In this issue...
Parashat Lech-Lecha Shabbat times (Overland Park):
Candlelighting: 4:52 p.m.
Havdalah: 5:51 p.m.
Kansas City named host site of 2026 JCC Maccabi Games
By Alissa Sanderson Special to The Chronicle
Nearly 30 years after Kansas City first hosted the JCC Maccabi Games, organizers have announced that the largest organized Jewish sports event in North America will return to Kansas City in 2026. The Olympic-style sports competition will be held from Aug. 2 to 7, 2026, and will engage Jewish teens aged 13 through 17 years old in experiences to deepen Jewish identity and foster pride in their values through healthy competition and sportsmanship.
“We are beyond excited about this opportunity, and we look forward to the impact it is going to have on our community,” said Jim Sluyter, president and CEO of The J. “This mammoth undertaking will welcome close to 1,000 athletes from around the
Renowned Jewish advocate David Harris to speak to community
Jewish advocate
David Harris will be participating in a discussion at a community program titled, “An Urgent Call to Action: In Conversation with David Harris.”
Several community organizations will be co-hosting the event on Thursday, Nov. 21, at 6:30 p.m. at The Temple, Congregation B’nai Jehudah (12320 Nall Ave, Overland Park, KS 66209).
Harris’ advocacy stretches back
more than 50 years, and he served as CEO of the American Jewish Community (AJC) from 1990 to 2022 and currently is the executive vice chair for Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy.
Harris will speak about his experiences working with global Jewry, challenges he’s faced throughout his
See page 3
country and the world to our city, and I can’t wait for the rest of the country to have the opportunity to see just how incredible our community is here in Kansas City.”
Individuals and organizations within the community have already committed to supporting the event.
Herb and Bonnie Buchbinder, Sam and Danielle Levine and Jewish Federation of Greater Kansas City have committed lead gifts to help fund the Games in Kansas City. Community members
See page 10
Hollywood movie executive Josh Greenstein traces values back to KC Jewish community
By Kevin Deutsch Contributing Writer
A Jewish Kansas City native is among the biggest movers and shakers in Hollywood, working on the “Iron Man,” “Ghostbusters,” and “Mission: Impossible” franchises while getting to know film icons like Steven Spielberg and Martin Scorsese.
Josh Greenstein, president of Sony Pictures’ Motion Picture Group, has some serious Kansas City credentials: Born at Menorah Medical Center, the 50-year-old studio honcho attended Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy for kindergarten and first grade, grew up a “fanatical” Royals fan and used to geek out over seeing Hall-of-Fame
Kansas Chiefs quarterback Len Dawson at a local grocery store.
Greenstein’s favorite food as a kid were the burnt ends at Gates Bar-B-Q, where he’d chow down with his grandfather, cartoonist and World War II veteran William Miller. A cousin of famed Bugs Bunny and Pink Panther animator Friz Freleng, Miller embodied a creative streak in Greenstein’s family that influenced his life and work, as did the rich cultural environment of Kansas City’s Jewish community.
“Kansas City was just a wonderful Honoring
Jewish advocate David Harris
Sony Pictures’ Motion Picture Group President Josh Greenstein
By Sam Kricsfeld Editor
On the importance of Veterans Day
The main ideals that the United States stands for are exceptional. Though different ends of the political spectrum approach and interpret these ideals very differently, goals like striving for a more perfect union, establishing justice, providing for the common defense and securing the blessings of liberty are what this country is built upon. None of these, however, would be safeguarded or even possible without our military.
These dedicated people, who could (or still can) be called at any time to risk their lives for this country, are seriously undervalued and underappreciated. Veterans and people in active
duty, whether during peacetime or at war, should be recognized, respected and honored for their sacrifices and efforts.
Alive today are American veterans of at least six major wars and countless other military operations, in addition to veterans who served during peacetime on alert for any threat to our country. Among these heroes are Jews, and among them Jews in our community, to whom this issue of The Chronicle is dedicated.
On pages 8 and 9, we have listed the Kansas City Jewish veterans who submitted their information to The Chronicle for publication this and last year. This is the second year of our Veterans Day section, and we plan to make it an annual occurrence.
We want to specifically thank the Jewish War Veterans Mo-Kan
Post 605 for sharing our request for veterans’ information. Learn more about them on page 9. Another valuable resource for the Jewish community veterans is the book “For Those Who Served Our Country: A Tribute to Greater Kansas City’s Jewish Veterans,” which contains the names of more than 4,000 veterans going back to Civil War times. The book, completed in 2018, is a collaboration between Post 605, the Jewish Community Foundation and the family of Aaron Braeman. More information about the book is available at jcfkc.org/ veterans.
May G-d bless America, our military and our veterans.
submission deadlines
Renowned Jewish advocate David Harris to speak to community
continued from page 1
life’s work and the evolving role of Jewish advocacy in the world today. He has worked on several issues the Jewish people, Israel and liberal democracies have faced in the past half-century, and he stands as the most decorated Jewish organizational leader in American history.
He is the recipient of four honorary doctorates, most recently receiving a Brandeis University Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters in 2022. He has also been honored over 20 times by foreign governments for his international and global work. Former Israeli President and Nobel
Laureate Shimon Peres is said to have called Harris “the foreign minister of the Jewish people.”
Harris’ new book, “On the Front Lines: A Lifetime of Global Jewish Advocacy,” was released in August and details his 50-plus-year career working in the Jewish advocacy space. The book is a personal account, in conversation with Agnieszka Markiewicz, of Harris’ life journey.
Harris grew up in the home of wartime survivors, spent time in Soviet detention and faced many challenges. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Pennsylvania and continued his studies with a master’s degree and doctoral stud-
ies at London School of Economics. He has been a visiting scholar at Johns Hopkins University and Oxford University.
The discussion is being presented in partnership by several community organizations including Jewish Federation of Greater Kansas City, The J, Jewish Experiences and Jewish Com-
munity Relations Bureau | AJC. Several synagogues and congregations are also partners of the event, including Congregation Beth Israel Abraham & Voliner, Congregation Beth Shalom, Congregation Beth Torah, Kehilath Israel Synagogue, New Reform Temple and B’nai Jehudah.
The event is free and open to all members of the community. Registration is requested by Tuesday, Nov. 19. More information and registration are available on jewishkansascity.org/ events/an-urgent-call-to-action.
An Urgent Call to Action: In Conversation with David
Thursday, Nov. 21, at 6:30 p.m.
B’nai Jehudah, 12320 Nall Avenue, Overland Park, KS 66209
MCHE announces mapping project tracing Holocaust survivor journeys
Midwest Center for Holocaust Education
The Midwest Center for Holocaust Education (MCHE) has announced “Through Hell to the Midwest,” a mapping project that traces the stories of survivors who settled in the Kansas City area.
MCHE’s collection of Holocaust survivor testimonies, the Witnesses to the Holocaust Archive, is the centerpiece of its teaching resources. Preserving the testimony and ensuring that it is used responsibly in service of teaching the lessons of the Holocaust is the measure by which MCHE evaluates all requests to utilize the testimonies. One such request came to MCHE from Dr. Amber Nickell and Professor Hollie Marquess in the Fort Hays State University history department. As longtime MCHE partners, they had a vision for an innovative project utilizing the testimonies, which became “Through Hell to the Midwest.”
Using oral history testimony collected by MCHE and dually housed in the Fortunoff Archive at Yale University, they have meticulously followed the path of each survivor in the archive, tracing their steps from their hometowns in Central and Eastern Europe through their Holocaust experiences to their new lives in Kansas and Missouri.
“Working on this project has been incredibly rewarding,” Marquess said. “We hope this can function as a teaching tool for future generations, and we look forward to expanding the project to trace the experiences of other Midwestern survivors.”
Stephen Naron, director of the Fortunoff Video Archive for Holocaust Testimonies at Yale, called the project remarkable due to the collaboration of scholars, students, archivists and educators to visualize the movements of survivors with modern technology.
Countering denial
“In MCHE’s earliest years, our focus was on capturing and preserving survivor testimonies,” said MCHE Executive Director Jessica Rockhold about the impact of the project.
“But, more importantly,” he said, “on a collective level... it is a reminder of the fact that the Holocaust is not some history far remote in space and time... These KC survivors could have been your neighbors, and thus, their wartime struggle and pain, their family histories as well as their multifaceted contributions to postwar life in Kansas City are part of our story as well.”
