In this issue...
Scholarship opportunities open
Remembering Lenny Zeskind
Parashat Acharei-Kedoshim Shabbat times (Overland Park):
Candlelighting: 8:01 p.m.
Havdalah: 9:05 p.m.
Jewish player Anthony Firkser supports Chiefs on practice squad
By Michael Sudhalter Special to The Chronicle
One could spot Anthony Firkser shopping at the grocery store or strolling through The Country Club Plaza and just see a tall, athletic guy. Even the most loyal of Kansas City Chiefs fans may not be able to identify the 6-foot2, 241-pound Firkser, as he was a mostly behind-the-scenes part of the franchise’s trip to the Super Bowl in February.
Firkser, who grew up Jewish in northern New Jersey and is proud of his heritage, said it was special to be part of the 2024 Chiefs, who finished with 17 wins and three losses.
He credits his faith with staying close with his immediate and extended families. Firkser also enjoys meeting fellow Jewish players in the NFL as well as sharing his Jewish experience with teammates who may not have
met many other Jewish people.
The 30-year-old tight end was released by the New York Jets on Oct. 31, 2024, and signed with the Chiefs’ practice squad two days later.
“They’ve been going to the Super Bowl for the last three years, but it was
new to me,” Firkser said. “It was cool to see how dialed in everyone was in the organization. It paid off to get us there, and unfortunately, we came up short.”
Being a member of the practice squad means players do everything that their counterparts on the 53man roster do, except dress for the games.
Firkser was elevated to the active roster for three games — victories over Las Vegas, Cleveland and Houston. He played on special teams on Dec. 21 — less than a week before Hanukkah — and registered a tackle against the Texans.
The regular season game against Houston was Firkser’s last game action, but he practiced with the team throughout the playoffs and made the trip to Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans, Louisiana.
“You wish that you were out there
KU Chabad, KU Hillel denounce anti-Israel resolution, encourage student advocacy
By The Chronicle staff
The University of Kansas Student Senate overruled its president’s veto of a resolution denouncing Israel, titled “A Resolution to Recognize the Ongoing Genocide in Palestine.” Student organizations KU Hillel and KU Chabad continue to encourage students to use their voices to advocate for the Jewish community at KU.
The resolution passed on April 9 despite opposition and speeches by Jewish students. Jewish campus organizations KU Hillel, KU Chabad and the
KU branch of Students Supporting Israel (SSI) all shared messages on social media criticizing the resolution and lauding the Jewish students who opposed it. Student Body President DaNae L. Estabine vetoed the resolution, but its authors — Jewish Students for People’s Liberation, KU Young Democratic Socialists of America and KU Students for Justice in Palestine — called for a revote on April 23. The revote overturned the veto despite additional speeches by Jewish students
and President Estabine.
“Now that we know the fight to protect Jewish students is taking place in student government, KU Hillel will put more emphasis on encouraging students to use their democratic power to advocate for themselves informally through meaningful dialogue and formally by speaking up in council and assembly meetings,” said Ben Davis,
assistant director of KU Hillel, “and we’ll be here to support them at every step.”
“We’re actively encouraging our students to take on greater leadership roles so the Jewish community is represented to help shape the campus environment with integrity,” said Rabbi Zalman Tiechtel, co-director of KU Chabad. Davis and Rabbi Tiechtel said their organizations will continue to encourage students to push back against antisemitism.
“The biggest takeaway for Jewish supporters of KU is that it is up to all of us to build bridges, engage in dialogue and advocate publicly for the safety and
Cohn family Holocaust items at Beth Torah
Tight-end Anthony Firkser playing for the Kansas City Chiefs. (Photo by the Kansas City Chiefs)
The University of Kansas Campanile and the Oread Hotel in Lawrence, Kansas.
