Kansas City Jewish Chronicle 06.04.2026

PJ Library Kansas City reaches milestone subscriber count

By Alexis Greenberg

Special to The Chronicle

This month, PJ Library of Kansas City is on track to send out more books than ever before in the program’s 18year history. More than 1,000 children (1,008, to be exact) across the Kansas City metro, from the Northland to South Overland Park and Topeka to Columbia, will receive PJ Library books. This exceeds the previous record of 1,000 books shortly before the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020.

PJ Library is a program of the Harold Grinspoon Foundation and is funded locally by Jewish Federation of Kansas City. It provides books that represent Jewish values, traditions, holidays and teachings, delivered to households across the world each month.

Jewish Federation Family Engagement

Manager Bridey Stangler is the coordinator of PJ Library in Kansas City. She said the books serve as a point of connection for families across the metro.

“For a really large percentage of kids who receive PJ books nationally, that is the only Jewish thing that enters their household,” Stangler said. “To know that we are reaching more kids than ever, to get that Jewish content in their homes and connect them more closely with their traditions, their customs and our community… nothing beats that.”

PJ Library families from around the Kansas City metro pose with their books at a Summer 2025 PJ Library in the Neighborhood event.

Stangler added that even for children who have other Jewish influences in their lives, PJ Library’s books show a wide range of representations, extending far past one sector/denomination or practice.

“I think what is so beautiful about the PJ Library books is that [they] show such a diversity of people and a normalization of practice, but also show you just how many countless ways there are to be Jewish,” Stangler said. “I think it’s really valuable for Jewish kids to see Jewish kids represented by the Jewish people. It’s easy to find representations which are positive, negative or neutral, put out there by the rest of the world, but to know that these are interpretations that we ourselves have created,

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Incoming Sporting Kansas City player named to Israel Men’s National Team

By Kurt Austin

Sporting Kansas City

Editor’s note: Or Blorian is a 26-yearold professional Jewish soccer player born in Petah Tikva, Israel, who was recently signed to Sporting Kansas City.

Or Blorian was named to the Israel Men’s National Team for an international friendly against Albania at 1 p.m. CT on June 3 at Air Albania Stadium, the Israel Football Association announced last Thursday.

Or Blorian (Courtesy of Sporting Kansas City)

club options for the 2029-2030 and the 2030-2031 seasons.

By The Chronicle staff

Some of the world’s top soccer players will soon come to Kansas City, representing all corners of the earth and vying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup soccer championship. Although Kansas City has no players on Team USA, local teams have been represented by multiple Jewish players going back decades.

Sporting Kansas City has signed Blorian to a pre-contract beginning on June 2. Blorian will join Sporting next month on a three-year contract through the 2028-2029 season with

The 26-year-old central defender made 200 career club appearances in his native Israel while playing for Hapoel Be’er Sheva, Hapoel Tel Aviv and Maccabi Petah Tikva. Most recently, he led Hapoel Be’er Sheva

See page 14

To celebrate the incoming World Cup matches, The Chronicle has compiled a list of some of the best former Jewish soccer players — all of whom had been featured in The Chronicle — whose efforts contributed to teams that have proven Kansas City’s legitimacy in the soccer realm.

Manny

Schwartz

Kansas City Comets goalkeeper, 1983-1986

By the time 6-foot2-inch Israel Defense Forces veteran Manny Schwartz (z”l) had joined the Kansas City Comets indoor soccer team in 1983, he had quite the soccer resume. He had been named most valuable player twice with Maccabi Haifa F.C., made his first appearance on the world stage in 1976 on the Israeli Olympic soccer team, and then played for the Israeli national team in the World Cup qualification round in 1978.

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I think that’s very powerful. The power of PJ Library books is their ability to make Judaism feel very normal.”

The books come free to families with Jewish children across the metro. Jewish Federation covers the $40-per-year cost per child, supported through donations to its Community Campaign.

PJ Library Kansas City reaches milestone subscriber count

“We are so grateful to the families that have made it possible for us to reach so many children, and we are eager to see more people engaging in their Jewish community through the work of PJ Library and Jewish Federation,” Stangler said.

PJ Library’s reach in Kansas City goes far beyond monthly books. PJ Library events provide opportunities for community connection and engagement for families with young children.

Stangler said PJ Library is on target to engage more families than ever before

this summer through its signature PJ Library in the Neighborhood (PJIN) series.

PJIN events serve as a casual and approachable way for families to gather in spaces like parks, splashpads and public libraries to connect with community outside of traditionally Jewish spaces like the Jewish Community Campus. They are hosted across the metro in an effort to reach families who live in areas with smaller Jewish populations.

Stangler said PJIN events have helped families connect to those in their proximity, build networks of Jewish friends for their children and feel like a part of the community at large. Last year, PJ Library of Kansas City received international recognition for its success in reaching families and leading cutting-edge events and programs like PJIN.

In summer 2026, PJ Library is expanding the PJIN initiative to involve parents in building community through its PJ Library Connector program.

“There are so many people that we seek to engage in our community, and we’re doing grassroots community engagement at the very basic level,” Stangler said.

Four PJ Library parents will work in their neighborhoods, connecting parents to one another, hosting PJ Library in the Neighborhood events and ensuring that members of the Kansas City Jewish community feel

welcome and comfortable attending community events.

To Stangler, the PJ Library Connector program is just another step forward for a program that is steadily increasing its impact.

“We’re going to have more PJ Library in the Neighborhoods than ever. We’re going to be connecting more people than ever, and that also comes right at the time where we’re shipping more books than ever,” she said.

Registration for the first four PJ in the Neighborhood events of 2026 is open now:

• Harmon Park in Prairie Village, Wednesday, June 10, 5-6:30 p.m.

• Dagg Park in The Northland, Saturday, June 13, 5-6:30 p.m.

• Ironwoods Park in South Leawood, Sunday, June 14, 3:30-5 p.m.

• Roe Park Splash Pad in Overland Park, Thursday, June 25, 4:30-6 p.m.

More information and registration is available at JewishKansasCity.org/ Events. Donations to Jewish Federation’s Community Campaign, which helps support PJ Library of Kansas City, can be made at JewishKansasCity. org/Donate.

Where Arks Once

Contemporary Jewish composer’s opus to be performed in Olathe

The newEar Contemporary Chamber Ensemble will close its season with a performance of “Estro Poetico-armonico III,” a work by Jewish composer Yotam Haber which explores the generational inheritance of Jewish liturgical music.

The performance will take place on Sunday, June 7, at 4 p.m. at the Bell Cultural Center at MidAmerica Nazarene University (2000 E Pioneer Blvd, Olathe, KS 66062). A pre-concert discussion with Haber will be held at 3 p.m.

newEar’s website says that “Estro Poetico-armonico III” is one of its “most ambitious concerts in years.” newEar partnered with the Azrieli Foundation, a Canadian foundation

supporting Jewish causes.

“Estro Poetico-armonico III” premiered in 2020 in Montreal, Canada. It was inspired by 18th-century Italian composer Benedetto Marcello’s preface to his collection of Jewish liturgical chant transcriptions.

