Save the Dates for these Upcoming 2020 Sponsored Programs

Rabbinical Association of Greater Kansas City

Community-Wide Purim Seudah

Tuesday, March 10, Village Shalom, 10:00 a.m.

The community Purim celebration will include a Purim-sing-along, an engaging and interactive reading of the megillah, a Purim Seudah (light festival lunch) and assembling Shalach Manot gift bags. The program will be led by members of the Rabbinical Association of Greater Kansas City. All ages are welcome. Sponsored by the Rabbinical Association in collaboration with Village Shalom and the Jkc Heritage Center and generously supported by the Flo Harris Foundation of the Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Kansas City. No charge to attend but donations to the JFS Food Pantry are encouraged. Advance reservations are required by March 3 at: https://kcpurim2020.eventbrite.com. Space is limited and reservations will be accepted on a first come basis.

Congregations help Feed the Hungry for Passover

Month of March

Hunger never takes a holiday. As we approach the season of Passover, there will be many among us who will struggle to put food on the table, let alone those special items to celebrate a Seder. YOU can help make a difference. Join Jewish Family Services, The Rabbinical Association of Greater Kansas City and area congregations in collecting Passover food items. (The first Seder begins April 8) More than 115 families will be helped through your participation in the Passover food drive. Among the items needed are grape juice, Matzah and Matzah meal, cake meal, baking mixes, Matzah ball soup mix.  All packaged items should be labeled “kosher for Passover”.  Drop off items at your congregation through the end of March.  Monetary donations are also being accepted by check or online through the JFS site http://www.jfskc.org/; funds are used to purchase food items to include in the holiday food packages. Put into action the traditional words of the Haggadah, ‘let all who are hungry come and eat”.

Community Second Night Passover Seder

Thursday, April 9 – The Temple, Congregation B’nai Jehudah, 6:30 p.m.

Bring your family and friends to a community second night of Passover Seder. We will retell the story of our people’s journey from slavery to freedom with engaging stories, song and interactive discussion and remember those around the world who struggle with injustice every day. A traditional kosher-for-Passover Seder meal will be prepared by Kosher Connection under the supervision of the Vaad Hakashrut of Kansas City and served under the supervision of Rabbis Sarah Smiley and Rabbi Joshua Leighton. The community Seder is sponsored by the Rabbinical Association of Greater Kansas City, funded in part by the Flo Harris Foundation of the Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Kansas City and supported by Congregations. Advance reservations are mandatory. Registration at: https://rabbiskc.ticketspice.com/passover2020

Community Tisha B’AV Observance

Wednesday, July 29 – Thursday, July 30 Location and Details TBA

The evening includes a Tisha B’av MA’ARIV service followed by a D’var Torah and reading of Eicha. This is a meaningful service with beautiful, mournful melodies, some engaging teaching, and a time for communal reflection on both painful times of our past and hope for our future.

Community-wide Course: “Judaism for Conversion Candidates” Begins in Fall

Thursday, August 13 – Orientation, 7:00-9:00 p.m. Jewish Community Campus

The year-long course will be taught on a rotating basis by rabbis from the Reform, Conservative, Progressive and Orthodox movements and is intended to acquaint those considering conversion to Judaism with what it means to live Jewishly. Each student is required to secure a congregational rabbinic sponsor and meet the conversion requirements developed by their rabbinic sponsor. Classes are held on Thursday evenings, 7:00-9:00 p.m. and the location rotates among the synagogues. Students learn about Jewish holidays, home celebrations, life-cycle observances, rituals and Jewish prayer, Torah, Judaism’s view of God, and about our religion’s movements. Each class includes a 30-minute Hebrew component. Funding for this program is generously provided by The Menorah Heritage Foundation. Funding is also generously provided by the National Center to Encourage Judaism for conversion program advertising and for the integration of new Jews by Choice.

Day of Discovery to Kick Off Year of Jewish Learning

Sunday, August 23, Jewish Community Campus, 8:45 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Learn, study, and discover some of the community’s finest Jewish educators, rabbis, and cantors, who will lead sessions on a wide range of topics. Over thirty classes will be offered throughout the day. Registration and a continental breakfast take place from 8:45 – 9:30 a.m., study sessions begin at 9:30 and lunch will be served from 12:15 –1:05 p.m. A dessert reception with door prizes will conclude the day. Registration for the event will begin in early August. Registration forms will be mailed in July. A listing of classes and information related to the day can be found the end of July at: www.kcrabbi.org. Funding for this program is provided in part by the Jewish Federation of Greater Kansas City.

Community Selichot Program and Service

Saturday, September 12 th , Congregation Beth Torah, 8:00 p.m.

The month of Elul, prior to the beginning of Rosh Hashanah and the High Holy Day season is a time for soul searching and reflection as we prepare oneself for the Days of Awe. It is during this time that we observe Selichot which translates as “forgiveness” on the Saturday evening before Rosh Hashanah. The evening includes a dessert reception, Havdalah, a program TBA and a moving and beautiful Selichot service that begins at 10:10 p.m. Through readings, meditations and beautiful music focusing on the themes of our fall holiday season, we reflect on the past year and how we will affect teshuvah for ourselves in the year to come. Be part of this transition as we change Torah covers and prepare our souls to welcome 5781. Funding for this program provided by the Jewish Federation of Greater Kansas City.

Featured image (pictured at top): Passover 2019 Task Force.