It is important to remember and stand in solidarity with those still held hostage by Hamas:
Cohn family Holocaust items on display at Beth Torah
Thawatchai Saethao
Uriel Baruch
Yair Yaakov
Yonatan Samerano
Yossi Sharabi
Bring Them Home Now
Congregation Beth Torah member Robert Cohn, son of Holocaust survivors, donated his family’s Holocaust-related items to his synagogue. The items, which are on display, were donated not only as a living memorial to his parents and his late wife of 27 years, Lorena Cohn, but also with the express desire that it be utilized in the synagogue’s education initiatives.
Cohn’s mother, Betty, and his father, Berthold Cohn, fled Germany at different times in 1938 to a refugee camp in Shanghai, China. There they met and married in 1946. Robert’s mother wanted an “American Baby,” and one day after arriving in America, on Nov. 1, 1947, Robert was born.
“Robert’s gift to us of his precious family items from the time of the Shoah will provide priceless education value to our students and our congregation at large,” said Damien Timms, executive director of Beth Torah. “These items not only demonstrate the efforts the Reich took to further demarcate Jews — the red ‘J’ on their passports — but we also get to see an area of Shoah history that many, including myself, did not know about, that being the exodus of Jews to Shanghai. These items, including his parent’s three marriage licenses — in German, Chinese and Hebrew — along with their cooking pot from the camp, show a deeply personal side to Jewish history. It was a privilege
for us to receive these items. On both a personal and professional level, it was an honor to work with Robert on the display. As executive director of Beth Torah, I feel an extraordinary duty to be the caretaker of these items.”
Situated just inside the Beth Torah building in its ulam (entrance hall), the display has pride of place so all who enter can read the deeply personal account of Cohn’s family.
Hanging above the display is an article from The Kansas City Jewish Chronicle which then reported on Cohn’s dual bar mitzvah with his son.
Beth Torah has also been named the recipient of Cohn’s estate after his passing.
Pictured are (above left) Robert Cohn with the new display of his family’s Holocaust-related items inside Congregation Beth Torah; (top right) The Chinese marriage license of Betty and Berthold Cohn, then Jewish refugees in Shanghai; and (above right) the German passport of Betty Cohn upon her departure from Nazi Germany in 1938.
Author and native Kansas Citian
Julie Fingersh to discuss award-winning book
Julie Fingersh, a native of Greater Kansas City and acclaimed author and journalist, will return to Kansas City later this month to discuss her award-winning book, “Stay: A Story of Family, Love, & Other Traumas.”
Fingersh will discuss “Stay” twice — first on Tuesday, May 20, from 5 to 7 p.m. at Pembroke Hill School (5121 State Line Rd., Kansas City, MO 64112), and then on Thursday, May 22, at 7 p.m. at Rainy Day Books (2706 W. 53rd St., Fairway, KS 66205).
to now as a parent, while covering the hidden cost of family secrets, intergenerational ripples from a family member’s illness, the weight of one’s past and more.
“Stay” centers around the complexity of relationships, parenting and midlife, while also showing readers what’s behind the veil of those navigating medical or mental struggles. Fingersh explores her past and present, ranging from as a young child in Kansas City
“‘Stay’ is for everyone struggling to help loved ones plagued by depression, mental illness, or the isolating veil of chronic illness,” Fingersh said in a press release. “It’s for everyone wrestling with midlife’s ghosts and the twin pillagers of self-judgment and fear. But more than anything, ‘Stay’ is for readers who want to think, feel, laugh, cry and really think about their own life’s trajectory.”
Fingersh’s book garnered praise from New York Times bestselling authors including Anne Lamott, Gretchen Rubin, Kelly Corrigan and Dr. Edith Eva Eger, and it was named People
KU Jewish Studies Program in search of Hebrew language specialist
The Jewish Studies Program at the University of Kansas is looking to hire a Hebrew language specialist to begin in the fall of 2025.