“In Marcello’s preface to the first edition, he writes of the musical connection between what he heard in the synagogue and a historical lineage passed down from generation to generation all the way back to Mount Sinai. While this assertion can’t be proven in any way, the idea is evocative: a hope that an ancient oral tradition can withstand time and change,” Haber told The Violin Channel. “Like the Telephone Game, where children whisper

1700 students served by NCJW’s 2026 Mother’s Day Store

own Estro is a sort of Telephone Game, with my own re-hearings and re-casting of the past.”

Haber’s work will be paired with works from other Canadian and Jewish composers, including Elizabeth Raum’s “Searching for Sophia,” Shulamit Ran’s “Mirage” and Vivian Fung’s “String Quartet No. 5.”

More information and tickets are available at newear.org.

messages from one ear to the next, a purely oral tradition will mutate. My

By

Greater Kansas City Section of the National Council of Jewish Women

This year, the Greater Kansas City Section of the National Council of Jewish Women’s (NCJW) Mother’s Day Store went to five schools and served 1700 students. The Mother’s Day Store happens every year on the Friday before Mother’s Day. Elementary school children from low-income schools or community programs “shop” for a gift for their special someone.

Elementary school lunchrooms were transformed by NCJW staff. Tables were covered with carefully sorted necklaces, bracelets and pendants. Volunteers arranged displays and greeted children.

One principal was brought to tears. She said, “You have no idea what this means to the kids, the positive impact

Volunteer Wendy Malyn helps students pick out gifts at NCJW’s 2026 Mother’s Day Store.

you are having.”

Staff and volunteers said the children were not looking for the most expensive piece or the flashiest, but instead for the one that feels just right.

More information about NCJW is available by contacting (913) 648-0747 or ncjwofkc@gmail.com.

(Overland

8:23 p.m. Havdalah: 9:30 p.m.

Chronicle submission deadlines

The following are the 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.

June 18 issue.........................................June 11 noon deadline July 2 issue..........................................June 25 noon deadline

To submit news to The Chronicle, go to kcjc.com/chronicle-submissions!

III”

June 7, at 4 p.m.

Dr. Lara Giordano named first LJCC executive director

By Lawrence Jewish Community Congregation

After 72 years, the Lawrence Jewish Community Congregation (LJCC) has appointed Dr. Lara Giordano as its first executive director.

Dr. Giordano has been serving as the LJCC’s sole full-time employee since January 2023. The congregation has never had an executive director before.

A former professor of philosophy at the University of Kansas, Dr. Giordano is a native of northern California, coming to Lawrence after spending time in Nashville, Tennessee, and Seattle and Walla Walla, Washington.

The board and congregants of the LJCC, a lay-led unaffiliated community, are excited for this next chapter in its history.

By Jewish Family Services

For 125 years, Jewish Family Services (JFS) of Greater Kansas City has worked to strengthen lives through compassion, dignity and community support. At its 125th Anniversary Celebration on May 7, JFS recognized two women whose dedication and service have helped shape the organization’s impact: Ann Baum and Marla Brockman.

Held at Fiorella’s Event Space in Overland Park, Kansas, the evening brought together supporters, community leaders, volunteers and longtime friends of JFS to celebrate a “Legacy of Care” while honoring those who embody that legacy through service.

Ann Baum received the Alfred Benjamin Friend of the Family Award, named in memory of Alfred Benjamin, the second president of JFS. The award recognizes individuals whose accomplishments exemplify compassion, humanity and a commitment to improving quality of life for others. Baum was honored for her decades of volunteerism, philanthropy and

steadfast dedication to both JFS and the Greater Kansas City community.

“Ann has devoted both her professional career and personal life to vital social service causes, the arts and the environment,” JFS Board President Jane Sosland said during the award presentation. “It would be difficult to find a corner of our community that hasn’t been

strengthened by Ann’s generosity, leadership and commitment.”

“Ann represents the very best of what JFS stands for,” JFS Executive Director and CEO Angela DeWilde said. “Her compassion, wisdom and commitment to helping others have impacted countless lives.”

A JFS board member in the 1980s, Baum helped shape the organization

during a pivotal chapter in its history and has remained deeply connected ever since. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she provided ongoing support to help JFS pilot safe social worker outreach through its food pantry, ensuring vulnerable families remained connected to care during an uncertain time. Her philanthropy has earned recognition through JFS’s Heritage Lifetime Cumulative Giving Level.

For Baum, service is deeply personal. In accepting the honor, she reflected on the values she shared with her late husband, Kenny Baum (z”l).

“Kenny and I had this commitment to do whatever we could to improve our community,” Baum said. “My desire is to carry on this torch for both of us and for our family.”

JFS also presented the Dr. Phyliss & Robert A. Bernstein Humanitarian Award to Marla Brockman, recognizing her longtime devotion to JFS, particularly through the food pantry and social work programs. Established

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during JFS’s 100th anniversary in honor of Dr. Phyliss and Robert A. Bernstein’s longstanding commitment to the agency, the award honors individuals whose lives reflect a deep commitment to strengthening quality of life in the Kansas City community.

“Many in the Jewish community know Marla as someone who simply shows up, without hesitation,” said JFS Board Treasurer Mary McLean, who presented the award.

“Marla models the very best of community leadership,” DeWilde added. “Her work honors the dignity of every person she meets, proving that helping a single family can create ripple effects across an entire community.”

Also a JFS board member in the 1980s, Brockman has volunteered with JFS since 2012. She regularly picks up weekly Whole Foods donations for JFS pantries and mobilized family and neighbors during the pandemic to organize food drives as community needs surged. She and her husband, John, also sponsored and assembled care bags for unhoused individuals during JFS’s 120th anniversary open house.

Beyond JFS, Brockman has educated students ages 15 to 62 at nearly every Jewish educational venue in Kansas City and coaches cross country for Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy students, where she previously served as a faculty member.

At 125 years, JFS is celebrating not only its history, but the people who make that history meaningful. JFS honors Baum and Brockman because through their service, they are reminders that caring for community is more than simply an act of generosity; it is a lasting legacy.

For more information about JFS, or to support its programs, visit jfskc.org.

By JCRB|AJC

JCRB|AJC holds 2026 Unity Seder

Nearly 200 guests joined Jewish Community Relations Bureau | American Jewish Committee (JCRB|AJC) for this year’s Unity Seder, gathering for an evening centered on shared stories, traditions and reflection across faiths and backgrounds.

The program created opportunities for dialogue, learning and connection, bringing together community members committed to strengthening relationships and fostering greater understanding during a time when unity and empathy are more important than ever. Speakers included Reverend Dr. Vernon Howard, Jr. of St. Mark Church and Archbishop Shawn McKnight of The Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas.

Through conversation, ritual and shared experiences, attendees were reminded of the power of coming together across differences to build a stronger, more compassionate community.

JCRB|AJC worked with the Church of the Resurrection and Jewish Vocational Service to make this event possible.

