounts are available for Film League members. Tickets may be purchased at the Glenwood Arts. For the complete schedule and more information, call 913-642-4404 or visit www.kansasfilm.com.

Former Kansas Citian Jason Barnett is an officer in the Israel Defense Force. While his parents, Lori and Paul Barnett, were longtime supporters of Israel, it was only when Jason made aliyah that they realized their commitment needed to be deeper.

“We pray for peace, but we know that a well equipped Israeli Army is a deterrent,” said Paul Barnett.

He and his wife are not only Synagogue Ambassadors for the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) to The Temple, Congregation B’nai Jehudah, but they agreed to chair the Israel Action Forum Host Committee.

“By supporting AIPAC, we are supporting Israel and our son and all the sons and daughters who are committed to Israel’s defense,” he added.

Noted Wall Street Journal columnist Bret Stephens and Baptist minister the Rev. Dee Dee Coleman will headline the annual event from 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 21, at B’nai Jehudah.

“We really care about the future of Israel,” Barnett added. “Our visits there gave us a feeling of belonging; each time we returned, that feeling grew stronger. My service on the Federation’s Israel and Overseas committee was born out of a desire to serve the Jewish community. But until Jason told us he was making aliyah and joining the IDF, we had no idea how much our love for Israel influenced him.”

The Barnetts attended their first AIPAC Forum in 2011. “Promoting the partnership between our native country and our ancestral homeland seemed right,” Barnett said. “AIPAC helps preserve that partnership, just as strongly as Jason is committed to protecting Israel.”

When Ari Lubowicz was asked to take on a newly created role for AIPAC here, he, too, responded: “Yes!” Lubowicz will be the new ambassador chair, overseeing volunteers who work with temples and synagogues.

“My new role fits into what has become one of my passions,” Lubowicz explained. “My wife Marlene and I had debated attending AIPAC’s policy conference in D.C. After a rewarding weekend at last year’s K.C. forum, we decided to go. More than 13,000 people with different backgrounds and experiences congregated because of their support for the U.S.-Israel relationship. I am excited (about) continuing the good work of the K.C. leadership in bringing AIPAC and its mission to more people.”

Now in its fifth year, the AIPAC Israel Action Forum has been reformatted — with two major speakers, a streamlined program and a new cadre of volunteers.

Larry Nussbaum has served as K.C. Council chair, while John Isenberg and Bonnie Siegel chaired the forum since 2009. With Siegel now heading the K.C. AIPAC Council, Nussbaum serving as advisory chair, and Isenberg taking on donor development, Debbie Graham and Carol Katzman will oversee the forum.

Their team includes political co-chairs Miriam Glueck and Steve Graham and community outreach chairs the Rev. L. Henderson Bell and Larry King. Netta Krashin chairs community liaisons; Jeff Horen, public relations; Efi Kamara, Israeli outreach; Jonas Barrish and Ariella and Roy Ben-Aharon, young adults; Nathan Lipsky, college students; Hillel Goldstein, high school students and youth groups; Stan Zeldin, community agencies; and Michal Cahlon, Hyman Brand students. Lubowicz oversees Ambassadors Vic Bergman, Howard Ellis, Barry Kaseff, Brenda Rosenthal and the Barnetts.

Chairing the Saturday night Leadership Reception are Jenny Isenberg, Ronna Nussbaum and Kathi Rosenberg; both AIPAC guest speakers will be there. (The reception is open to all AIPAC Club members; to learn more, contact AIPAC’s K.C. Area Director Brad Fahlgren in the Chicago office at 312-253-8997 or email .)

Master Sergeant Jason Barnett just completed the IDF Command Course and is a paratrooper.

“We are so proud of Jason and (yet) we are concerned,” added Barnett. “When the U.S. supports Israel with defense funding, Lori and I are less worried knowing that Jason and his compatriots are well equipped.”

For more information or to register, call Tali Jubelirer in AIPAC’s Chicago office at 312-253-8984 or email . To register online, visit www.aipac.org/KCForum2012.

The Jewish community will be greatly represented in the inaugural Prime Time Awards, sponsored by Shepherd’s Center of KC Central. The 2012 Prime Time Champions are Shirley Rose, Crosby Kemper III and the Jewish Heritage Foundation.

The Prime Time Awards salute excellence in contributions to the community by individuals who are age 60-plus and/or organizations that help this population.

Rose, at the age of 78, founded the American Stroke Association along with her daughter in 1997.

“She is a remarkable example of the ability to bring an important vision to reality after the age of 60,” said JoEllen Wurth, Shepherd’s Center executive director.

Rose said, “I am deeply honored to be selected for this award from such a worthy organization.”

Kemper is the director of the Kansas City Public Library and former CEO of UMB Financial Corporation.