Lectureship duties in the Jewish Studies Program are combined with program responsibilities pertaining to the planning, organization and delivery of the Hebrew language courses that serve major and minor degrees in Jewish studies, as well as Hebrew language and Jewish culture for students outside of the major. The Hebrew language specialist works with the director of the Jewish Studies Program to
develop and implement curriculum for new and existing courses, provide capstone individual study, assess and advise students, recruit new students and organize university and public-facing Hebrew language events.
This is an academic-year position with an initial term of three years, starting Aug. 18, 2025, through May 17, 2028, with possibility of renewal. Applications will be accepted until May 20. Interested parties should apply at employment.ku.edu/ jobs/faculty/hebrew-languagespecialist/30284br.
Chronicle submission deadlines
The following are
deadlines for articles, celebration announcements, Spotlight pictures, advertisements and editorials for upcoming Chronicle print issues. If you have any questions, please contact Sam Kricsfeld at samk@jewishkc.org.
Magazine’s best book of October of 2024 and ranked among the publication’s best books of that year. Fingersh, daughter of community members Pella and Jack Fingersh, is a graduate of Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy. She now lives in California and has two adult children. Her writings have been featured in The New York Times, Oprah Magazine, The San Francisco Chronicle, Huffington Post, Miami Herald, Kansas City Star, Businessweek, Grown and Flown and more. More information about Fingersh and “Stay” is available at juliefingersh. com/stay.
Julie Fingersh
Julie Fingersh at Pembroke Hill School
Tuesday, May 20, 5 to 7 p.m.
Pembroke Hill School, 5121 State Line Rd., Kansas City, MO 64112
Julie Fingersh at Rainy Day Books
Thursday, May 22, 7 p.m.
Rainy Day Books, 2706 W. 53rd St., Fairway, KS 66205
KU Chabad, KU Hillel encourage Jewish student advocacy
continued from page 1
security of Jewish students,” Davis said.
“At Chabad, we believe the most effective way to support our students is by fostering strong Jewish pride and deep connection to our heritage,” Rabbi Tiechtel said. “The more engaged and rooted our students are in Jewish life and tradition, the more inner strength and courage they’ll have to stand up for truth and push back against antisemitism.”
Since the resolution passed, Student Senate elections occurred, and a new student government will soon take office. In a joint statement on social media denouncing the revote on
the anti-Israel resolution, KU Chabad and KU Hillel said they “look forward to working with the newly-elected student government to engage in the dialogue and bridge-building this student body deserves.”
“We know KU remains an incredible place to be a Jewish student based on the incredible support shown by KU staff, faculty, administrators and the overwhelming majority of the student body that the Senate chose not to speak for,” Davis said. “It’s these allies and the courage of Jewish student leaders who will hopefully help turn this worrisome precedent into an isolated incident.”
Pictured at the podium are Jewish KU students answering questions about their opposition to an anti-Israel resolution at a KU Student Senate meeting on April 9. (Screenshot)
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playing on that stage,” Firkser said. “It’s cool to take it all in from the sidelines after growing up watching it on television with your family and friends every year.”
Firkser said despite all of the external hoopla, teams try to treat the Super Bowl like an ordinary week of practice.
Three days after the Super Bowl loss, the Chiefs signed Firkser to a reserve/future contract.
Chiefs player Anthony Firkser has supported six NFL teams
“I hope to earn my spot and find a role again,” Firkser said. “Each year is different. You never know – I’ll train and work hard.”
New Jersey beginnings
Firkser grew up in Manalapan, New Jersey — a New York City suburb — where he became a bar mitzvah at Temple Shaari Emeth in the community in 2008.
Before he ever stepped on the gridiron, Firkser loved playing basketball. He played in the Maccabiah Games in Israel in the summer of 2013, just before he enrolled at Harvard University.
“I went to Hebrew school weekly and celebrated the bar and bat mitzvahs of family and friends,” Firkser said. “I reconnected with Judaism at the Maccabiah Games. We toured Israel and met a bunch of Jewish athletes from around the United States and around the world. We had a chance to visit Jerusalem and the Dead Sea.”