K.I.

starts 2026 Summer Social series

By Kehilath Israel Synagogue

Kehilath Israel Synagogue launched its summer programming with its first Summer Social event on Sunday, May 31, for congregants of all ages and guests.

Scheduled for the last Sunday of the month, Summer Socials are an opportunity for congregation members, their families and guests to get to know each other at casual get-togethers in small group settings in various locations.

The next event will take place Sunday, June 28 at 5:30 p.m. Every event features a light kosher dinner and great conversation. Tickets can be bought for individuals or families at kisyn.eventsmart.com/summer.

For more information, contact Henri Gaeddert at henri@kisyn.org.

Applications open for 2026-27 Jewish War Veterans scholarships

Jewish War Veterans (JWV) MOKAN Post 605 is currently seeking applications for college scholarships for the 2026-27 academic year.

JWV Post 605 scholarships are administered by a directive that states “the funds shall be used to initiate or further the education of needy or worthy students.” Funds for these named scholarships may come from multiple sources. These scholarships are awarded annually to students who are in or entering college. High school seniors and college students at any level (including graduate school) may apply. The primary requirement is that the applicant be related to a current or deceased member of Jewish War Veterans MO-KAN Post 605 in

good standing or who was in good standing at their time of passing. Applicants should be prepared to offer documentation that they are related to a current or deceased member of the Post, if requested by the Post Scholarship Committee.

Interested and eligible applicants should contact Joshua Goldfarb, Post 605 Scholarship Chairperson, at jwvpost605@outlook.com. Applications should be submitted no later than June 30.

Jewish War Veterans MO-KAN Post 605 is active in community service in the Kansas City-Leavenworth area. The Post can be found on Facebook at facebook.com/JWV-605113534657113204.

New flower named after former community pediatrician

A new hybrid iris has been named “Doc Blum’s Bloom” after Dr. Michael Blum, a former Overland Park pediatrician and community mohel. The honor was given by the Iris Society of Dallas, Texas, where Dr. Blum recently completed a term as president.

Dr. Blum served as a pediatrician in the Kansas City area for 35 years, moving with his wife, Jenifer, in 1969. For nearly ten years, he served as a community mohel, and he served on the board and as president of Congregation Beth Torah.

He is the founder of Pediatric Partners, a practice carried on by other pediatricians since his retirement in 2012. He moved to Dallas, Texas, to be closer to family after retiring.

This week in history

45 years ago

Find more community history at kcjc.com/archive.

Using The Chronicle’s archives and community submissions, here are some recipes for you to try out. Email samk@ jewishkc.org with a recipe, and it might be published here!

Lemon bars

Lorraine

Dwork, 1976 Ingredients

Crust:

• 1 cup butter, softened

• ½ cup powdered sugar

• 2 cups flour

• 1 tsp. salt

Filling:

• 4 eggs, slightly beaten

• 2 cups sugar

• 4 tbsp. flour

• ¼ cup lemon juice, plus 3 more drops

• ½ lemon rind, grated

• Powdered sugar

Instructions

1. Grease bottom and sides of a 10”x14” shallow pan

2. Mix crust ingredients together with a fork and press into the pan

3. Bake at 325 degrees for 20-25 minutes until mixture begins to brown slightly

4. Mix filling ingredients with a fork and pour over the crust

5. Bake 20-25 minutes longer

6. Remove from oven, cool, then sprinkle with powdered sugar

7. Allow to cool completely before cutting

Get yourself, your family and your friends subscriptions to The Chronicle!

Scan the QR code below or go to kcjc.com/subscribe for more information.

PJLIBRARY

• Amulets (pg. 9)

ORBLORIAN

• Gadi Kinda (pg. 14)

• Sasha Victorine (pg. 13)

SPORTINGKC MANNYSCHWARTZ YOTAMHABER MOTHERSDAYSTORE

• Andy Gruenebaum (pg. 13)

• Ann Baum (pg. 4)

• K.I. Summer Social (pg. 5)

• Manny Schwartz (pg. 1)

• Scholarship (pg. 5)

• Sporting K.C. (pg. 1)

DRLARAGIORDANO ANNBAUM MARLABROCKMAN UNITYSEDER KISUMMERSOCIAL SCHOLARSHIPS

• Benny Feilhaber (pg. 13)

• Benny Tabak (pg. 13)

• Marla Brockman (pg. 4)

• Michelle Scheinkopf (pg. 8)

• Trench periscope (pg. 9)

• Unity Seder (pg. 5)

• Dr. Lara Giordano (pg. 3)

• Dr. Michael Blum (pg. 5)

• FIFA World Cup (pg. 1)

• Mother’s Day Store (pg. 3)

DRMICHAELBLUM MICHELLESCHEINKOPF AMULETS

• Or Blorian (pg. 1)

• PJ Library (pg. 1)

• Yael Averbuch West (pg. 13)

• Yotam Haber (pg. 3)

TRENCHPERISCOPE BENNYTABAK SASHAVICTORINE BENNYFEILHABER YAELAVERBUCHWEST ANDYGRUENEBAUM GADIKINDA FIFAWORLDCUP

AJewishCryptogram

BGS Summer Social

Jonah Freiden of Scout Troop 61 recently completed his Eagle project. He is pictured with the book carts that he made for The Temple, Congregation B’nai

Troop 61 is sponsored by Congregation Beth Shalom.

Community member Christopher Eldredge finished in second place in the Memorial Day Bowling Tournament at Olathe East Lanes. Eldredge, a Kansas City Bowling League participant, is pictured with Zack Wilkins, a member of the Professional Bowlers

celebrations and community

Birth Rivkah Natanya Katz Hjelmaas

Rivkah Natanya Katz Hjelmaas, daughter of Hannah Katz and Jacob Hjelmaas of Overland Park, Kansas, was born on April 24.

Rivkah is the granddaughter of Edi Wexler of Littleton, Colorado; David Katz of Westminster, Colorado; Rachele and Joel Hjelmaas of Johnston, Iowa; and Joel Somers (z”l). She is the great-granddaughter of Marvin Braverman of Des Moines, Iowa.

Joey Corral

Joey Corral, son of Jaime and Jon Corral, will become a bar mitzvah

on Saturday, June 6, at The Temple, Congregation B’nai Jehudah.

Joey is the grandchild of Del and Michael Pisci of Overland Park, Kansas, and Elsa and Frank Corral of Sarasota, Florida. He is the brother of Josh and Jack.

Joey is in seventh grade at Harmony Middle School (HMS). His hobbies include playing hockey for the KC Stars and playing the guitar and euphonium in the HMS band. He also enjoys camping with Boy Scouts and gaming or riding e-bikes with friends.

For his mitzvah project, Joey hosted a food and hygiene product drive for Jewish Family Services.

B’nai Jehudah Sisterhood holds installation and awards brunch featuring WRJ speaker

By The Temple, Congregation B’nai Jehudah Sisterhood

The Temple, Congregation B’nai Jehudah Sisterhood held its Sisterhood Membership Appreciation, Installation and Awards Brunch on Sunday, May 31, at the synagogue. Michelle Scheinkopf, vice president of Social Justice for Women of Reform Judaism (WRJ), was the keynote speaker.