Maps, documents and patterns
The maps allow learners to gain a sense of the movement of survivors over vast swaths of Europe and to understand how much movement was
common in these experiences. By layering the maps, learners can identify patterns based on the survivor’s country of origin, shared experiences and family connections. The maps are interactive and take the user not only to well-known locations like the Lodz Ghetto and Auschwitz but also track unique locations mentioned by survivors, such as hiding places and references to being near other locations.
In addition to highlighting the oral histories and tracing the survivors’ paths, the project has secured any available documents from the International Tracking Service — an internationally governed archive containing documents from Nazi and Displaced Persons Camps — and connected them to the survivors’ profiles.
“In the intervening years, our focus shifted to making them accessible and, even more importantly, allowing them to live in the current moment. Access is important, but ensuring their relevance in the world today is critical.
“This mapping project is a remarkable achievement in terms of accessibility and relevance,” she continued.
“It makes the survivors’ experiences real and concrete in a way that only geography can and, by adding the documents, it clearly refutes any attempt at denying that this happened. We are grateful that the survivors’ stories will move forward in such a dynamic and engaging way.”
The “Through Hell to the Midwest” project is ongoing, and new testimonies are being added. An initiative is underway with the families of the survivors to supplement the materials available in each profile.
More information is available at mchekc.org.
David Harris in 2018. (AJC)
Harris
A screenshot of the “Through Hell to the Midwest” map showing the movement of all included survivors.
celebrations and community news
Asher Gabriel Bassin, son of Zachary
A. Bassin and Lindsey L. Bassin, will become a bar mitzvah on Saturday, Nov. 16, at The Temple, Congregation B’nai Jehudah.
Asher’s grandparents are Leonard and Leah Bassin and Michael and Janice Bell. He has two siblings, Judah (15) and Naphtali (6).
As a 7th grade student at St. Peter’s School, Asher participates in peer mentoring for younger students. He is a Boy Scout, and his hobbies include wrestling, mountain biking, art and building projects.
For his mitzvah project, Asher volunteered and collected diapers for Happy Bottoms.
Emily Elizabeth Buchbinder, daughter of Debbie and Jeffrey Buchbinder of Needham, Massachusetts, will become a bat mitzvah on Saturday, Nov. 9, at Temple Aliyah in Needham.
Emily’s grandparents are Bonnie and Herbert Buchbinder of Overland Park, Kansas, and Carol and Ron Rabitz of Framingham, Massachusetts. She has an older sister, Hillary.
When not competing in gymnastics, Emily enjoys card games, board games and spending time with her friends and dog, Bella.
Jessica and Aaron Kroll, will become a bat mitzvah on Saturday, Nov. 9, at Congregation Beth Shalom.
Madelyn’s grandparents are Marcia Karbank and Patti Kroll, and she has three siblings: Isabella (14), Victoria (9) and Emilia (6).
Some of her hobbies include dancing and playing volleyball and soccer.
For her mitzvah project, Madelyn is collecting art supplies to donate to Children’s Mercy Hospital. The art supplies will give children an opportunity for some distraction, fun and creativity during their hospital stay.
Family and friends are invited to a Kiddush luncheon after the service.
Jewish Experiences launches 2024-25
Acclaimed Author Series
The Acclaimed Author Series, presented by Jewish Experiences, a collaboration of Jewish Federation and The J, returns this season with five authors coming to Kansas City to share their stories. Each event is free to attend, and this year, guests will have the option of pre-ordering the author’s book at a discounted rate to be signed at the event. Interested individuals can visit thejkc.org/aas for more information and to register.
“We are thrilled to kick off our fourth season of the Acclaimed Author Series,” said Megan Pener, manager of Jewish Experiences. “This year’s lineup offers a rich tapestry of voices, each sharing unique stories that span a wide variety of genres — from gripping fiction and personal memoirs to inspiring narratives and thought-provoking perspectives. It’s a celebration of storytelling that invites every reader to find a new favorite voice and connect deeply with the written word.”
Dan Slater’s “The Incorruptibles”
This season kicks off on Wednesday, Nov. 13, at 7 p.m. with Dan Slater’s “The Incorruptibles: A True Story of Kingpins, Crime Busters, and the Birth of the American Underworld.”
The event will be held at the Lathrop GPM Building (2345 Grand Blvd., Ste. 2200, Kansas City, MO 64108) and will be moderated by local retired journalist Dan Margolies.
Slater’s “The Incorruptibles” explores the presence of Jewish crime networks from the late 19th to early 20th century across multiple regions, with particular influence in the U.S., especially in New York’s Jewish neigh-
borhoods. Jewish criminals engaged in various illicit activities, including bootlegging during Prohibition. Wealthy Jewish leaders such as Jacob Schiff and Felix Warburg, concerned about the impact on the Jewish community’s reputation, formed a private vigilante group, “The Incorruptibles,” to counter this involvement, motivated by a shared sense of responsibility amid anti-immigrant sentiments.
Beth Kander’s
“I Made It Out of Clay”
Beth Kander is a novelist and playwright with tangled Midwestern/Deep South roots. The granddaughter of immigrants, her writing explores how worlds old and new intertwine or collide. Kander will share her novel, “I Made It Out of Clay,” on Dec. 19 at 7 p.m. at Monarch Books & Gifts (7713 W. 151st St. Overland Park, KS 66223), the Acclaimed Author Series’ official bookseller. Community member Lindsay Fineman will moderate the event.
“It’s exciting to have the opportunity to bring another talented romcom author to Kansas,” Pener said. “This genre has been a standout favorite among our audiences in past years, bringing warmth, humor and relatable stories to the community. This year’s featured author promises to continue that tradition, delivering the perfect blend of romance and laughter that our attendees have come to love.”
Lee Yaron’s
“10/7:
100 Human Stories”
On Jan. 15, 2025, Lee Yaron will bring a definitive account of the Oct. 7, 2023, massacre through the stories of its victims and the communities they called home in her book “10/7: 100 Human Stories.” The event, which will be held at 7 p.m. at the Jewish Community Campus (5801 W. 115th St., Overland Park, KS 66211), will be moderated by Neta Meltzer, interim executive director of the Jewish Community Relations Bureau|AJC.
A work of investigative journalism by acclaimed Haaretz reporter Lee Yaron, “10/7” chronicles the massacre that ignited a war through the stories of more than 100 civilians. These stories are continued on page 12
Bar Mitzvah
Asher Gabriel Bassin
Bat Mitzvah
Emily Elizabeth Buchbinder
Bat Mitzvah
Madelyn Ava Kroll
Madelyn Ava Kroll, daughter of
community news
Barry Birkmeyer announced as The J’s new camp, school-age services director
Barry Birkmeyer, longtime manager of The J’s camp and school-age services department, has been promoted to the program’s new director. Birkmeyer steps into the role after previous director DD Gass announced her retirement earlier this fall.
Birkmeyer has worked in the schoolage services department for the past 11 years, starting as a counselor for The J’s “Ma’asim Tovim” camp. After his first summer, Birkmeyer stayed on with the after-school program before being
promoted to supervisor. Seven years ago, he stepped into a new assistant director position for J Camp, working alongside Gass as they grew school-age programming at The J.
“I am absolutely thrilled to welcome Barry Birkmeyer as our new director of camps and school-age services” said Carly Stein, The J’s chief operating officer. “Barry’s exceptional leadership and innovative vision have already made a remarkable impact within The J. I am excited to see how he will
J. Rieger & Co. partners with JFS for community cocktail event
The distillery J. Rieger & Co. will host a cocktail event in support of Jewish Family Services (JFS). On Tuesday, Nov. 12, from 3 to 6 p.m., attendees can enjoy signature drinks, explore the historic distillery and connect with friends while supporting JFS efforts. The distillery is located at 2700 Guinotte Ave, Kansas City, MO 64120. During the event, J. Rieger & Co. will donate 20% of all sales to support the mission of JFS; an additional donation will be made for every bottle of Horsefeather Whiskey sold at the distillery through November.
The Rieger family has deep roots in Kansas City’s Jewish community. After immigrating from Goritz, Austria/ Hungary in 1877, Jacob Rieger (formerly Rizor) settled in Kansas City’s West Bottoms neighborhood and established J. Rieger & Co., a distributor of fine liquors. His son, Alexander, grew the company into the largest mail-order whiskey house in the country until Prohibition shut its doors in 1920.