Firkser first played football as a high school sophomore, yet he set Manalapan school records for receptions, yards and touchdowns.
Firkser considered playing either football or basketball — or even both — at Harvard.
At Harvard, he ultimately chose to play football, where he finished with 99 catches for 1,559 yards and 14 touchdowns. He graduated from Harvard with a bachelor’s degree in applied mathematics in 2016.
Going pro
After a stellar career at Harvard, Firkser went undrafted in the spring of 2017. He signed with the Jets, who play just 40 miles south of his hometown.
Just after Thanksgiving 2017, he signed with the Chiefs’ practice squad. It was Patrick Mahomes’ rookie season, and he was the backup to Alex Smith.
Offensive lineman Mitchell Schwartz, who is also Jewish, was part of that 2017 team that lost to the Tennessee Titans in the AFC Wild Card round.
Travis Kelce was just in his fifth season at the time. Firkser practiced alongside Kelce in both 2017 and 2024.
“It was a unique opportunity being able to learn from Travis,” Firkser said.
“You could see how he analyzes film in the meeting rooms and see how he operates on the field. You see all of the lit-
tle details that make him so successful out there. He’s an awesome teammate — always rooting for everyone and getting everyone hyped up.”
After being released by the Chiefs that offseason, Firkser enjoyed the most successful stretch of his NFL career when he signed with the Titans. Firkser and his wife, Natalie, make their home in Nashville.
Firkser has caught 121 passes for 1,304 yards and seven touchdowns in his career – with more than 90% of that happening between 20182021 with the Titans. He even caught a touchdown pass in the 2019 AFC Championship Game loss at Arrow-
head Stadium.
After the Titans, Firkser spent a season with the Atlanta Falcons; a few months with the New England Patriots; and time with the Detroit Lions — during which the Lions came within a game of reaching their first-ever Super Bowl.
After the Lions, he returned to the Jets, playing four games (all losses) for the Jets, and he had a chance to play alongside future Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers.
“Rodgers’ talent is out of this world,” Firkser said. “He had a great leadership role in the meeting rooms, and you could see how much football he’s seen and played.”
Following his second Jets stint, he began his second Chiefs stint. Firkser played for head coach Andy Reid both in 2017 and 2024.
“Coach Reid is a great coach and a great leader,” Firkser said. “He’s a real intelligent offensive mind. It’s awesome hearing all of his tips and pointers and how he installs plays and how he coaches us up on the film. Everyone really respects him, and he demands a lot from his players. I am really thankful that I was part of it.”
Tight-end Anthony Firkser playing for the Kansas City Chiefs. (Photo by the Kansas City Chiefs)
Anthony Firkser with the Tennessee Titans on Dec. 22, 2019. (Chipermc via Wikimedia Commons)
community news Jewish Community Foundation seeking applications for new scholarship fund
A new scholarship fund, the Ben and Martin Jabenis Memorial Endowment Fund, has been established at the Jewish Community Foundation to benefit Jewish students attending Johnson County Community College (JCCC) and Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy (HBHA). The fund is currently seeking scholarship applications from full-time JCCC students; applications from College Now participants and part-time students will also be considered. Those interested in more information or applying can visit jcfkc.org/JabenisScholarship. The fund was established through a bequest by the late Larry and Sandie Jabenis in memory of their sons, Ben and Martin, who passed away as young adults from a rare disorder called Familial Dysautonomia. As Larry and Sandie wrote in the Jewish Community Foundation’s Endowment Book of Life (a collection of testimonies from community members about their motivations for leaving planned gifts), “Our boys were very kind, caring and compassionate people and were always concerned about others in spite of their own handicaps. We would like to honor their memory by leaving this legacy for two brave, wonderful and courageous young men.”
Jewish Community Foundation staff said that the organization is honored to be entrusted with this Jabenis family’s planned gift which will make a meaningful impact on future generations.