“Crosby exemplifies the stellar success of an encore career and the possibilities of making a community-wide impact in life after the age of 60,” Wurth said.

The Jewish Heritage Foundation is being honored for its leadership, Wurth said, “as a recognizable beacon that has led the way to ensuring that funding supports successful aging in Kansas City.

Ellen Kort, executive director of the Jewish Heritage Foundation, said the foundation is honored to accept the award.

“For the past six years our foundation has chosen to focus on ‘Aging in Community,’ and we see our goals mirrored in the excellent strategies employed by the Shepherd’s Center. We join the community in saluting the Shepherd’s Center Central as they continue to impact the progress of helping Kansas Citians age successfully,” Kort said.

Shepherd’s Center Central empowers mid-life and older adults to live healthy, engaged and independent lives. Founded in 1972, the Shepherd’s Center Central is a leader in the regional effort to ensure that all people can age successfully with dignity, security and respect.

The event will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 5, at the InterContinental Hotel. For ticket or sponsorship information, visit www.sccentral.org or call 816-444-1121.

MORE ON ‘MEET THE PRESS’ — Last week in a blurb about Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s interview aired on “Meet the Press,” (Sunday, Sept. 16), I mentioned that host David Gregory referred to Netanyahu as the “leader of the Jewish people.” However a reader has pointed out to me that later that same day Gregory clarified his earlier description of the Israeli prime minister on Twitter. He said it is better to say Netanyahu is the leader of the Jewish state.

HELZBERG PENGUIN PLAZA — For the first time ever the Kansas City Zoo will house a penguin exhibit and some of that is due to Barnett and Shirley Helzberg. A major gift was presented to the zoo in memory of the late Barnett C. Helzberg Sr. so the area will be called the Helzberg Penguin Plaza. It will open in late 2013 and will feature a 100,000 gallon cool pool for cold water penguins and a 25,000 gallon warm wet area laced with sand for warm water penguins. Zoo officials say each exhibit will provide child-friendly and magnificent views showcasing these extraordinary black and white birds in a recreated natural environment even including snow for the cold water feathered friends. The Friends of the Zoo raised $4.1 million for the project.

QUALITY HILL’S NEW SEASON — Quality Hill Playhouse opened its 2012-2013 season last week “On the Sunny Side of the Street: Music That Made the Depression Great,” a cabaret revue of high-spirited songs written to cheer up Americans during the Great Depression. Songwriters such as George and Ira Gershwin, Cole Porter, Dorothy Fields and Fats Waller helped Americans escape their reality by celebrating the brighter side of life through songs with lively rhythms, upbeat tempos and subjects of love and care-free living. Vocalists Julie O’Rourke Kaul, Kathryn Long and Ken Remmert will be joined by pianist/emcee J. Kent Barnhart, drummer Julian Goff and bassist Brian Wilson on more than two dozen “feel good” classics, including “Get Happy,” “Life Is Just a Bowl of Cherries,” “I Got Rhythm,” “Ain’t Misbehavin’,” “I Get a Kick Out of You,” “It Don’t Mean a Thing,” “Nice Work If You Can Get It” and more. “On the Sunny Side of the Street” runs through October at Quality Hill Playhouse. For tickets, call 816-421-1700 or visit www.QualityHillPlayhouse.com.

SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE — Know a Jewish teen who is making a real difference in the world and could put $36,000 to good use? The Helen Diller Family Foundation is expanding the Diller Teen Tikkun Olam Awards, issuing a national call-for-nominations to identify Jewish teens whose volunteer service projects demonstrate a determined commitment to make the world a better place. Up to 10 teens, five from California and five from other communities across the country, will each be acknowledged for their visionary actions with an award of $36,000 to be used to further their philanthropic work or their education. Deadline for nominations is Jan. 6.

What started as a simple idea for Bay Area Philanthropist Helen Diller in 2007 has grown tremendously over the last six years. The Helen Diller Family Foundation has given more than 1 million dollars to 30 teens to further their vision of tikkun olam — a central precept of Judaism meaning repair of the world.

Teens can be nominated by teachers, community leaders, rabbis, or anyone who knows the value of their volunteer service and commitment. Nominations made by family members will not be accepted. However, young Jewish teens may also nominate themselves.

To enter, complete the online nomination form at 222.jewishfed.org/teenawards/process. For more information visit www.jewishfed.org/diller/teenawards; call 415-512-6437 or email .

We looked forward to this trip to Israel — where we would be joining women from all over the world — for so long. It was billed as a journey of a lifetime that would reawaken our passion and commitment for Judaism and Israel. That’s exactly what it was, and more.

The trip was organized by the Jewish Women’s Renaissance Project, an organization established in 2008 with the purpose to empower Jewish women to change the world. Its mission is to create a Jewish women’s movement that inspires a renaissance of positive values that transforms women, their families and communities.