J. Rieger & Co. distillery, where a cocktail event will support JFS.
A savvy businessman, Alexander soon became a major figure in Kansas City’s financial industry as well as a civic leader. He served on the board of the United Jewish Charities of Kansas City (Jewish Family Services), the Jewish Orphans Home and Menorah Hospital until his death in 1936.
“Knowing the connection between the Rieger family and JFS makes this community cocktails event very special,” said Andy Rieger, president of J. Rieger & Co. “We’re proud to honor our heritage by supporting an organization that my great-greatgreat-grandfather cared deeply about nearly 100 years ago.”
Community Cocktail Event
Tuesday, Nov. 12, from 3 to 6 p.m. J. Rieger & Co., 2700 Guinotte Ave., Kansas City, MO 64120 Serving All Cemeteries BEFORE YOU BUY-SHOP & COMPARE
continue to elevate our programs and drive us forward in this new role. With his passion and expertise, I am confident that he will inspire both our team and the families we serve, leading us to new heights of success and engagement.”
Birkmeyer’s enjoyment of his job and the positive impact it has on youth in the community is apparent in relationships he’s built while at The J. “I love the relationships I’ve built over the last decades – with the parents, kids, staff,” he said. “I make a difference with the kids, and now that I’ve been here long enough, we have kindergarteners I had [during] my first year who are now staff members. It’s cool to see it come full circle and have them on your staff.”
Birkmeyer studied criminology at Missouri State University and realized soon after graduating that it wasn’t a path he found fulfilling. Now, 11 years
makes him excited to go to work.
“I want to continue to grow on DD’s legacy,” he said. “I love what we’ve built over the last decade together, and I am ready to step into the role. It’s going to be bittersweet, but I am excited to build on that legacy and make sure kids still love camp and want to come here and make incred-
Learn more at VillageShalom.org or call 913-303-4826 or 913-317-2600 to tour our welcoming senior living community. We look forward to showing you what peace of mind looks
Barry Birkmeyer poses during a bird show at J Camp.
HBHA Tzitzit
Through a collaboration with KC Kollel and Torah MiTzion, Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy students have the opportunity to learn how to tie tzitzit, which will be sent to soldiers in Israel. Sponsorships are available to help support this initiative. Those interested can learn more at bit.ly/ HBHAtzitzit.
Women Of Strength
More than 150 women from the community attended Jewish Federation’s Women’s Philanthropy Women of Strength event at The 1900 Building on Oct. 30. The event featured Brooklyn-based designer Freida Rothman and her line of jewelry.
Those who were unable to attend the event can shop online at freidarothman.com/jewishkc and use promo code JEWISHKC. 10% of all jewelry sales will benefit the Shavot program in Federation’s partner city of Ramle, Israel.
A necklace that was custom designed for the Kansas City community by Frieda is also available for purchase at jewishkansascity.regfox. com/2024-wos-necklaces.
Donations Needed
Jewish Vocational Service (JVS) needs winter coats of all sizes and styles for its clients.
Donations can be dropped off at the JVS office at 4600 The Paseo, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, or purchased from the JVS Amazon Wishlist at amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ ls/1S3AWOOS204SW.
Heritage Center Friendsgiving
The Heritage Center at The J is hosting its first Friendsgiving lunch on Thursday, Nov. 21. The event will include some turkey trivia, a dessert bar and an after-meal viewing of the movie “The Blind Side.”
Attendees are asked to write down their favorite Thanksgiving recipes to share and copies will be given to those who want them.
Reservations are required by Nov. 15 and can be made online at thejkc.org/events/2024/11/ heritage-center/21/friendsgiving/.
Maccabi Media
Applications are now open for the 2025 Maccabi Media program. Selected applicants will cover and market the three-week Olympic-style international competition which will take place in Israel from June 29 to July 22.
This program is open to Jewish media, broadcasting, and communications students and recent grads between the ages of 18 and 25. Those interested can learn more and apply at maccabiusa. com/maccabi-media.
ord Search
JCCMACCABIGAMES DAVIDHARRIS JOSHGREENSTEIN
The words you’ll be searching for are all subjects of articles in this week’s Chronicle! The words can be forward or backward, oriented up and down, left and right or diagonal.
POETLAUREATE MITZVAHGARDENKC RABBIRUDNICK SEVENDAYS BARRYBIRKMEYER ACCLAIMEDAUTHORSERIES JEWISHFAMILYSERVICES MARIAHINOJOSA PAPERAMULET JEWISHWARVETERANS WHOISTHEPRESIDENT
• Acclaimed Author Series (pg. 4)
• Barry Birkmeyer (pg. 5)
• David Harris (pg. 1)
• JCC Maccabi Games (pg. 1)
• Jewish Family Services (pg. 5)
• Jewish War Veterans (pg. 9)
• Josh Greenstein (pg. 1)
• Maria Hinojosa (pg. 10)
• Mitzvah Garden KC (pg. 11)
• Paper Amulet (pg. 10)
• Poet Laureate (pg. 12)
• Rabbi Rudnick (pg. 11)
• SevenDays (pg. 14)
B’nai B’rith Bowling Scores
The following bowlers achieved high scores in the Sunday Kansas City B’nai B’rith Men’s Bowling League at Ward Parkway Lanes on Oct. 27 and Nov. 3.
Oct. 27
500 Series
Hunter Thomas 692 (191 280 221)
Ryan Thomas 647 (224 219 204)
Bill Sloan 594 (165 206 223)
Steve Greenberg 575 (159 213 203)
Bruce W Parker 569 (172 192 205)
Nick R Meyers 556 (185 218 153)
Mark Newton 546 (201 178 167)
Bruce Singer 538 (153 215 170)
Scott Hecht 537 (161 211 165)
Steve Baraban 534 (197 159 178)
Michael Altman 528 (186 173 169)
Steve Thomas 522 (181 168 173)
Morty Rock 521 (171 156 194)
Steve Eisman 519 (192 150 177)
Irwin Snitz 500 (156 173 171)
170 Series
Marion Potts 199
Michael Sokol 181 Ray Kopek 180
Christopher Eldredge 177 Jerry Shapiro 171
Nov. 3
500 Series
Hunter Thomas 612 (237 203 172)
Christopher Eldredge 572 (190 220 162)
Ryan Thomas 569 (181 193 195)
Michael Sokol 553 (162 203 188)
Jerry Shapiro 529 (136 214 179)
Scott Hecht 525 (141 212 172)
Steve Baraban 512 (188 172 152)
Bill Sloan 503 (174 161 168)
Irwin Snitz 502 (167 167 168)
Steve Eisman 501 (167 163 171)
170 Series
Michael Altman 199
Marion Potts 197
Stuart Pollack 190
Ray Kopek 189
Kent Verden 189
Steve Thomas 182
Nick R Meyers 181
Bruce W Parker 180
Morty Rock 171
Steve Greenberg 170
If you are interested in bowling during the ‘24-’25 season for a competitive, fun, social atmosphere, you can contact Tom Balke at (913) 244-7010 or balketw@yahoo.com or Stuart Pollack at (913) 957-3716 or skp28@aol.com.
Women of Strength
Jewish Federation’s Women’s Philanthropy recently hosted its Women of Strength event featuring Brooklyn-based jewelry designer Freida Rothman. Approximately 150 women from our community attended the event, which included cocktails, shopping and a Q&A with Rothman. Pictured (top) are Women of Strength committee members Beth Liss, Brenda McKinnon (event chair), Lindsay Fineman, Lisa Ruben and Catherine Singer; (middle) Amanda Palan, Tracy Shafton and Amy Shapiro; and (above) Sandy Leibsohn, Michele Kaplan and Bari Freiden.
New Eagle Scout
Right: Congregation Beth Torah collected almost 1,943 pounds of food and sundries for the JFS Food Pantry during its 5785 High Holy Day Food Drive.
Left: Simcha Gifts volunteers prepared 1,000 holiday packages to be distributed to Jewish people in area senior living communities and homes in Greater Kansas City. In addition, holiday packages were mailed to lone Jewish college students, seniors and Holocaust survivors in outlying communities.
Asher Glass of Troop 61 recently earned his Eagle Scout Award. He was presented his Eagle Scout Award at a Court of Honor at Congregation Beth Shalom. Pictured with Asher are his parents Adina and Norman Glass.