Dawn Gale, a JCCC faculty member for more than 20 years, touted the scholarship opportunity, saying, “I have firsthand knowledge and experience with the high-quality educational opportunities JCCC offers. I have seen a wide range of traditional and non-traditional
students benefit from JCCC's small class sizes, academic resource centers and the student-centered focus of our college community.
“My daughter has also begun her college journey at JCCC, taking advantage of the benefits offered by JCCC's Honors Program, Global Awareness Program, and Sustainability Distinction Program, along with seamless transfer options in preparation to attend the University of Kansas,” Gale continued.
The Ben and Martin Jabenis Memorial Endowment Fund will award need-based scholarships to JCCC students up to the full cost of tuition and books. Applications will be reviewed by a scholarship committee which in this initial year will award
funds on a rolling basis.
The HBHA scholarships will be given through the school’s regular scholarship process. Interested students, both current and prospective, can reach out to the school to learn more.
“We are grateful for the Jabenis Memorial Scholarship,” HBHA Head of School Annie Glickman said. “This meaningful gift will enable students, and especially those with special needs, a chance to benefit from the wonderful opportunities that Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy provides.”
More information about this fund and inquiries about opportunities to establish a fund for personal charitable goals should be directed to the Jewish Community Foundation at (913) 327-8245 or info@jcfkc.org.
JULIETs to host ‘We Are Not All Ashkenazi’ presentation
All Jewish women are invited to attend the next Jewish Unforgettable Ladies Interested in Eating Together (JULIETs) event, which will feature Alisa Meireis’ presentation about her history, “We Are Not All Ashkenazi.” It will be held on Sunday, May 25, at 12:30 p.m. at Congregation Beth Torah (6100 W. 127th St., Overland Park, KS 66209).
JULIETs organizers said that “in this country, Jews tend to think of all other Jews as being white and having ancestors from Europe” and point out the limited availability of non-Ashke-
nazi Jewish history prior to the advent of computers.
“Jews are as diverse as the countries from which they descended,” organizers said.
Meireis, who is African American and Jewish, will share her story and the differences in tradition between Ashkenazi Jews and Jews from other parts of the world such as Ethiopia.
Women can reserve their seat by
emailing Susie Klinock at Juliets.KC@ gmail.com by May 22. Admission is free.
Attendees should bring their lunch and arrive at least 10 minutes early to check in so the event can begin promptly. No synagogue affiliation is required to attend, and attendees should bring their own lunch or snack.
JULIETs will provide beverages and paper goods.
“We Are Not All Ashkenazi” with the JULIETs Sunday, May 25, at 12:30 p.m.
Congregation Beth Torah, 6100 W. 127th St., Overland Park, KS 66209
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 April 20, 27 and May 4.
April 20
500 Series
Hunter Thomas 669 (210 233 226)
Doug Bennett 607 (210 227 170)
Morty Rock 578 (200 212 166)
Steve Baraban 570 (213 193 164)
Steve Thomas 553 (169 200 184)
Nick Meyers 545 (202 185 158)
Stuart Pollack 545 (167 160 218)
Christopher Eldredge 526 (149 181 196)
Ryan Thomas 522 (163 179 180)
Larry Katzif 518 (177 160 181)
170 Series
Scott Bronston 183 Ray Kopek 181
Steve Greenberg 177
April 27
500 Series
Steve Thomas 716 (259 255 202)
Hunter Thomas 683 (231 246 206)
Doug Bennett 646 (174 223 249)
Ryan Thomas 634 (228 221 185)
Nick Meyers 559 (193 204 162)
Stuart Pollack 552 (173 168 211)
Steve Greenberg 551 (164 158 229)
Christopher Eldredge 547 (160 205 182)
Larry Katzif 526 (190 167 169)
Michael Sokol 518 (167 205 146)
Michael Altman 516 (178 124 214)
Steve Baraban 512 (171 137 204) Bill Sloan 511 (155 177 179)
Scott Hecht 510 (181 128 201)
Mark Newton 504 (185 175 144)
Steve Eisman 502 (159 188 155)
Irwin Snitz 501 (172 203 126)
170 Series Ray Kopek 184 Jeff Martasin 183
May
4
500 Series
Ryan Thomas 665 (201 239 225)
Hunter Thomas 654 (184 201 269)
Mark Newton 650 (234 182 234)
Doug Bennett 642 (216 201 225)
Steve Thomas 552 (168 199 185)
If you are interested in bowling during the ‘25-’26 season for a competitive, fun,
Nick Meyers 542 (193 182 167)
Michael Altman 541 (154 159 228)
Scott Hecht 527 (195 183 149)
Morty Rock 518 (179 158 181)
Michael Sokol 509 (176 162 171)
170 Series
Steve Greenberg 201
Bruce Parker 198
Steve Eisman 191
Steve Baraban 190
Ray Kopek 186
Bill Sloan 184
Kent Verden 171 Jeff Martasin 171
or balketw@yahoo.com or Stuart Pollack at (913) 957-3716 or skp28@aol.com.