(WRJ),” she said. “Through the voices and stories of its members, this program explores how Sisterhood has evolved over time — adapting to changing lives, responding to the world around us and continuing to create meaningful connections across generations. Together, we’ll reflect on our own journeys: why we joined, why we stay, and what sisterhood means today.”

Barbie Rogoff was given the Shoshana Award, and both Kathe Stekoll and Susan Himmelstein received awards for their service to the Sisterhood.

Scheinkopf presented “The Strong Right Arm: 120 Years of Sisterhood at B’nai Jehudah,” a history of Sisterhood featuring interviews with some of its most impactful members.

“Organized in 1906 as the ‘strong right arm’ of Congregation B’nai Jehudah, Sisterhood has been a vital part of congregational life for more than a century — and was a charter member of the National Federation of Temple Sisterhoods in 1913, now known as Women of Reform Judaism

Since joining the WRJ North American Board in 2013, Scheinkopf has chaired its College Outreach Committee, L’Atid Cohort and Online Programming Committee. She co-chaired the 2024 Fried Women’s Conference in New Orleans and served on the 2025 Rabbi Marla J. Feldman Social Justice Conference Committee. She is also a member of the URJ Commission on Social Action.

Scheinkopf’s social justice work focuses on women’s reproductive health and rights, voting rights, preventing gender-based violence and learning from civil rights history, all grounded in WRJ’s gender- and identity-based lens.

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 Kansas City, or the Kansas City Jewish Community as a whole.

“Isn’t it great to realize that it’s not something you’ve been doing wrong?”

By Rabbi Mark Glass

Congregation BIAV

“Isn’t it great to realize that it’s not something you’ve been doing wrong?”

That was my response to a member of my community who, after being diagnosed with ADHD and starting on medication, had suddenly found that his life had turned around.

It was my own willingness to share my diagnosis of ADHD only a few years ago, along with the trials and tribulations involved, that led several members of my community to seek help for their own psychological ailments – many of whom, thank God, are now better placed to grapple with

the unique challenges they face.

But my diagnosis didn’t emerge from a simple visit to a therapist – it was the opposite. Having met with psychologists in various offices from New York to Boston (prior to living in Kansas, we were always on the East Coast), I always found myself facing the same problem: What everyone else found easy seemed not just difficult but nighon impossible for me; yet the things most people found daunting seemed easy.

Imagine, for example, that someone came up to you right now and informed you that, in about 30 minutes’ time, you would have to stand up in front of 500 people and deliver an hour-long lecture on some abstract and arcane area

Weaponshaped amulets

By Ellie Holsten

Amulets and talismans are sometimes shaped like weapons to ward off demons and other dangers. These sword-shaped pieces were made in Iran or Iraqi Kurdistan in the late 19th or early 20th century.

There are holes on each side of each sword to facilitate their being sewn onto garments. Tradition indicates that sword-shaped amulets like these were made for children whose siblings had passed away so as to better protect them from the dangers to their families.

The protective engravings on these amulets include verses such as Ben Porat Yosef, a reference to defensive “boundaries and fences” to protect the amulet’s bearer and the names of the angels who specifically guard against the demon Lilith. It is common for amulets for children to ward against Lilith, as she is the demon feared for stealing babies.

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.

JEWISH WAR VETERANS MUSEUM

Trench periscope

By Julie London

The “rabbit ears” trench periscopes, primarily known as the German Scherenfernrohr (scissors telescope), were advanced, stereoscopic binocular observation tools used in World War I and World War II to view over parapets safely. Designed for high magnification (typically 10x-15x) to observe enemy lines, these tripod-mounted, foldable, “scissors”-style optics were essential for artillery spotters and officers while in the trenches.

While used by most combatant nations during World War I, the technology remained relevant through World War II with the German, Soviet and Japanese military.

The wide separation of the objective lenses (the “scissors” shape) increased stereoscopic vision, providing superior depth perception for spotting movement and directing artillery, far better than traditional, smaller trench scopes. They allowed for precise surveying of the enemy without exposing a soldier’s head, which was a necessity for trench warfare.

Pool Party Pool Party

The pool at The J and

Thank You!

Special Thanks!

The Jacobson Family Honorary Family & Presenting Sponsor

Seidler Foundation, Sue and Lewis Nerman Presenting Sponsor

Samantha & Quentin Hammontree

Gail & Harry Himmelstein

Susan & Paul Himmelstein

Liz & John Hjalmarson

Lynn & Bill Intrater

Ann & Tom Isenberg

Sean Kamber

Rachel Krantz & Edward Goldstein

Danielle & Sam Levine

Benefactor Sponsor

Leonard and Irene Bettinger Philanthropic Fund of the Jewish Community Foundation | Harry Portman Charitable Foundation, UMB Bank and Michael Schultz, Trustees

Advocate Sponsor

Jane & Josh Sosland | Stepp & Rothwell | Ann B. Stern | The Stolper Family | Jerry Tilzer | Anonymous

Community Sponsor

Renana & Michael Abrams | Danielle & Jeremy Antes | Janice & Bert Benjamin | Karen & Jeffry

Sheryl & Andrew Kaplan Event Co-Chairs

Jenny & John Isenberg Host Committee Co-Chairs

Eric Kaseff Sponsorship Chair

Joel Goldberg Emmy-Winning Broadcaster & KC Royals TV Broadcaster Evening’s Emcee

Noah Slabotsky Fund-a-Need Emceee

Ann Baum

2026 Alfred Benjamin Friend of the Family Awardee

Marla Brockman

2026 Dr. Phyliss & Robert A. Bernstein Humanitarian Awardee

125 Anniversary Committee

Renana & Mike Abrams

Christine & Don Alexander

Barbara & Richard Atlas

Janice & Bert Benjamin

Mollie & Michael Berenbom

Susan Bernstein & Chucker Luetje

Phyliss & Bob Bernstein

Irene Bettinger

Bonnie & Herb Buchbinder

Pati Chasnoff

Lena Price & Tom Cohen

Sandi & Ed Fried

Donna Gould Cohen

Jim Gerson

Janet Mark & Frank Lipsman

Gail & Richard Lozoff

Linda & Mike Lyon

Jill & Jim Maidhoff

Alana Muller & Marc Hammer

Sue Seidler Nerman & Lewis Nerman

Gene Ann & David Newcomer

Craig Novorr

Donna Oberstein & Ace Allen

Lara & Ben Pabst

Joyce & Dee Pack

Carol & David Porter

Ann & Bob Regnier

Ellen & Irv Robinson

Amy & Peter Shapiro

Rachel & Noah Slabotsky

Rachel & David Sosland

Ann Stern

Jerry Tilzer

Sue Vile

Zach Zwibelman

Presenting Sponsor

Rosalyn & Howard Jacobson Family | Seidler Foundation, Sue & Lewis Nerman

Leadership Sponsor

Sandi & Ed Fried | Paragon Capital Management, LLC/Craig Novorr | R.K.