Rock Chalk Shabbat
KU Hillel hosted its annual Rock Chalk Shabbat celebration at the Burge Union at the University of Kansas. KU Chancellor Douglas Girod was a guest speaker at the event.
The J’s men’s 4.5 pickleball team recently won the Fall Kansas City TenCap Intraclub Championship. Pictured (from left) are Lorejas Renard, Tyler Richard, Chad Johnson, Barry Fishman (captain), Craig Haye and Ron Radtke.
Honoring our Jewish community’s veterans
Lillian Braeman Bell (z”l)
Lieutenant Junior
Grade Lillian Braeman
Bell served in the U.S. Navy for two years.
Aaron and Sophie Braeman (z”l)
Staff Sergeant Aaron Braeman and Staff
Sergeant Sophie Braeman served in the U.S. Army Air Force for four years during World War II.
Richard S. Brockman
Private First Class
Richard S. Brockman served in the U.S. Army from 1952 to 1954.
Jack Forman
Corporal Jack Forman served in the U.S. Army, in General George Patton’s 4th Armored Division, in Germany. He served from September of 1943 to June of 1946.
Larry Gordon
Air Force Reserve
Master Sergeant Larry Gordon served in the U.S. Army from 1967 to 1970 and the U.S. Air Force Reserve from 1979 to 1996. He is a member and past Commander of JWV MO-KAN Post 605, and a past Commander of the JWV Department of Midwest. He is pictured with his wife, Sally Pape Gordon.
Rabbi Moshe Grussgott
Captain Rabbi Moshe Grussgott (left) served in the U.S. Army Reserve from 2007 to 2013. He was a chaplain in the 800th MP Brigade, headquartered in Farmingdale, New York.
Dana L. Hall
Captain Dana L. Hall served in the Commissioned Corps of the U.S. Public Health Service from 1992 to 2022.
Dr. Richard Hellman
Captain Dr. Richard Hellman served in the Medical Corps of the U.S. Air Force from 1968 to 1970. He served at Carswell Air Force Base in Fort Worth, Texas; as a physician running a hospital and dispensary on a base near the Russian island of Sakhalin; and at the Wakkanai Air Station in Japan. He received the National Defense Service Medal.
Robert Hoffman
Corporal Robert Hoffman served in the U.S. Army for two years during the Korean War.
Lynn Kuluva
First Lieutenant Lynn Kuluva served in the U.S. Army from 1966 to 1968 and the U.S. Army Reserves from 1968 to 1972.
Ben Lelchook
Private First Class
Ben Lelchook served in the U.S. Army from 1943 to 1945 during World War II. He served as a tank crew member and fought in more than 10 battles, including the Battle of the Bulge.
Dave Lerner
Sergeant Dave Lerner served in the U.S. Army in Vietnam from 1967 to 1968 as a in the 101st Airborne Division.
Chip Levine
Chip Levine (left) served as an officer in the U.S. Army on four continents. He is a member of JWV MOKAN Post 605.
Rodney T. Minkin
Petty Officer Second Class Rodney T. Minkin served in the U.S. Navy Reserve for eight years.
Howard Noah
Petty Officer 2nd
Class Howard Noah served as an aviation electronics technician in the U.S. Navy from 1967 to 1976.
continued from previous page
Isadore Pincus (z”l)
Captain Isadore Pincus served in the U.S. Army for three years. He was stationed in Europe and awarded a Purple Heart.
Greg
Quinn
Specialist Five Greg Quinn served in the U.S. Army from 1967 to 1969. He served for 14 months in South Korea.
Steven
B. Schorr
Yeoman Third Class and First Class Petty Officer Steven B. Schorr served in the U.S. Navy from 1966 to 1973.
Veterans Day
Norman Shaffer
Personnelman Norman Shaffer served on the Navy USS Pivot from 1956 to 1958.
Norman R. Spero
Colonel and Judge Advocate Norman R. Spero served in the U.S. Army from 1980 to 2011. He is a member of Jewish War Veterans Post 605.
Dr. Wallace Weber
Colonel Wallace Weber served in the U.S. Army for 31 years. This photo was taken in Iraq during Operation Desert Storm in 1991, where he was the flight surgeon for the Assault Battalion of the 82nd Aviation Brigade of the 82nd Airborne Division.
TheChroniclesincerelythankseachandeveryveteraninthesepages, inthecommunityandinthecountryfortheirservice.Allnames,photos and information were submitted to The Chronicle in 2023 and 2024.
By Lacey Storer Assistant Editor
Veterans Day (and Armistice Day) in The Chronicle
This year marks the 70th anniversary of Veterans Day — it was changed from Armistice Day in 1954 after U.S. Representative Ed Rees (fromKansas)presentedabilltoCongressand PresidentEisenhowersigneditintolaw.
The first mention of Armistice Day in The Chronicle was on Nov. 12, 1920, when the Fortnightly Club celebrated the day with “an informal supper in the Vestry rooms of the Temple.” It does not say which temple.
The first mention of Veterans Day in The Chronicle was on Nov. 5, 1954, when the Heart of America Chapter of B’nai Brith held an “entertaining program” to pay tribute to veterans at Kehilath Israel Synagogue.
In 1967, Jewish War Veterans Commander Cyrus Spungen’s Veterans Day message was published in The Chronicle, which read:
“Veterans Day is a time of tribute and appreciation for those who were willing to fight, and if necessary, die that deceny, democracy and dignity should not die.
“May we emulate the heroes of the Israeli War in June as we continue to carry high the banners of justice and patriotism; and let us pay our respects to the valiant men in Vietnam today who are waging the latest in the struggles for the preservation of everything that is noble and precious in the life of our nation and in the legacy of our people.”
Last year marked the first dedicated Veterans Day section in The Chronicle.
Jewish War Veterans work year-round to remember, assist those who served
As our nation prepares to celebrate Veterans Day, there’s a group in our Jewish community that works to honor, remember and help veterans every day.
Jewish War Veterans, a national organization, started as the Hebrew Union Veterans Association in 1896, after the Civil War. The organization was started in part to fight the perception that Jews weren’t doing their part in defending our country by serving in the armed forces.
JWV is the oldest continuous veter-
ans organization in the United States, older than even the Department of Veterans Affairs and Veterans of Foreign Wars. Locally, Jewish War Veterans MO-Kan Post 605 has been around since after World War II, established on March 20, 1948. Founding members included Chester Kaplan, Louis Pelofsky, Irving Pelofsky, Dr. A.L. Kushner, Al Jacobs, Ralph Cohn, Ben E. Pener and Albert A. Levin.
In addition to providing social interaction and camaraderie for its members, Post 605 serves several functions. It funds and supports a couple of scholarships for college students, including its own schol-
arship awarded to college students who are relatives of Post 605 members (living or deceased). Individual members of the post also help fund Johnson County Community College’s Pay It Forward Student Veteran Scholarship, which is given to a veteran student each year.
Post members attend the funerals of fellow members who pass away, and even act as pallbearers in some instances. Post members also make appearances at various events throughout the year.
Those interested in joining or learning more can email William Greenberg at greenbergwilliam@
hotmail.com or the post’s Facebook page at facebook.com/JWV-605113534657113204.
Paper amulet
By Ellie Holsten
Amulets are objects believed to have mystical properties of protection, sometimes warding against a specific danger and other times providing general blessings for safety. This paper amulet was made in the 18th century to guard against Lilith, a demon who targets mothers and babies. Amulets that are made for specific circumstances are often meant to provide protection during childbirth and infancy.
Italian paper amulets like this one were generally folded and placed in silver amulet holders and hung in the home, sometimes over the birthing bed or the baby’s crib. Fold lines are visible on this piece from its placement in one such special container. Text reading “Lilith be gone” appears multiple times on the piece, marking its purpose as a childbirth amulet. Other text on it includes names of angels; the Priestly Blessing; and pairs of patriarchs and matriarchs: Adam and Eve, Abraham and Sara, Isaac and Rebecca, and Jacob and Leah. A hamsa, a hand-shape commonly found on amulets, is at the center of this piece.
More information about the Michael Klein Collection at the Temple, Congregation B’nai Jehudah can be found at kleincollection.org or by calling (913) 663-4050 to schedule a tour.