The Jewish Community Foundation is accepting scholarship applications for students attending Johnson County Community College.
Have books, will travel
“Bubbe, why do you bring so many books?” asks my five-year-old grandson. I’ve just arrived at my daughter’s home in California. I’ll be staying for four days, so I’ve brought six books which he piles on the nightstand as I hand to him. There are two novels, one I’m reading and another should I finish that one. One book is about increasing inequality that will probably get me down, and one with George Burns jokes to lighten my mood. I’ve thrown in a collection of essays and some short stories should I not want to read any of these.
“That’s a lot of books,” he says, admiring the wobbling book tower he’s created.
“It sure is,” I say, leaving unstated that I would have brought more but I’ve already left five books here on “Bubbe’s bookshelf.”
Why, you and my grandson may ask, do I travel with so many volumes? Because I suffer from a severe case of “abibliophobia,” the fear of finishing a book and having nothing to read. While not a formally recognized mental disorder by the American Psychiatric Association, those afflicted with the condition can purchase a tote bag or t-shirt with the word publicly proclaiming their ailment.
Personally, I prefer to call the condition “no-book-a-phobia,” but regardless of what you call it, readers of The Kansas City Jewish Chronicle should be familiar with the malady. We Jews come by it honestly, having inherited it from generations before us.
As evidence, I submit the biblically-mandated mishkan, a portable sanctuary Israelites schlepped with them in the wilderness. Arguably the world’s first bookmobile, the central feature of this structure was the ark containing stone tablets. Wandering through the desert for 40 years, they dragged this elaborate book box wherever they went.
Can you imagine? Modern-day campers are advised to forgo bringing shampoo or deodorant because of the extra weight. Yet here they were, hauling reading material throughout the desert.
Fast forward to today, when this literary obsession presented itself in my friend’s daughter, who refused to
enroll in summer camp.
“Are you afraid you’ll be homesick?” asked her mom.
“No,” she said.
“Are you worried the other kids won’t like you?”
“That’s not it,” she said.
Finally, her daughter admitted, “What if I run out of books?” clearly a plight harkening back to her ancestors’ reading obsession.
Many have suggested that instead of lugging books around, I should read digitally. During the pandemic I made an attempt, but it just didn’t work for me. I could never find a comfortable position to hold the device. I couldn’t get used to swiping instead of page-turning. And I didn’t trust electronic transmission to access my beloved books everywhere, all the time. I need the assurance of ink on paper – “print-a-philia” perhaps? When boarding a plane, I present a paper boarding pass instead of showing my phone. And, yes, I still get paper copies of my bills.
We Jews know all about dedication to obsolete technology. What else would you call the Torah but an outof-date capture of the written word? Bound books have been around for centuries, but Jews are sticking with the scroll. If you have ever witnessed a Torah reader at services struggle to find the right place to begin reading, you know a book would be much easier to use. But Jews prefer the roll. I prefer paper.