Black

Connector Sponsor

Brenda Althouse & Paul Fingersh |

Ann Baum, G. Kenneth and Ann Baum

Philanthropic Fund | Bonnie & Herb

Buchbinder | The Goldsmith Family | Gail & Harry Himmelstein | Marcia Karbank |

The Kaseff Family |

Rachel Krantz & Edward Goldstein |

Richard and Annette Bloch Family Legacy Foundation

Christine & Don Alexander | Sarah & Jon Baum | Phyliss & Robert Bernstein | Brockman & Pred Families | Carol & Arnie Caviar and Family | Donna Gould Cohen | Jenny & John Isenberg | Sheryl & Andrew Kaplan | NASB (North American Savings Bank) | Regnier Family Foundation | The Sosland Family

Partner Sponsor The Berenbom Family | The Berkley Family Foundation | Pati Chasnoff | Creative Planning | Angela & Anthony DeWilde | Marlene & Mike Fishman | Theresa and Bradley Freilich | Samantha & Quinton Hammontree/Weiner Foundation | Shirley & Barnett C. Helzberg, Jr | Lynn & William Intrater | Jacobson Grandchildren in honor of Ro & Howard Jacobson | Kehilath Israel Synagogue | Aaron March | Menorah Medical Center | Jennifer & Steven Paul | Arlene & John Rubenstein

Table Host Sponsor

Debbie & Neil Bass | Marla Brockman & John Goldberg | Peter & Lynne Brown | Beth & Steve Cole and Carol Kleinman & Wayne Pines | Commerce Bank Leawood | Ellen & Jamie Copaken | Denise & Ronald Coppaken | Pella & Jack Fingersh | Sondra & Frank Friedman | Paul Gillis | Susan & Benny Harding | Liz & John Hjalmarson | The Jewish Community Center of Greater Kansas City | Jewish Federation of Greater Kansas City | Judy & Bud Kahn | Krigel & Pabst Family | Danielle & Sam Levine | Lewis Rice | Gail & Richard Lozoff | Mariner Wealth | Janet Mark & Frank Lipsman | Mary McLean & Rita Cortes | Donna Oberstein & Ace Allen | Carol & David Porter | Joe & Lynn Poskin Charitable Foundation, and GWBD/PRIER Charitable Foundation | Ellen & Irv Robinson | Amy & Peter Shapiro | The

Family |

Gerson | Evie & Bob Grant | Alana Muller & Marc Hammer | Joyce & Dee Pack | Ellen & Jay Portnoy | Linda & David Zachariah

Family Sponsor

Barbara & Richard Atlas | Lisa & Wayne Auer | Diane & Steve Azorsky | Sue McCord Belzer & Irv Belzer | Congregation Beth Torah | Bunni & Paul Copaken | Robert Cutler | Dillingham

Family Foundation | Kristen & Daniel Fromm | Rhonda & Jeff Fromm | Jim Gerson | Karen Glickstein & Donald Swartz | Gail & Allen Gutovitz | Shannon & Joshua Maker | Vicky & Howard Mayer | Gene Ann & David Newcomer | Jodi & Michael Novicoff | Janice Pinson | Ora

Reynolds | Erika Saleski and Todd Lieberman | Miriam & Daniel Scharf | Marge & Bill Schlosberg | Cathy Boyer Shesol & Ron Shesol | Ileene & Steve Simon | Ursula Terrasi | Debbie & Steve Trenton | Howard Trilling | Patricia Werthan Uhlmann | Sue Vile | Karen & Rabbi Michael Zedek Barton P. and Mary D. Cohen Charitable Trust, Midwest Trust Company, Trustee – $100,000 matching gift The Kemper Family Foundations, UMB Bank, n.a., Trustee – $25,000 matching gift for Funda-Need

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 Kansas City, or the Kansas City Jewish Community as a whole.

“Isn’t it great to realize that it’s not something you’ve been doing wrong?”

Dear first time camp parent commentary

continued from page 8

of Jewish thought. If you’re like most people, that thought terrifies you – even if you substitute the topic for one with which you are familiar.

But not me – I’d be fine with that. Truth be told, I’d probably have 10 minutes spare. Sure, I’d be nervous, I’d be stressed. But I’d barely break a sweat while sketching out what I was going to say.

But what if now, instead, someone asked you to respond to a text or email with a simple “yes” or “no” – or asked you to fill out a simple form that included your basic details. That’s the type of thing that terrifies me.

Now, let me tell you: Even as I write that sentence it looks ridiculous. And a part of me is embarrassed that such a statement written by me, a community leader, will be printed for the public record.

And that was always my problem when I met with a therapist.

As I’d sit in front of them, I’d do all the talking – which included me convincing myself that there was an easy solution. “You know, as I say it out loud it sounds ridiculous – what if I just set aside 30 minutes a day to process all of these small tasks, and I’ll do it effortlessly!”

But I never could. As easy as it sounds, the idea of setting aside 30 minutes a day for these brief tasks became my Everest. While I rarely struggled to set aside several hours for major projects, these small things were impossible.

All of which led me to another visit to a therapist here in Kansas – only this time, I decided to change my tactic.

Rather than trying to explain to him why I wasn’t struggling as much as I thought I was, I would lay it all before him.

And I still remember the way I framed it: “Asking me to answer emails is like asking me to touch a cockroach.” It wasn’t that it was boring. It wasn’t that I didn’t like it or that I wasn’t motivated to do it – the idea of doing it sparked a physical aversion.

Which led to my therapist’s life-changing response: “Have you ever been tested for ADHD?”

The test – which was far more rigorous and intense than I had imagined – revealed me to be a textbook case of ADHD. To boot, I was informed that I was part of the second-most diagnosed group of people with ADHD: men in their 30s who, having got by until now, suddenly recognize that they are failing at things that they shouldn’t be.

And while my diagnosis didn’t change anything, it brought awareness: Now I know what I’m up against, I am better positioned to fight it. Additionally, I am blessed to have ADHD medication that works for me (not all are as lucky). Though here, I remember the advice of my therapist. “It’s a bit like getting a pair of glasses for the first time. It doesn’t mean you magically start reading five books a month, but at least you can finally see the words on the page.”

And that’s how it’s been. There has been no magic cure. Things aren’t always easier. But I’m finally armed with the capacity to handle it.

Rabbi Mark Glass is the outgoing rabbi of Congregation Beth Israel Abraham and Voliner.

Pride for the AJC and CyberWell partnership

By Jay and Ellen Portnoy

On May 12 the American Jewish Committee (AJC) “formalized their partnership with CyberWell to understand, respond to, and prevent online antisemitism.”

We are extremely knowledgeable about CyberWell as our daughter (Lara Portnoy) started working for it before it was even an NGO. Tal-Or Cohen Montemayor, the woman who had the foresight to see that the social media platforms were seething with Jew-hatred, knew that there had to be some

way to track this hate speech and work against it. She had the vision but needed help starting an NGO from scratch.