The Kansas City Jewish Chronicle and the Klein Collection are partneringtoshareandhighlightsomeofthe collection’suniquepieces.
JVS annual meeting to feature Emmy and Pulitzer Prize-winning author
In honor of its 75th anniversary, Jewish Vocational Service (JVS) will bring Emmy and Pulitzer Prize-winning author Maria Hinojosa to Kansas City on Thursday, Nov. 21, at 6:30 p.m. The free event will be held at the Kansas City Art Institute (4415 Warwick Blvd., Kansas City, MO 64111).
In a conversation moderated by Christy Moreno, chief advocacy and impact officer at Revolución Educativa, Hinojosa will share reflections from her memoir, “Once I Was You: A Memoir of Love and Hate in a Torn America” and her experience growing up Mexican-American on the south side of Chicago intertwined with the history of U.S. immigration policy. Her personal story and her
work sharing the stories of others highlights disparities and the impact of immigration and immigration policy on Americans.
Hinojosa is the founder of Futuro Media, a nonprofit newsroom in Harlem, New York, made to create multimedia content from the perspective of people of color. She is also the creator of the Pulitzer Prize-win-
JVS Annual Meeting
ning podcast “Suave,” which focuses on her relationship with David Luis “Suave” Gonzalez, in addition to telling the story of thousands of other people sentenced to die in prison for a crime they committed as a minor.
Additionally, Hinojosa is the anchor and executive producer of the Peabody Award-winning show “Latino USA” on NPR; cohost of the “In The Thick” political podcast; and has her reporting featured on PBS, CBS, WNBC, CNN, NPR and more.
More information is available at jvskc. org/calendar/2024-jvs-annual-meeting.
Thursday, Nov. 21, at 6:30 p.m.
Kansas City Art Institute, 4415 Warwick Blvd., Kansas City, MO 64111
Kansas City to host 2026 JCC Maccabi Games
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Diane Azorsky, Beth and Michael Liss and Erin Berger are committed as the event co-chairs, while Lisa Schifman has stepped in as the assistant Games director. Howard Jacobson, Scott Slabotsky and Herb Buchbinder will act as honorary co-chairs.
“We are so excited The J is bringing JCC Maccabi to Kansas City,” said Jay Lewis, president and CEO of Jewish Federation. “This will be a phenomenal opportunity to engage hundreds of people from across our community to help make it happen and to show off how special Kansas City and the Kansas City Jewish community are to so many youth, families and professionals from across the country.”
The J’s Director of Sports and Recreation Bob Hennecke has been confirmed as the local Games director, having served as the Kansas City delegation head for the Games in recent years. Hennecke was part of the original host team when the Games came to the community in 1997.
“We look forward to using the knowledge and experience we have gained over the past 30 years to create a memorable experience for our local delegation, the participants and, most importantly, our community, as we bring the JCC Maccabi Games to Kansas City once again,” Hennecke said.
The Games, established in 1982, are
a signature program of the JCC Association of North America, intended to be a Jewish identity-building experience to strengthen Jewish teens’ connections to global Jewry and build community in celebration of Jewish pride.
“It is an honor to bring the 2026 JCC Maccabi Games to Kansas City,” said Samantha Cohen, senior vice president and director of JCC Maccabi. “We look forward to collaborating with the local organizing committee to deliver an exceptional event that will unite thousands of Jewish athletes, volunteers, and spectators from around the world in this vibrant community, rich in Jewish life and a strong sporting culture. These games stand as a powerful celebration of Jewish pride, resilience, and unity, along with incredible sportsmanship, and Kansas City is ready to deliver an unforgettable experience that will inspire and empower athletes and the community for years to come.”
The JCC Maccabi Games was last hosted by The J in Kansas City in 1997. At the time, hundreds of community members opened their homes to visiting delegates across the United States and the world, allowing nearly 800 Jewish teens to come experience Kansas City and the Games. The J plans to create the same experience in 2026.
“This is our community’s time to shine and to come together in a labor of love for our youth,” Sluyter said. “Yes, it will be a lot of work, and we know that this effort will be more than worth it in terms of the impact made on our community, specifically Jewish youth in our area.”
All in the community are welcome to experience the Games and its activities. From host families to community partners to interested funders, there is an opportunity for everyone to contribute to the strengthening of Jewish identity and community bonds. More information will become available in the coming months, and interested individuals are encouraged to contact Carly Stein at (913) 327-8062 or carlys@ thejkc.org or visit thejkc.org/Maccabi.
The J team is currently looking for interested athletes to participate in the 2025 Games. An event will be hosted on Sunday, Nov. 10, in the social hall at the Jewish Community Campus to celebrate the accomplishments of past participants and to share developments for the program ahead of the games in 2025.
Those with questions regarding the event or interested in learning more about participating in the 2025 JCC Maccabi Games can visit thejkc.org/ Maccabi or contact Hennecke at (913) 327-8005 or Maggie Osgood Nichols at (913) 327-4612.
Maria Hinojosa
community news
JULIETs to host Rabbi Rudnick for conversation on varied Jewish customs
Jewish Unforgettable Ladies Interested in Eating Together (JULIETs) will host Rabbi Jonathan Rudnick, the community chaplain for Jewish Family Services, for a conversation titled “12 Tribes, 1 People.”
Rabbi Rudnick will teach attendees about why the customs of Orthodox, Conservative and Reform Judaism sometimes vary regarding topics like weddings, healthcare, death observances and conversion. He invites attendees to ask questions for a discussion.
The program will take place at Congregation Beth Torah (6100 W. 127th St., Overland Park, KS 66209) on Sun-
day, Nov. 24, at 12:30 p.m.
Reservations are required by Thursday, Nov. 21, by contacting Susie Klinock at JULIETs.KC@ gmail.com. Jewish women (and non-Jewish women with a Jewish spouse) are invited to all JULIETs events, and no synagogue affiliation is required. Attendees should bring their own lunch or snack; JULIETs will provide beverages and paper goods.
“12 Tribes, 1 People” with JULIETs Sunday, Nov. 24, at 6:30 p.m. Kansas City Art Institute, 4415 Warwick Blvd., Kansas City, MO 64111
Art exhibit honoring Oct. 7 victims moves to Mitzvah Garden
An art piece honoring the victims of the Oct. 7 terror attacks has found a permanent location at the Mitzvah Garden KC.
The artwork is composed of nearly 1,200 stones symbolizing the loss of each terror victim. Each stone was hand-painted with the name of a victim. Dozens of staff from organizations located at the Jewish Community Campus and Jewish students at HBHA and the University of Kansas helped paint the hundreds of memorial stones.
The artwork was originally on dis-
By Kaley Wajcman
While attending the Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy, one of my elementary school Jewish Studies teachers tasked us with memorizing a very significant pasuk (line from the Torah) from the Torah portion, Parshat Lech Lecha.
I remember staying up late (likely because I saved this assignment for the night before as many kids do), fumbling over the words, trying to get them down just right so that I could recall them for when it would be my turn to recite them before my teacher.
This pasuk is as follows: “G-d said to Avram, ‘Go forth from your native land and from your father’s house to the land that I will show you.’”
Variations of this famous pasuk, and the one that follows, have also been sung for decades from countless campers in the beloved song “L’chi Lach.”
play in the lobby of the Jewish Community Campus. Its meaningfulness resulted in it being on display for a month — longer than the originally intended seven-day display period. Community Shalicha Mika Kislanski was one of the driving forces behind the artwork’s creation.
Mitzvah Garden KC (12320 Nall Ave., Overland Park, KS 66209) will now display the stones outdoors. The stones have been coated with a protective seal to preserve the paint, and volunteers helped reassemble the piece.
What could be so poignant about this very pasuk that has woven itself through generations of our existence as Jews across that world, that it often stands out amongst the more-than 5,000 other pasukim in the Torah?
Allow me to segue for just a minute. I’m a mom to three inquisitive kids. They ask questions; I don’t always have answers. Uncertainty doesn’t always sit well with kids — or adults! But my goal of developing and fostering open communication with my children and building confidence is that I share with them that I, too, experience uncertainty. Just because my child may see my husband and I confidently moving (or, let’s be honest, fumbling) about our days and weeks playing the role of “grown-ups,” doesn’t mean that grownups always know what lies ahead.
“Even grown ups have to face uncertainty,” I reassure them. For instance, as I write this, just days away
from our presidential election, I am faced with an immense amount of uncertainty in what lies ahead.