Speaking of the printed word, my grandson and his siblings were fascinated when I brought home a copy of the Sunday New York Times. My daughter and son-in-law read everything electronically, so my grandchildren had never seen a printed newspaper. When I unfolded it, all three children gathered around me.
“What is that?” they wanted to know.
“It’s called a newspaper,” I informed them. Imagine what they would have thought if I had unfurled a scroll.
Nancy Kalikow Maxwell is a Kansas Citynativeandaward-winningauthor. Her latest book, “Typically Jewish,” is available through the Jewish Publication Society or Amazon. Her website is www.kaliwellinc.com and email is nancykalikowmaxwell@gmail.com.
commentary
Editorials express the view of the writer and are not necessarily representative of the views of The Kansas City Jewish Chronicle staff, the Jewish Federation of Greater Kansas City, or the Kansas City Jewish Community as a whole.
Remembering Lenny, our hometown hero in fight against fascism
By Rick Hellman
I’m not saying Lenny Zeskind prevented the Oklahoma City terror bombing of 1995 from taking place in Kansas City, Missouri. But he might have.
Recall that just a couple of years prior to that, Lenny helped to monkey wrench the local Ku Klux Klan leader, Dennis Mahon, in a well-publicized dust-up over a stillborn KKK public-access television program in KC.
After that, Mahon slunk off to Oklahoma, where he continued to move in white supremacist circles, including that state’s Elohim City compound, which OKC bomber Timothy McVeigh called a couple of weeks before the attack, perhaps planning to seek refuge there afterward as other high-profile white-wing criminals had done. And we know that McVeigh and his Kansas-based accomplice Terry Nichols considered bombing our downtown Richard Bolling Federal Building.
So it’s not inconceivable that Lenny, through Mahon, helped deflect McVeigh from Kansas City.
It’s just the sort of thing he loved to do with the hard-won, arcane knowledge he had gathered on scuzzy characters like Mahon and fever swamps like Elohim City and the Covenant, the Sword and the Arm of the Lord in southern Missouri that were festering all around us in the late 20th century.
Lenny recognized the threat of white nationalism before almost anyone else, and it was no comfort to him in his later years to see his prescience proven over and over. He risked his life to penetrate white-supremacist networks (they didn’t appreciate being exposed!), and he used that knowledge to serve the Jewish and other targeted communities here and around the world. All without personal aggrandizement — indeed, most often secretly — and with only the purest motives: love for his fellow man and woman.
He will be deeply missed in greater Kansas City following his death on April 15 at age 75.
A Baltimore native, Lenny came to Kansas City in the 1970s after dropping out of the University of Kansas. After a series of blue-collar jobs, he began in the 1980s pursuing his life’s work of analyzing the neo-Nazis, reading their publications, attending their meetings, running spies in their midst, liaising with law enforcement, working with anti-Klan groups and so on. The voluminous files he compiled formed the corpus of his magnum opus, “Blood and Politics: The History of the White Nationalist Movement from the Margins to the Mainstream” (Farrar, Strauss and Giroux, 2009).
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Leonard Zeskin diagramming the extremist fringe for attendees at a meeting in Columbia, Missouri, in 1988.
continued from previous page
Lenny was a great friend to me in my years as Jewish Chronicle editor and beyond. His tips led to front-page stories about neo-Nazi booksellers at the Y2K preparedness expo at Bartle Hall and the visit of infamous British Holocaust denier David Irving to give a speech to local supporters.
Likewise, he was a crucial adviser to my mother, Judy Hellman, and the late David Goldstein as they led the Jewish Community Relations Bureau during the 1980s and ‘90s. Lenny and his wife, Carol, helped conceive, advise and support a JCRB “farm crisis” program in 1986-88 that built understanding between the local Jewish community and Kansas farmers who were being targeted with antisemitic propaganda seeking to exploit their economic pain and turn it against Jews.
