90 Years Ago
(From the Dec. 28, 1934 issue of The Kansas City Jewish Chronicle)
A social reception for the individual members of all clubs affiliated with the Center Council of Clubs will be held Tuesday evening, Jan. 8. The evening’s entertainment will include cards and dancing. Its object is to create inter-fraternal goodwill among affiliated groups and to acquaint members with the purpose and plans of the Council of Clubs.
75 Years Ago
(From the Dec. 23, 1949 issue of The Kansas City Jewish Chronicle)
Boys from St. Louis, Wichita and St. Joseph will attend the 1949 Mo.-Kan. Regional Convention to held December 25-28 in Kansas City. The A.Z.A. Council of Greater Kansas City is the sponsor. The convention will be centered around the Jewish Community Center. Convention chairman Morrie Kross has promised “a terrific time for all who register.” … The Heart of America Chanukah Dance will be held Dec. 25, at Drexel Hall, Linwood and Baltimore… On Dec. 26, a brunch will be given in the lodge room of the Center. Orations will be delivered immediately after. The topic is a quotation from the Book of Isaiah: “Arise and Sing, Ye that Dwell in Dust.” … On Dec. 7, the revue and dance will be held at the K.I.B.S. Synagogue, 3400 Paseo. Wichita A.Z.A. No. 175, America No. 511 of St. Louis and combined K.C. A.Z.A., and B.B.G. talent will present the entertainment. Ed Kershenbaum is head of the program. … Debates will be held Dec. 28. The topic this year is “Resolved, that a system of Jewish All-Day schools be established in North America.” The public is invited to attend the finals at the Center. The judges are Irving Levitas, Julian Levitt and Sol Margolin. The subject of the seminar will be, “Financing the Chapter’s program – the right way and the wrong way.” Two’s alumnus Leonard Belove will lead the seminar. There will be the usual delegate sessions with the election of regional officers at the final meeting Wednesday. … There will be five tournaments. Basketball will be played in the Center’s gym Sunday and Monday, with the finals on Tuesday. The bowling tournament will take place at Rockhill Bowling alleys Tuesday morning. Ping-pong singles and doubles will be played Tuesday and Wednesday in the game room of the Center. … George Berg, Sam Weiner (Two’s AZA) and Ernie Weinstein are the executive comitteemen of the convention, together with Morrie Kross and Leonard Belove, B.B.Y.O. director.
50 Years Ago
(From the Dec. 27, 1974 issue of The Kansas City Jewish Chronicle)
Approximately 300 members of the B’nai B’rith Youth Organization met this week at the new Plaza Inn International for the annual Mo-Kan Regional Convention. The BBYO members were from chapters in St. Louis, Wichita and St. Joseph in addition to Kansas City ZA and BBG groups. The convention was the first to be held at the newly-opened Plaza Inn International, near the KCI Airport. The programs included prayer services, study sessions, workshops, business sessions and social events. The Kansas City BBYO program is co-sponsored by B’nai B’rith and the Jewish Community Center.
25 Years Ago
(The following article from the Dec. 24, 1999 issue of The Kansas City Jewish Chronicle was written by Two’s Aleph Sam Pener)
Why is this New Year’s Eve different from all other New Year’s Eves?
Not only does this New Year’s Eve mark the end of the millennium, but it is also the last Shabbat of the year.
This is an issue that definitely presents a problem to students at the Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy. Shabbat is a very special day of rest; no cars, no television, no music, etc. This will pose a conflict to those students who are currently more observant than others, who do not keep Shabbat anyway.
Junior Josh Magariel follows the rules and rituals of Shabbat.
“I have no idea what I’m going to do,” said Magariel (a member of Two’s AZA). “I’m going to keep Shabbat, but I might not do it at home. I’m not going to break Shabbat for partying, and it doesn’t matter that this is once in a lifetime, because I would have greater satisfaction keeping Shabbat under such difficult circumstances than breaking Shabbat to go to a party.”
Senior Joe Berman also observes Shabbat.
“I’m keeping Shabbat. It’s something I do, regardless of what else happens on that day,” said Berman, (also a member of Two’s AZA). “It (partying on New Year’s Eve) might be a priority for someone else. My priority is Shabbat.”
The academy’s Judaic principal, Shelley Rissien, said, “New Year’s has never been a big party thing in our house. Even though this year is exciting because of the beginning of a new millennium, we were planning to do something low-key anyway. I never even checked the calendar to see that it falls on Shabbat. I have a policy that I don’t dwell on things that I have no control over, and I certainly can’t change the calendar, no matter how hard I try.”
On the other side of the spectrum are those students who do not comply with the restrictions Shabbat imposes.
Sophomore Andrew Marks says that, while he recognizes that it is Shabbat, the millennium only comes around once every thousand years.
Then there are those who are in between with their beliefs. Such an individual might celebrate Shabbat and then go out to celebrate the millennium. For example, senior Jeremy Krashin observes Shabbat by usually staying home on Friday night. On this special Shabbat, Krashin said he will try and keep it by staying in one place for all of Shabbat and then “head home when I see three stars.”
Eighth-grader Sarit Horowitz has a similar dilemma and usually stays home on Shabbat with her family.
“My parents are letting me go out,” said Horowitz. “As long as I leave before it (Shabbat) starts and com back after it ends. They don’t want me driving home during Shabbat.”