One of her friends, who had worked with our daughter at the Peres Center for Peace in Yafo, Israel, said, “I know who you need,” and introduced Tal-Or to our Lara. They have now been working together for almost five years to stop online Jew-hatred. They have grown from the formation of a nonprofit that included just the two of them to a thriving nonprofit that is continued on next page

By Bridey Stangler PJ Library

Dear first time camp parent,

I see you. I see your soul-deep knowledge that Jewish overnight camp is invaluable. I see your casually crossed arms and confident smiles: “Oh yeah, it’s the first summer! It’s definitely time.”

I was you just one year ago, calmly saying “you don’t really need to bring 11 t-shirts, but if it makes you feel better…” and “We will make sure you have plenty of extra flashlight batteries…” and “I suspect you won’t have to wear a kippah if you don’t really feel like it.”

I was the rock. This time last year, I was reassuring my husband, who never went to overnight camp, that not only is it perfectly normal, but it’s good and healthy. It’s an unparalleled opportunity for our then-11-year-old to prove to himself what he can do. He, who has spent nine years as an only child! He, a lover of the home routine! He, who had never slept anywhere away from us besides the houses of relatives! He can do it! And if he doesn’t like it, he won’t have to go back.

But he has to prove to himself that he can do it.

Yes, I was you just one year ago. So now let me tell you what to expect:

Despite your confidence and soul-deep knowledge that summer camp is good and important, you will wave off your child, and, whether at the curb, in your car or in the privacy of your home, you will cry. Uncontrollably and embarrassingly. While wearing dish gloves, while answering work emails, while changing diapers, you will cry.

Twenty-four hours after your child departs, your phone will ping. And that will be the start of the two- to four-week period when you look through online photos like a college kid the year Facebook was invented. You will happily, and with great anticipation, study hundreds of pictures of children you will never meet for the chance to spot your own. And when you do, you will send said picture to your sister, writing, “Does it look like he’s been eating?” or, to your husband, “I

think he wore that shirt yesterday,” or to your mother-in-law, “See! He’s having so much fun!” and then again to your husband, “He does look like he’s having fun, right?”

Your grocery bill will drop. Dramatically.

You will relish and mourn in equal parts the new and temporary social dynamic that defines your household.

It was right around this time last year, about three weeks before Darby left for his first summer at Jewish overnight camp, that I told him quietly, and in the privacy created by the bedtime routine: you know, it’s okay if you don’t want to go.

His response?

“I’m really nervous, but I really want to go.”

And that’s the heart of it, isn’t it? We send our kids to Jewish overnight camp because of all the studies that tell us there’s no better way to form a Jewish adult. We send our kids to Jewish overnight camp because we loved it, and we want them to love it too. We send our kids to Jewish overnight camp because everyone’s doing it.

But really, we send our kids to overnight camp because it’s scary. For them. For us. And we have to prove to ourselves, just like they do, that we can do it.

We are three weeks from shipping Darby off, and I have no choice but to trust that we’ve done an okay job. I have to trust that he’ll brush his teeth and wear his retainer, that he’ll mostly listen to his camp counselors, and that above all, he’ll be kind. I have to trust him not to do anything overly stupid. A little stupid is okay, but not overly stupid.

It’s not just a first step for our kids, but a first step for us.

I see you, first time camp parent, wondering if you’ve made the right choice. I see you feigning complete confidence, hiding your fear and your grief that your child is growing up. I see you hoping against hope that you’re raising them well enough to succeed in this trial of independence.

But I see your kids, too. And I see mine.

And they’ll do just fine.

Your friend, Bridey

Mistaken mitzvah commentary

Standing in the parking lot, I wondered what the Rabbis would say about what I had just done. I knew those ancient sages were insightful about ethical questions. But what would their opinion be about the mixed-up mitzvah I just performed?

It all began when I arrived in my rental car at the Airbnb apartment I had reserved for my Florida vacation. I was pleased to find a shady spot between two cars, but my luck ran out when I rolled my bags to the building entrance. Standing at the bottom of the stairwell, I noted my unit number: 301. I had forgotten (perhaps deliberately) that my apartment was on the third floor. Oh well, I thought, I could use the exercise after sitting on the plane all day.

I lugged my luggage up the three flights. After downing the turkey sandwich I had squished into my carry-on, I decided to take a walk. I trotted back downstairs and glanced at my parked car. Aghast, I saw that birds had emptied their own lunch on the windshield. Gobs of goo dribbled on the roof, windows and windshield. So much for my stroll. I needed to clean the car.

I trudged back up the stairs. Finding no pail or bucket, I filled a soup bowl with water, grabbed the paper towels and traipsed down the three flights again.

I began scrubbing but almost immediately exhausted my cleaning supplies. Back up the three flights I went, this time filling two bowls with water. A roll of paper towels stuck under my arm, I descended the stairs once again.

I resumed my scouring until the windshield and mirrors were relatively poop-free. I better move the car, I told myself, noting the troublesome tree overhead that had evidently been the source of the droppings. The car keys were in the apartment so I gathered the paper towel shreds and plodded back up the stairs.

Keys in hand, I trudged back down. Standing next to the car, I pressed the electronic key fob. The car next to mine beeped. I tried again and the adjacent car responded. What? It took a few seconds for me to realize. I had just cleaned someone else’s car! I

had rented a silver Hyundai, but I had just washed a gray Honda.

The Talmud makes it clear that good deeds should be performed with the proper kavanah (intention). So, did my scrubbing of someone else’s car by mistake count as a mitzvah?

As one would expect, there is disagreement among the Rabbis whether a mitzvah performed without the correct kavanah is valid. One opinion holds that giving charity (tzedakah) with uncharitable motives is still righteous. It’s the end result that matters, not the motivation. According to this line of reasoning, my cleaning of someone else’s car was virtuous. Especially because I had climbed three flights of stairs several times to do so.

However, other Talmudic Rabbis argue that a mitzvah performed without the right kavanah is invalid and must be repeated. So, in order for me to feel righteous, I would need to find another poop-splattered car to wash. If I did so, however, for my redo, I wouldn’t take the stairs. As I discovered on my last vacation day, the building had an elevator.

Nancy Kalikow Maxwell is a Kansas City native and awardwinning author. Her book, “Typically Jewish,” is available through the Jewish Publication Society or Amazon. Her website is kaliwellinc.com and email is nancykalikowmaxwell@gmail.com.

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 Kansas City, or the Kansas City Jewish Community as a whole. continued from previous page

doing exactly what they set out to do: tracking Jew-hatred and working with digital platforms to stop the spread of online hate. There are now 14 people who are working together to find it, identify it, contact the social media platforms with the evidence, educate others and work to get it removed.

It is not easy to deal with hate every day. It is not easy to live in a war zone and work from a bomb shelter. But these two and their wonderful team of

analysts and employees keep working to help ensure the safety of the Jewish people throughout the world.