Our Kansas City contingent consisted of 20 women including our fearless leaders Esther Sokoloff and Bracha Schulgasser from the KC Kollel, who were the local sponsors of our trip. Assisting them were our amazing madrichim Amy Shapiro and Doris Mendel, who went last year as participants. Joining us were Adrianne Applebaum, Christa Balanoff, Jan Harness, Sharon Iseman, Jasmine Jacobs, Netta Krashin, Diane Margolies, Erin Nathan, Mindy Parmet, Judi Parnes, Heather Schlozman, Shari Sokol, Ellen Sommi and Erika Feingold-Velasquez.

Many of us had never been to Israel before and even those who had been years ago were very excited. We shared our bus with women from Manhattan, N.Y. It didn’t take long for our bus to obtain a nickname, MANKAN, and develop a motto, “no chicas left behind.” During the many hours spent on the bus touring, we were privileged to have very knowledgeable tour guides who shared with us their love and passion for Israel.

It’s very hard to describe all of our amazing experiences into one short article. One experience worth mentioning was our visit to The Mikveh of Tsfat, a world-acclaimed mikveh and “spiritual spa” that is one of the largest and most modern facilities in the country. As a group we were fortunate to experience the inner workings of this magnificent place and to meet the “serene Mikveh women.” We learned that the mikveh offers the individual, the community and the nation of Israel the remarkable gift of purity and holiness. One of the unique facets of this mikveh is it can accommodate physically challenged women so they, too, can enjoy this facet of our heritage.

As we made our way to Jerusalem, “Hatikvah” was playing throughout the bus. The city lights brought tears to our eyes.

Part of our mission involved study at Aish HaTorah. The variety of classes, the speakers and the view, which overlooks the Kotel, were truly amazing. We were truly inspired and transformed spiritually by all of the classes.

The one word that comes to mind when thinking about our Shabbat experience in Jerusalem is “wow!” It was everything we thought it would be and much more — from the beautiful meal at Aish HaTorah to the dancing and singing at the Kotel with 175 of our “sisters.” Complete strangers — teenagers, Israeli soldiers, mothers and daughters — joined our group to dance and sing because the experience was so moving and spiritual. We wish we could have every Shabbat at the Kotel.

Another one of our favorite experiences — but also the sweatiest, dirtiest and most physically tiring — was our journey to Masada and The Dead Sea. Nothing was more invigorating than standing at the top of Masada looking at our Holy Land. Instead of climbing the snake path to the top we took the cable cars. That allowed us more time to look at the view and learn about the history while walking in the footsteps of our ancestors. At the top of Masada, the group held a naming ceremony and invited any woman to participate who had never been given a Hebrew name. Several women from KC received their Hebrew names that morning.

Visiting the Dead Sea was an amazing experience. It was so incredible to lift our legs up and float with no raft; to cover ourselves with the mud from the sea from head to toe. Then we all bravely climbed up on camels, screaming with laughter for the entire ride.

The KC contingent was privileged to visit our sister city, Ramla. We felt a little bit at home when the bus pulled up and Alan and Debbie Sosland-Edelman got on it! We were able to see first-hand what the KC Jewish community and the Jewish Federation are doing there. These programs are really making a difference and are run by very hard working, dedicated individuals. More information about all these programs can be found at www.jewishkansascity.org.

We ended our day in Ramla by picking tomatoes, which were to be given to food pantries. This was a very new and different experience for most of the women in our group. We wish we could have stayed longer and helped more.

JWRP partners with a program called “Thank Israeli Soldiers” (www.thankisraelisoldiers.org). Its mission is to educate and empower soldiers throughout their IDF service and beyond. We visited an army base comprised mostly of women soldiers whose responsibility is to help watch one of Israel’s borders. We were struck by their youth, their maturity, pride and commitment to serve. Our group gave these brave soldiers gift bags and letters written by members of B’not Lev BBG. Heartfelt sentiments were exchanged as we thanked these soldiers for what they do.

Our time in Israel went by very quickly. Our days were busy and long, we were so connected to each other and our Jewish homeland. We were welcomed and embraced everywhere we went. We all felt “at home” in the Jewish state. We believe we were changed both inside and out. It was an experience we will never forget. One that as wives, mothers and Jewish people was empowering, enlightening, insightful, humbling and provided much needed spiritual nourishment for our souls.

We are sure we speak for the group when we say we cannot wait to return. Next year in Jerusalem.

Michelle Cole and Lenna Levitch were two of 20 women from Kansas City who participated in the Jewish Women’s Renaissance Project mission to Israel July 22 through Aug. 1. The local contingent was sponsored by the KC Kollel.