When another group of neo-Nazis came to town in 2013 for a rally in front of City Hall, Lenny helped the Jewish community organize a counter-rally at Liberty Memorial, avoiding confrontation and promoting unity.
Using the transitive property, as a favorite son, Kansas City’s Jewish community benefited from the respect with which Lenny’s anti-Klan work
commentary
was held internationally, but especially in the local Black community. He walked the talk.
That’s why he was so deserving of the 1998 “Genius Grant” from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.
Rereading the story I wrote for The Chronicle about the grant, I was struck by Lenny’s quote: “We live in a new historical era. The post-World War II glow of victory in the fight against fascism is gone. The lessons we’ve learned as a society from the defeat of Hitlerism are in danger of being unlearned.”
It will be so much harder to continue the fight without him, but it’s the best tribute we can pay.
I can assure you that the anti-fascist, Klan-watching group he formed, the Institute for Research and Education on Human Rights, continues to do great work under his protege, Devin Burghart, so supporting its efforts is a great way to honor Lenny.
CommunitymemberRickHellman has spent decades in the journalism and communications fields, including serving as editor of The Kansas City Jewish Chronicle throughout the 1990s and 2000s.
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The power of the pause: Why mental health and wellness matter
By Anna Saviano Jewish Family Services Interim Clinical Director
May is Mental Health Awareness Month — a time to prioritize caring for our emotional and psychological wellbeing. In a world that often moves too fast and demands too much, it can feel radical to slow down, rest or even ask for help. Jewish Family Services provides a range of counseling services for both adults and children. Just as we recognize the importance of regular exercise or balanced nutrition, our mental health deserves the same care and attention.
Taking time for mental health isn’t a luxury — it’s a necessity. When we’re emotionally well, we’re better equipped to handle stress, build meaningful relationships, make thoughtful decisions and show up fully in our lives. Mental health is foundational to overall health. Don’t wait until you’re burned out, anxious or in crisis to give yourself permission to step back and tend to your needs.
There are countless ways to care for your mental health; they don’t have to be complicated, time-consuming or expensive. A few minutes of deep breathing, a short walk in nature, connecting with a friend, journaling or setting boundaries around your time can all make a difference. It’s more important to do it, to pay attention at all, than to do it ‘perfectly.’ Keep coming back to the habit, too, even when you miss some days.
Wellness isn’t something we have to do alone. Therapy, support groups, coaching and community spaces can offer powerful connection and insight. JFS offers a variety of services that can meet these needs. Sometimes the most important step is simply acknowledging that we need support.
For those in caregiving or high-demand roles — parents, healthcare workers, educators, therapists and leaders — prioritizing your own mental health can feel especially difficult. But it's not selfish. In fact, it’s one of the most generous things you can do. When your cup is full, you're better able to show up for others with presence and compassion. What works well for someone else may not be your cup of tea — don’t compare.
This Mental Health Awareness Month, we invite you to reflect: What supports your wellbeing? Where might you need to set boundaries or ask for help? How can you make space for rest, joy and connection — not just when things get hard, but as a regular part of life?
Taking time for mental health isn’t an indulgence. It’s a sign of strength and self-respect. Whether it’s a brief moment or a whole therapy session, every bit counts. You’re worth that care — not just this month, but every month.
If you or your loved ones need support, JFS is here for you; please call a JFS navigator at (913) 730-1433 or email navigator@jfskc.org.
TRIVIA
Q: Who was the first (and so far only) Jewish mayor of Kansas City?
• George M. Shelley
• Jay H. Neff
• Richard L. Berkley
• Ilus W. Davis
Q: Which of these Jewish organizations at KU opened first?
• KU Hillel
• KU Chabad
• Students Supporting Israel
• KU’s Jewish Studies Program
As the secular anniversary of the State of Israel’s founding will be on May 14, we went into our archives to find The Chronicle issue from that date in 1948. Note the printing of the Shecheyanu prayer in Hebrew above the Israeli Declaration of Independence.