We were so proud to read that the AJC has recognized the importance of CyberWell. We are so proud of both TalOr and our daughter, Lara, for the hard work and persistence they have put forth to make the world a better place.

Sometimes a Jewish mother and father just have to kvell. We kvell for the entire CyberWell staff. Yasher Koach From strength to strength.

Introducing Keslie Redel

By Keslie Redel, LCPC, LPC, ATRBC, RPT

JFS Clinical Director

I’d like to introduce myself and express my gratitude to the Jewish Family Services (JFS) staff and wider Jewish community here in Kansas City for the warm welcome. I'm Keslie Redel, and since I began my role as JFS’s clinical director in mid-March, I’ve been feeling energized by the meaningful work of our mental health team. For the past 10 years, I have been practicing as a mental health counselor, art therapist and play therapist in various settings, providing clinical and art therapy supervision for mental health providers seeking advanced credentialing and teaching continuing education for mental health and allied health professionals. I look forward to nurturing the growth and development of JFS’s mental health program.

Mental health shapes our day-today lives, and it continues to be a topic that is stigmatized and sometimes unacknowledged within our society.

Mental health is composed of various facets of our wellbeing, including our ability to process our thoughts and emotions and our skills in regulating those thoughts and emotions. Many of us can relate to noticing a particularly feisty driver on the road, honking their horn and attempting to aggressively pass a slower driver. This is one small example of how mental health affects our collective wellbeing and safety. Current world events demonstrate many examples of how mental health impacts our global community. All humans have thoughts, feel emotions and carry challenges and burdens. This is a universal experience.

I empower you to slow down and check-in with how you’re actually doing. I empower you to say “no” to one small task or obligation that can wait. I empower you to reach out to that friend you haven’t heard from in a while. I empower you to connect with the people, pets, hobbies, activities and places you love. And lastly, I empower you to ask for help, even when it feels hard. You can do hard things!

Sending you sunshine and wishes for wellness from all of us here at JFS.

community news

World Cup countdown: A look at Jewish players who spent time on the pitch in KC

continued from page 1

“Everything there was happening so fast,” Schwartz told The Chronicle in December 1983. “I mean, I accomplished just about everything, and I was just a little over 20 years old.”

When he joined the Comets in the mid-1980s, his wife, Neomy, and son, Aric, came with him and settled in Overland Park, Kansas.

Schwartz dealt with various injuries during his time with the Comets. In 1983, he sustained a shoulder dislocation. That shoulder was operated on right before the 1984-1985 season, during which he suffered a severely sprained thumb and dislocated ankle.

“You know you’re going to get bruises,” he told The Chronicle in November 1985. “You just have to deal with the pain.”

He retired from soccer in 1986, opening a unisex clothing store, Emanuelle, and partnering with another Israeli to open Kansas City’s first Israeli-style restaurant, The Natural, and its American-food co-restaurant, The Manor. All three businesses were located in Westport’s Manor Square.

Schwartz eventually left Kansas City. According to Haifa newspaper Hai Po, his career took him to Ko Samui, Thailand, in 2002, where he managed an Italian restaurant. In 2012, he died of a heart attack at age 54.

Benny Tabak

Kansas City Comets forward, 1984-1985

Benny Tabak became the Comets’ forward in 1984, joining Schwartz. Though he was only in Kansas City for a season, he attended multiple Jewish community events alongside Schwartz to sign balls and take photos with children.

The Chronicle reported in 1984 that Tabak had been on the Israeli National Team for nearly nine years before moving to Overland Park with his

wife, Pazit, and son, Guy. The Tabaks and Schwartzes were close friends, according to The Chronicle, living in the same apartment complex and spending holidays together.

With the exception of his time in Kansas City, Tabak played soccer for Israeli teams from 1972 all the way until 1994, most notably with Maccabi Tel Aviv F.C., which calls him “one of the greatest strikers in [its] history.”

He then switched to managing teams, most recently Hapoel Herzliya F.C. in Israel in 2019.

Sasha Victorine

Kansas City Wizards midfielder, 2005-2008

California-born Sasha Victorine followed up his high school soccer success with his performance at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), helping lead them to the NCAA title in 1997. He was later named an All-American in 1999.

His senior career began in 2000 with the Los Angeles Galaxy, where he made 121 appearances during his four years there. During this time, he also played on the U.S. Men’s team, including in the 2000 Summer Olympics.

In 2005, he was traded to the Kansas City Wizards, where he again made more than 100 appearances and scored a dozen goals.

After Kansas City, he played with Chivas USA in Los Angeles from 2008-2009 before retiring in 2010. He returned to Kansas City and worked with the Kansas City Wizards and served as a TV sports commentator on KCWE.

Victorine was interviewed by The Chronicle in 2022 when the announcement was made that the World Cup would be in Kansas City.

“Without a doubt, the most exciting part of the World Cup coming to Kansas City for me is the exposure kids and families will have with this event and the game of soccer,” Victorine said. “...Kansas City will be

an international dwelling welcoming millions of soccer fans around the world, but even better, Kansas City will get to experience the culture and passion of these countries here in our home.”

Victorine currently works as the chief operating officer and chief revenue officer of Ad Astra, an AI-powered scheduling software for schools and universities.

Benny Feilhaber

Sporting Kansas City midfielder, 2013-2017 and 2019-2020

Benny Feilhaber, a Brazilian-born Jewish American, came to the United States at age 6, eventually ending up at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). His success there led him to be invited to the U.S. Under-20 National Team, later joining the U.S. National Team and being on the rosters for the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team and the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

His professional career began in Hamburg, Germany, and he later played in England and Denmark before returning to the U.S.

He came to Kansas City in 2013 after being traded to Sporting Kansas City from the New England Revolution. Shortly after moving here, Sporting Kansas City held a Jewish Heritage Day, for which Feilhaber told The Chronicle that “it will be an honor to play in front of those who cherish the same spiritual beliefs as I do.”

After appearing in 150 games and scoring 29 goals, Feilhaber was traded to Los Angeles FC and then the Colorado Rapids before coming back to Sporting in 2019. He then scored a further two goals for the team before retiring in 2020.

In his retirement, he began a managerial career, serving the UCLA Bruins and Sporting Kansas City in various roles before serving as the manager of the Sporting Kansas City II club team from 2022-2024. Most recently, he has managed the Oakland Roots Sports Club.

Andy Gruenebaum

Sporting Kansas City goalkeeper, 2014

Overland Park native Andy Gruenebaum, son of Mike and Kris Gruenebaum, showed his soccer chops when he was named an All-American as a senior at Blue Valley North High School, then claiming the NSCAA Kansas Player of the Year award in 2000.

At the University of Kentucky, he played for the Kentucky Wildcats. He then joined the Des Moines Menace in 2005 before a seven-year stint with the Columbus Crew. Early in his career, he earned the moniker “The Hebrew Hammer.”

In 2014, Gruenebaum was traded to Sporting Kansas City, his hometown team.