As adults, we learn to take action with the information we have and lean into our instincts. As a mental health provider, I like to encourage the use of scripts with my clients. Together we may craft language that helps become familiar for an individual to rely on when we don’t yet have a playbook for this moment. It could sound something like, “What do I know with certainty?” “What skills do I possess that have gotten me through a situation like this before?” “How can my faith guide me through this uncertainty with peacefulness and strength?”
The ultimate goal is validating the uncertainty they share and reminding them of their ability to move forward, even with uncertainty.
Over the years, many authors and spokespeople have coined variations of this concept into their own mantras: to “do it scared,” they preach, encouraging folks to move forward and take action, despite fear.
Imagine if we let fear dictate our actions? Imagine if Avram let fear dictate his actions?
Far too often, uncertainty can prevent one from taking a step forward into new opportunities, keeping one stuck in a “freeze” state — unable to make a decision. If you’re a parent or work with children, you may find it difficult when supporting a child to do something outside their comfort zone. Naturally, as adults, we want to protect them, and we may want to validate that sense of uncertainty when we notice it. “I see you’re scared, or that you don’t feel so sure…” we might recognize, eventually conceding in a choice to preserve that comfortability. But does that help foster growth? Does that lead to new opportunities? Does that build confidence?
G-d, not so cryptically, even instructs Avram “…[to go] from your father’s house,” no-doubt a
Rabbi Jonathan Rudnick
Volunteers at Mitzvah Garden KC assembled the relocated artwork memorializing the victims of Oct. 7.
Kansas poet laureate emeritus to speak about bringing Holocaust history to the state
Since Kansas Poet Laureate Emeritus Caryn Mirriam-Goldberg’s nonfiction book, “Needle in the Bone: How a Holocaust Survivor and Polish Resistance Fighter Found Each Other and Beat the Odds,” was published in 2012, she has brought this story of the Holocaust and Polish Resistance to dozens of small towns and cities throughout Kansas. On Sunday, Nov. 24, at 5 p.m., Mirriam-Goldberg will bring this decade-long endeavor to a close with one final presentation at the Lawrence Jewish Community Congregation (LJCC) (917 Highland Dr., Lawrence, KS 66044), her home congregation.
Mirriam-Goldberg’s talk will be followed by a reception. This event is free and open to the public although the LJCC requests advance registration on their website.
“Needle in the Bone,” an autoethnographic book blending memoir, histo-
ry, oral history and more, tells a tale close to home: the twined stories of best friends Lou Frydman, a Holocaust survivor, and Jarek Piekalkiewiz, a Polish Resistance fighter. The book also includes Mirriam-Goldberg experience grappling with the weight and meaning of their stories. “Needle in the Bone” was awarded as a Kansas Notable Book.
Entitled “Holocaust Stories of Resistance and Resilience: A Presentation on Bringing the History of Holocaust to Kansas,” the talk will encompass both the stories of Frydman and Piekalkiewiz as well as what Mirriam-Goldberg discovered by going into far reaches of Kansas, sometimes as the first Jew people in the community had ever met. Mirriam-Gold-
berg’s experiences span the poignant, the unexpected and even the surreal at times (with more than a little humor involved) serving — as she joked about
with the organization Humanities Kansas — as a “roving scholar porta-Jew.”
Through the lens of Frydman and Piekalkiewiz’s stories, she was able to engage with hundreds of people interested in learning more about the Holocaust and Polish Resistance, concerned about antisemitism and other forms of othering, and inspired by what it means to survive and make a new life in a new land.
Funding for this program was provided by the Lindenbaum Fund for Holocaust Education and by the Humanities Kansas.
Holocaust Stories of Resistance and Resilience Sunday, Nov. 24, at 5 p.m. LJCC, 917 Highland Dr., Lawrence, KS 66044
Jewish Experiences launches 2024-25 Acclaimed Author Series
continued from page 4 and the Tangled Way We Tell the Story of the Holocaust” to Kansas City on March 4, 2025, at 7 p.m. The event will be held in Heritage at The J (5801 W. 115th St., Overland Park, KS 66211) and will be moderated by Dr. Shelly Cline, historian/director of education at the Midwest Center for Holocaust Education.
the products of extensive interviews with survivors, the bereaved, first responders in Israel and beyond. The victims run the gamut from left-wing kibbutzniks and Burning Man-esque partiers to radical right-wingers, from Bedouins and Israeli Arabs to Thai and Nepalese guest workers, peace activists, elderly Holocaust survivors, refugees from Ukraine and Russia, pregnant women and babies.
Chris Heath’s “No Road Leading Back”
Award-winning journalist Chris Heath brings his story “No Road Leading Back: An Improbable Escape from the Nazis
“No Road Leading Back” is the story of a dozen prisoners who escaped from the site where more than 70,000 Jews were shot in the Lithuanian forest of Ponar after the Nazi invasion of Eastern Europe in 1941. Anxious to hide the incriminating evidence of the murders, the S.S. enslaved a group of Jews later in the war to exhume every one of the bodies and incinerate them all in a months-long labor – an episode
whose specifics are staggering and disturbing, even within the context of the Holocaust. From within that dire circumstance emerges the improbable escape made by some of the men, who dug a tunnel with bare hands and spoons while they were trapped and guarded day and night.
Stuart E. Eizenstat’s “The Art of Diplomacy”
The series will end on May 6, 2025, at 7 p.m. as U.S. diplomat Stuart E. Eizenstat brings his book “The Art of Diplomacy.”
The location is to be determined.
In one readable volume, diplomat and negotiator Stuart E. Eizenstat covers every major contemporary international agreement, from the treaty to
end the Vietnam War to the Kyoto Protocols and the Iranian Nuclear Accord. Written from the perspective that only a participant in top-level negotiations can bring, Eizenstat recounts the events that led up to the negotiation and the drama that took place around the table, and he draws lessons from successful and unsuccessful strategies and tactics. The stories come from interviews with more than 60 key figures in American diplomacy, including former presidents and secretaries of state, and major political figures abroad.
The Acclaimed Author Series is co-sponsored by Jewish Experiences and the Jewish Book Council and is supported by the Sam Schultz Jewish Book Fair Fund.
Monarch Books & Gifts is the exclusive bookseller of the Acclaimed Author Series. Only copies purchased from Monarch Books & Gifts will be eligible for author signing by the author. More information about the Acclaimed Author Series and other programs developed by Jewish Experiences is available at TheJKC. org/jewishexperiences.
Books to be featured in Jewish Experiences’ 2024-25 Acclaimed Author Series.
Author and Kansas Poet Laureate Emeritus Caryn Mirriam-Goldberg (center) with the subjects of her book “Needle in the Bone,” Polish Resistance fighter Jarek Piekalkiewiz (left) and Holocaust survivor Lou Frydman.
Hollywood movie executive Josh Greenstein traces values back to KC Jewish community community news
continued from page 1
place to grow up,” said Greenstein, who was raised in the Red Bridge area and has two younger sisters. “I definitely think attending the Hebrew Academy helped solidify my identity as a proud Jewish man. Kansas City informed my patriotism in terms of feeling how proud and special it is to be an American, while at the same time having a very clear Jewish identity.”
Some of Greenstein’s fondest memories from childhood are those involving Kansas City’s natural beauty: days spent fishing, hiking and swimming that sparked his lifelong love for the outdoors.
“Me and my friends were always outside, hanging outdoors with my dogs, fishing and swimming in the creek” near his family’s home, said Greenstein, an avid mountain biker. “Horseback riding, fishing, hunting, all that stuff I think I really got from growing up in Kansas City.”
When he wasn’t bonding with his grandpa or relishing time in nature, Greenstein loved watching films like “Uncommon Valor,” a 1983 war flick starring Gene Hackman; “Red Dawn,” a 1984 drama starring Patrick Swayze, Charlie Sheen and Lea Thompson; and the 1982 classic “48 Hrs.” starring Nick Nolte and Eddie Murphy.
The budding film buff also saw the epic story of Moses and the Israelites on his grandpa’s TV.
“Some of my earliest memories are of watching Yul Brynner and Charlton Heston in ‘The Ten Commandments’ at my grandfather’s house,” Greenstein said.
After graduating from Boston University with a communications degree, Greenstein said he wasn’t sure how he’d make a living. He lacked interest in typical nine-to-five jobs, but his love for stories on the big screen never dimmed.