“Being able to play in front of family and friends — people that I grew up with playing soccer as a kid — and just coming all this way full circle and playing… it is something that we’ve dreamed of,” he told The Chronicle that year.

After 11 appearances, he announced his retirement and transitioned to serving Sporting as a broadcaster, Sporting Kansas City Academy goalkeeper coach and liaison for youth soccer initiatives.

“It was a tough decision to hang up the boots, but at the end of the day, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to stay in KC and be a part of this amazing club,” he told The Chronicle in 2015.

Gruenebaum is the founder of Union 30, a local goalkeeper training service in Kansas City.

Yael Averbuch West

FC Kansas City midfielder, 2015-2017

New York City-born Yael Averbuch West honed her soccer skills as a teenager in Montclair, New Jersey, where she was named both a NSCAA

continued on next page

community news

continued from previous page

All-American and USYSA All-American. She played for the United States at every level of the youth national teams, from the U-16 women’s team in 2002 until the U-23 women’s team in 2008.

At the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, she joined the Tar Heels and scored 26 goals. While still at college, she was honored by the National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame and Museum.

After graduating, she played for two New York women’s soccer teams (Sky Blue FC and Western New York Flash) before heading to Europe and spending time with WFC Rossiyanka in Moscow, Russia, and Kopparsberg/ Goteborg FC in Gothenburg, Sweden. She returned to the U.S. to play for the Washington (D.C.) Spirit, and following a short loan to a Cypriot team, she signed to FC Kansas City in 2015.

Averbuch told The Chronicle in 2015 that when she travels to new places, she will seek out the local Jewish community.

“I can travel anywhere on the planet, and I am not alone,” she said.

In 2018, she signed to the Seattle Reign, but only played in one game due to ulcerative colitis. After her retirement from playing, she began serving as general manager of Gotham FC in New York, where she still works today.

Gadi Kinda

Sporting Kansas City attacking midfielder, 20202023

Gadi Kinda (z”l), an Ethiopian-born Israeli soccer player, developed his soccer skills in Ashdod, Israel, where he joined the city’s F.C. Ashdod in 2011. He played for them for eight years before transferring to Beitar Jerusalem F.C.

In 2020, he joined Sporting Kansas City, for which he scored 14 goals despite missing the 2022 season due to knee surgery.

He told The Chronicle in 2022 that he was excited that Kansas City would be a host city for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

“I think it’s a welcome move that such a huge tournament is coming to Kansas City,” Kinda said. “As a player here, I was very excited to hear that. I’m happy for the club and for the city, and I’m sure it’s going to be a big celebration… The city really loves soccer.”

Kinda returned to Israel to play for Maccabi Haifa in 2024. From 2021 to 2024, he also played for the Israel national team.

In May of 2025, Kinda died at age 31 from an undisclosed illness.

Incoming Sporting Kansas City player named to Israel Men’s National Team

continued from page 1

to the Israel Super Cup and Israeli Premier League titles during the 202526 season in addition to an appearance in the Israel State Cup final earlier last week.

Internationally, Blorian has earned four caps for the Israel Men’s National Team. He made his international debut in October 2025 and most recently played the full 90 minutes for Israel in a 4-1 win over Moldova in FIFA World Cup Qualifying on November

16, 2025. Blorian also represented Israel extensively at the youth levels, appearing in 49 matches from the U-16s to the U-21s.

Israel, No. 77 in the FIFA global rankings, will prepare to play in the 2026-27 UEFA Nations League B which begins in September. Israel is part of Group 3 alongside Austria, Kosovo and the Republic of Ireland with the group winner earning promotion to the 2028-29 UEFA Nations League A.

obituaries

Bonnie Jean Mandel

Bonnie Jean Mandel, born Dec. 7, 1963, passed away on April 23, 2026.

Raised in Atlanta, Georgia, and Overland Park, Kansas, Bonnie earned degrees at Tulane University and Georgia Tech. She lived in Atlanta for 26 years before moving to Spokane, Washington, in 2012. She was a CPA and spent most of her career in controller roles for large and medium-sized businesses. Although Bonnie loved the challenge of learning new industries and was a diligent, competent and conscientious employee, she was thrilled to retire at age 58.

She met her beloved husband, Jeff, while on an Atlanta Ski Club trip to Sun Valley. Bonnie treasured Jeff’s daughter, Carolina, who was four when Bonnie came into their lives.

Bonnie was an avid reader as a youngster, and her love of reading continued throughout her life. She was an active participant in multiple book clubs. A love for poetry began after discovering the podcast Poetry Unbound and the genius of Pádraig Ó Tuama’s insight and analysis.

Her parents passed on a love of travel. From her father, Bonnie inherited the joy of alpine skiing. Bonnie travelled broadly throughout her life. She spoke Spanish fluently and made trips to Mexico, Spain, Peru, Argentina, Ecuador and Panama. There were also trips to Japan, Europe and all across the farthest reaches of the United States. She loved hot springs, paddling, swimming, hiking,

Nordic skiing and cycling. She had a wide range of musical tastes and particularly enjoyed live music.

Over the years, she devoted many hours to volunteer pursuits, including adult literacy, Save Georgia’s Hemlocks, AWARE Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Center, refugee causes and the Inland Northwest Land Conservancy.

In the last 16 months of her life, a rare esophageal condition caused severe malnutrition and left her permanently unable to take in nutrition orally. She also had two neurological diseases, essential tremor and Parkinson’s disease. She and her family are deeply grateful to Dr. Jason Aldred, Tiffany Raney ARNP and the team at Selkirk Neurology for their excellent care and compassion.

To know Bonnie was to share laughter, to see determination and to be embraced by the force of a woman who lived fully. Her friends and family hope that her spirit will live on in some of her favorite places: soaking at Goldbug Hot Springs, Nordic skiing in the Methow Valley and hiking the Easy Pass trail in the North Cascades.

She is survived by her husband of 27 years, Jeff Bushman; parents, Edward and Ellen Mandel of Overland Park, Kansas; sister, Meredith Mandel and husband Jose Cifuentes of Kansas City, Missouri; and daughter, Carolina Bushman and fiancé Tara Hall of Chicago, Illinois.

No flowers or plants please. The family requests donations be made to the Michael J. Fox Foundation (michaeljfox.org) or the International Essential Tremor Foundation (essentialtremor.org). Please specify that your donations go to research.

Kansas City is getting ready to host the JCC Maccabi Games, and we need your help! 900 visiting athletes are coming to compete in the Games and need a place to stay. As a host family, you will provide visiting teens with a Jewish “home away from home.” Build unforgettable memories and have the opportunity to create a special bond with these athletes that will extend well beyond the week of the Games.

Hosting is easy, fun, and rewarding. Join the HOME team and register as a host family today!

Families who register within the first 75% of host sign-ups will be entered into a drawing to win a free two-night stay in Branson, MO.

MaccabiMyths:

Myth: I don’t have enough room.

Fact: Every athlete doesn’t need their own room; each athlete just needs their own bed or pullout couch. The J will even provide you with an air mattress.

Scan to read the rest of our