When he landed a job working with a producer in New York City, Greenstein at last felt he’d “found the right place for me.”
“I didn’t even realize that was possible,” he said of a career in entertainment.
Greenstein’s passion for cinema helped fuel his rise through the industry’s ranks: He spent nine years in senior marketing jobs at Paramount
Pictures; served as chief marketing officer from 2011 until 2014; and helped the studio achieve blockbuster success with films with “The Wolf of Wall Street,” “World War Z,” “Captain America: The First Avenger,” “Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol,” the “Star Trek” and “Transformers” franchises, and “Hugo,” the 2011 Martin Scorsese film nominated for a best-picture Oscar.
He also had the opportunity to work with prolific Jewish director Stephen Spielberg while distributing movies for DreamWorks, the studio co-founded by the legendary filmmaker.
“He’s an amazing filmmaker and human being,” Greenstein said of Spielberg.
In 2014, Sony Pictures named Greenstein president of worldwide marketing and distribution, a job in which he helped boost “Spider-Man: Far From Home” to more than a billion dollars in global box office earnings.
Sony Pictures in 2019 promoted Greenstein to his current role as president of its Motion Picture Group, an opportunity he’s used to help make popular films like Quentin Tarantino’s “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” and “Ghostbusters: Afterlife.”
“The great part of my job is getting to work with creative directors and producers and writers and actors –the talent is really the creative engine that makes everything go,” Greenstein said. “Being able to work with these immensely talented filmmakers over the course of my career — from Quentin Tarantino to Spielberg, to Martin Scorsese and Jason Reitman — is an incredibly rewarding and exciting part of the job.”
The path Greenstein forged from local Hebrew school classrooms to the star-studded studio lots of Tinseltown can be traced back to Europe, where his paternal grandparents lived before sailing separately for the United States. Greenstein’s father, Jerry Greenstein, said that his mother, Esther Greenstein, emigrated from Kyiv, Ukraine, and father, David Greenstein, from Boćki, Poland, while in their teens.
Fleeing pogroms and antisemitic persecution, the couple met in New York City, where David Greenstein worked as a horse-and-cart fruit
peddler on the Lower East Side. They later made their way to Kansas City, where they married. David Greenstein opened a grocery store called Baby Beef Market.
During High Holy Day services at Congregation Beth Israel Abraham and Voliner, Josh Greenstein “listened to my father pray beautifully, and the emotion and feeling of being wrapped up into that community, I think, helped shape him,” his father said.
Another formative Jewish influence was Greenstein’s Bar Mitzvah at age 13 at Israel’s Western Wall.
“I think that left a lasting impression on Josh’s Judaism,” his father said.
Outside of work, Greenstein is a devoted family man. He lives with his wife, Caroline, in Los Angeles’ Venice neighborhood. Parents to a son and daughter, the couple also have three French bulldogs that play starring roles in the Greenstein home.
Hollywood may be a long way from Red Bridge, but Greenstein said he’s never forgotten his Kansas City roots –or the lessons he learned here.
“America is the greatest country in the world in terms of its openness, its freedoms and its support of inclusivity,” the studio executive said. “That’s a lesson I learned growing up in Kansas City.”
Jewish community members helping launch
Caring Connection service in KC
Caring Connections has announced the launch of its services in the Kansas City area. It is dedicated to fostering meaningful relationships and improving quality of life for seniors and has a mission to connect them with carefully vetted compassionate companions.
to their role.
Supporting the launch of Caring Connections are Jewish community members Joan Minda, longtime resident of Kansas City (now in Austin, Texas), and Robbie Small, community leader and entrepreneur.
Caring Connections works to bridge the gap and provide trusted one-onone emotional and intellectual support to enhance the wellbeing of aging adults. The organization strives to address the unique needs of seniors who may feel isolated, lonely or in need of additional social interaction. By pairing seniors with dedicated companions, Caring Connections aims to make a positive impact on the mental, emotional and physical health of older adults.
Each companion is thoroughly screened to ensure that they bring the highest level of integrity, patience, empathy and understanding
The need for senior companionship is greater than ever. The organization said that social isolation affects over 22 million adults who live alone (30% by 2030). Ninety percent of seniors want to remain in their homes. The consequences of loneliness include the higher risks of dementia, heart disease, stroke, hospital visits and premature death.
Caring Connections offers services that include friendly visits, assistance with daily activities, transportation to appointments, engaging in hobbies, crafts and interests, social outings or simply sharing stories.
More information is available by visiting caringconnections.us or calling (913) 407-7796.
Correction
In the Oct. 24 print issue of The Chronicle, the article about Mitzvah Memories erroneously identified David Wasserman as David Wasserstrom.
community news
SevenDays announces 2024 Button Art Competition
Now in its 11th year, SevenDays is looking for inspirational designs by area high school students (9-12 grades) to capture its daily themes for its annual SevenDays Button Art Competition.
All Kansas City metro students are invited to submit their original designs by the application deadline by midnight on Friday, Dec. 13. All applications must be submitted online at sevendays.org/ get-involved/for-students/button-art-competition.
SevenDays is a Kansas Citybased nonprofit organization that promotes kindness and understanding through education and dialogue
school students, we are giving them a voice and asking their opinion on what kindness means to them, inviting them to depict kindness through our selected themes and in the genre of wearable art,” SevenDays Cofounder Mindy Corporon said last year.
For the competition, interested students must submit eight original artistic designs, representing each of the SevenDays daily themes — “love,” “discover,” “others,” “connect,” “you, “go” and “onward.”
email in early January. The eight students whose designs are selected will each receive $500.
SevenDays 2025 activities begin on Monday, March 31, 2025, and continue through Tuesday, April 8. SevenDays will also host its fourth annual Kindness Breakfast on Wednesday, April 2, in The Foundry at The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection in Leawood. The art competition winners will be recognized during the Kindness breakfast.
During the ensuing days, SevenDays encourages the public to celebrate kindness through the other daily themes.
The student-designed colorful buttons (and stickers) reflect each day’s theme and have become a signature of SevenDays. The buttons and stickers are distributed to area schools, businesses, organizations, faith groups and the public to spread the message of kindness. These stickers have been distributed locally as well as in 16 states across the country.
Complete details about the competition can be found at sevendays.org under the “Get Involved” tab.
“Through this competition for high
Winning button designs will be chosen by a panel of local art professionals and representatives of SevenDays. Students’ artwork may win in only one category. Winners will be notified via
Questions regarding the Button Art Competition applications should be emailed directly to info@SevenDays. org with “SevenDays Art Competition” in the subject line.
Images of past button designs and videos featuring past button art winners can be found on the SevenDays YouTube channel.
Pictured are past winners of the SevenDays Button Art Competition: (top row, from left) Alex Hanton, Jonah Salsbury, Bruno Cinelli da Silva, Neeva Tompkins, Mekaela Malinowski, (bottom row) Nirvana Mullin and Caroline Gordon.
Marian Rose
Herbert Max Rosenthal
obituaries
memory.
Marian Rose passed away on Oct. 21 at her home. She was born on Feb. 5, 1930, in Kansas City and was the daughter of Phillip and Lena Carroll. She graduated in 1946 from Westport High School, where she lettered in several sports. She attended both Kansas City University and the University of Kansas.
Marian became an MT at St. Mary’s Hospital in Kansas City and spent several months after graduation traveling throughout the West Coast and Mexico with fellow nurses and MTs by train.
She married John B. Rose on July 18, 1952. They had three children: Karl, Irene and Joyce. Both John and Marian were very active in civil rights during the ‘50s and ‘60s, participating in many protests, marches and sit-ins. They were active in The Arc and were instrumental in establishing special education programs in the Shawnee Mission School District. She was one of the first organizers of Special Olympics in Johnson County.
Marian worked in several doctors’ offices, including those of Drs. Neighbor, Waddell and Butcher. She enjoyed many things, especially reading, crossword puzzles, word games and crocheting Afghans, doll clothes and baby dolls.
The family sends special thanks to Shoshana Rose, who lived with Marian for many years and was her caretaker in her later years.
Marian was preceded in death by her parents; brother, Lewis; husband, John; and daughter, Joyce.
Marian is survived by her son, Karl Rose (Rachel) of Olathe, Kansas; daughter, Irene King (Galen) of Lafayette, Indiana; grandchildren, Melaura Rose of Olathe, Aaron King (Rebecca) of Lebanon, Ohio, Shoshana Rose of Prairie Village, Kansas, Seth King (Asher Jones) of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Phillip Rose of Olathe, Ariel Rose of Olathe and Alex Rose of Olathe; and great-grandchildren, Alice King and Martha King. Marian is also survived by her sister-in-law, Estelle Berman; nephews, Manny Berman (Karen) and Steve Berman (Judy); and niece, Sandra Berman.
Graveside services were held on Oct. 25 at Rose Hill Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests contributions in Marian’s name to the Johnson County Special Olympics. Online condolences for the family may be left at louismemorialchapel. com.
Herbert Max Rosenthal passed away on Oct. 29.
Herbert Max Rosenthal was born on March 18, 1942, at Menorah Medical Center in Kansas City, Missouri, to Selma (Loeb) Rosenthal and Werner Rosenthal. He grew up on his parent’s farm in Kansas City, Kansas, and attended Washington High School in KCK.
Herb joined the U.S. Navy in 1960 and served as a radar man aboard the U.S.S. Providence for four years. He traveled to Japan, Haiti and many other ports during his service. He was honorably discharged in 1966.
Herb attended Kansas State University briefly and then attended a local vocational-technical school where he studied to become a draftsman. He worked for Wilcox Electric and then Wulfsberg Electronics until the mid 1980s.
Herb married Myrna Lee Goodrich in June of 1967, and together they had three children. They were longtime members of Congregation Ohev Sholom until moving to South Florida in 1987.
Herb and Myrna divorced in 1995, and Herb married Charlene McArtor of Hollywood, Florida, in 2005. They moved to Covington, Georgia, where Herb lived until 2020. With the COVID pandemic, he could no longer visit his wife at her care facility, and his health was declining. His children moved him to the Kansas City area to be closer to family. Herb spent the last days of his life at Villa St. Francis Care Center in Olathe, Kansas, under Catholic Community Health Hospice.
Herb was preceded in death by his parents, Werner Rosenthal and Selma (Loeb) Rosenthal; and his wife, Charlene. He is survived by his three children, Rachel Rosenthal-Fleming, Seth Rosenthal (Erika) and Debbie Beznovsky (Roman); eight grandchildren, Jacob (Kaitlyn) and Eric Fleming, Ethan and Sadie Rosenthal, and Noah, Sam, Ari and Asher Beznovsky; two brothers, Ronald Rosenthal (Cindy) and Steven Rosenthal (Yvonne); and many cousins, nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations be made to Jewish Family Services of Kansas City (jfskc.org), Catholic Community Health Hospice (catholiccommunityhealth.org/hospice) or any charity of choice in Herb’s
Graveside services were held on Friday, Nov. 1, at Mt. Carmel Cemetery. Online condolences for the family may be left at louismemorialchapel. com.
Gerry Halpern Trilling
Gerry Halpern Trilling, 79, passed away on Oct. 27, surrounded by her family.
She was born in St. Louis, Missouri on Jan. 22, 1945, the daughter of the late Siegmund and Helene Halpern.
Gerry leaves behind her loving husband of 57 years, Howard; her three children, Micah (and spouse Ortal), Abby and Sara (and spouse Matt); and her five grandchildren, Harvest, Josephine, Audrey, Helene and Stella. She was preceded in death by her sister, Karen Silverman Techner, and Abby’s daughter, Cordelia.
Gerry was very proud of the entire family and their accomplishments. She was a member of Congregation Beth Shalom since moving to Kansas City in 1986. A graduate of the Kansas City Art
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quintessential place of comfort and familiarity for Avram. It’s as if G-d could anticipate any hesitation that could be brewing within Avram, and in a fatherly way, validates this challenging ask of him. “Avram, I see you. I’m asking a lot of you, and I know you can do hard things.” If I could have needle-pointed Avram a cloak thousands of years ago, or Cricuted him a blanket for his donkey, it most definitely would’ve read the words “Wecandothehardthings.”
And this is precisely what we, as Jews, as Jewish parents and educa-
Institute, Gerry was a talented career artist, showing her work nationally in galleries and maintaining studios for over 45 years. She began as a fiber artist, and over the course of her career moved into painting, sculpting, mixed media, paper making and crochet. During her career, Gerry was awarded multiple residencies.
Along with her visual art, Gerry’s other creative outlets included a passion for cooking and gardening. Gerry also spent time on the boards of the Jewish Family Services, JCRB|AJC, and Passages, an organization for LGBTQ youth. Gerry had many other interests in life. She was an avid reader of fiction and appreciated great films. Another of her memorable activities was her time at Camp Thunderbird, teaching the campers to make paper by hand.
Gerry and her husband were worldwide travelers, spending three months in Israel for their honeymoon and living in London and Sydney, Australia, later in her life. Of all the places she visited, Iceland was her favorite destination. In lieu of flowers, the Trilling family requests donations to Jewish Family Services Food Pantry, Congregation Beth Shalom or the charity of your choice. Online condolences for the family may be left at louismemorialchapel. com.
tors, continue to instill in our children and in our homes and as a nation, to this day. Fostering trust comes from hearing someone’s voice validate, “This is scary, and we’ve got this,” and so that others will follow while you bravely lean into this uncertainty. But while there may be “uncertainty,” this has been the tune of our song for thousands of years. It requires us leaning into the uncertainty and trusting in Hashem, our partners and caregivers, because we have known as Jews for generations that growth comes from taking action.
Shabbat Shalom.
KaleyWajcman,MA,ATR-BC,isan art therapistandfounderofCreative Pathways LLC., an art therapy practiceinLeawood,Kansas.
Kansas City’s Jewish Funeral Home Over 104 years Proudly Owned & Operated by the Epstein Family 6830 Troost Ave., Kansas City, MO 64131
global news
Jewish groups mourn executed 20-year-old Iranian Jew
Jewish News Syndicate
Jewish groups mourned the execution of Arvin Netanel Ghahremani, 20, in Iran on Monday and condemned the Islamic Republic for its decision to kill the young Jew, who allegedly killed a man in self-defense.
“His life ended under a system that allowed discrimination and cruelty to guide his fate. Shame on the Islamic Republic of Iran,” stated the World Jewish Congress. “Our condolences are with his family through this tragedy and utter lack of justice.”
Ghahremani “was attacked with a knife by a non-Jewish man to whom he had loaned money. The other man was killed,” stated the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, an agency of the Jewish Federations of Canada-UIA.
CIJA noted that in line with Iranian law, which allows for a “blood money” agreement with the family of the deceased, the Jewish community offered to fund a school or mosque and name it for the man who was killed.
“Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps terrorists reportedly pressured the vic-
tim’s family not to accept a financial settlement to prevent the execution,” wrote Jason Brodsky, policy director at United Against Nuclear Iran. “No surprise in timing in the executions here of Jamshid Sharmahd and now Ghahremani as the regime wants to send a message at home that it is still in control despite its losses against Israel.”
Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO and national director of the Anti-Defamation League, wrote that the execution was “politically motivated” and “reminds us that the regime has one primary domestic industry—repression, especially of minority communities—and one primary foreign export—antisemitism.”
“Anyone who truly cares about human rights and freedom should be raising their voice on all platforms and engaging all international organizations against the Iranian regime,” Greenblatt stated.
“The inhumane execution of Arvin Ghahremani by the criminal Iranian regime is another indication of its ruthless nature,” wrote Tammy Ra-
hamimoff-Honig, an Israeli diplomat. “This regime is a global menace. Now is the time to stop it.”
Monday also marked the 45th anniversary of the day, on Nov. 4, 1979, that followers of Ayatollah Khomeini took over the U.S. embassy in Tehran and
held American diplomats hostage for 444 days.
Rep. Mike Waltz (R-Fla.) wrote that by Inauguration Day, “the Americans taken hostage by Hamas on Oct. 7 will have been held longer than those taken in the 1979 Iran hostage crisis.”
100 years ago today
The Chronicle ran this photo on Nov. 7, 1924, of the winners of that year’s election, President Calvin Coolidge and Vice President Charles G. Dawes.
As Chronicle staff finish this paper, the election has not ended yet, and we don’t know who will be our next president. Rest assured that we will not plaster the faces of whoever wins on the front of the next paper.
