100 Years Ago
(From the Jan. 23, 1925 issue of The Kansas City Jewish Chronicle)
An election of officers was held Sunday, Jan. 18, at the “Y.” The following Brother Alephs were elected to office: Lewis Sutin, Aleph Godol; Phil Copland, Aleph S’gan; Arthur Goodman, Aleph Mazkir; Harry Kauffman, Aleph Gizbor; Zolley Lerner, Aleph Shotair; Meyer Gottlieb, Aleph Junior Shotair; Sid Magazine, Aleph Kohen Godol; Harry Brenner, Aleph Sopher. … A stag dinner will be held in the near future. The guests will be our Brothers who are attending the University of Kansas. A line party will be given at the “Y” plays Sunday, January 25th. Isaac Rabinowitz was voted into the Fraternity. … The next meeting will be held, Feb. 1, at the “Y.” All members are urged to be present.
90 Years Ago
(From the Jan. 25, 1935 issue of The Kansas City Jewish Chronicle)
Harry Levine, now 28, had returned to K.C. for a visit with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Max Levine. Harry used to appear in minstrel shows directed by George L. Goldman for old “Y” many years ago, and in many “Y” dramatics, including the role of Shylock in “The Merchant of Venice” at the “Y” in 1925. For the past eight years, he has been in Los Angeles, where he has been active in dramatic work, staging spectacles there for the L.A. Jewish community.
(Levine is a charter member of AZA #2, initiated on Feb. 2, 1924.)
80 Years Ago
(From the Jan. 26 1945 issue of The Kansas City Jewish Chronicle)
In the jungles of New Guinea, 3,000 miles from home, Pvt. Harold Caplan, son of Mr. and Mrs. Philip Caplan, learned that a buddy, Sgt. Stanley Katz, son of Mr. and Mrs. H. Katz, was stationed nearby, about 30 miles away, and decided to pay him a surprise visit. They had a real bull session exchanging news of their families. Then one evening Stanley was called the phone. He was amazed to hear the voice of his old friend, Pvt. Sonny Bernstein, son Mr. and Mrs. Jake Bernstein. The three boys are members of Chapter No. 2, A.Z.A., and have spent many weekends together since their first surprise visits, which terminated the break in their association made by their service assignments. They intend to round up other A.Z.A.’s who, they have learned, are on the island.
75 Years Ago
(From the Jan. 20, 1950 issue of The Kansas City Jewish Chronicle)
I.J. Mnookin will deliver the principal address at the annual meeting of the Jewish Welfare Fund of Des Moines, Iowa, to be held Sunday, January 23rd. Mr. Mnookin, who has been a leader in Kansas City Jewish community affairs, including the Jewish Federation and Council activities, will speak to the Des Moines community on the subject, “Responsibilities of Leadership.”
(Mnookin was a member of Two’s in the early 1930s.)
60 Years Ago
(From the Jan. 22, 1965 issue of The Kansas City Jewish Chronicle)
Recent chapter activities included a religious meeting at Ohev Sholom Synagogue, a cultural meeting with Albert A. Michelson chapter at which Ed Budde was the speaker, and a Roaring Twenties party with AZA 621. Planned activities include a stag for prospective members, a religious and a cultural program with Gan Dafna. Chapter members are participating in the basketball program. Mike Kelne was elected Regional Aleph Gizbor at the Convention.
20 Years Ago
(From the Jan. 21, 2005 issue of The Kansas City Jewish Chronicle)
On Jan. 28 and 29, the B’nai B’rith Youth Organization and the National Conference of Synagogue Youth will hold a joint Shabbaton in the Kansas City area in an effort to break down barriers between local youth groups.
Todd Cohn, director of NCSY, said that the joint Shabbaton is an opportunity for BBYO and NCSY to “bring together our strengths. To the best of my knowledge, this is the first time BBYO and NCSY have collaborated.”
According to Cohn, the idea of bringing local youth groups together was one that NCSY and BBYO members had been toying with for a while. “At the end of last year, Matt Rissien (president of Kansas City Council BBYO and former Two’s AZA Godol) came to our last NCSY convention,” Cohn said. “The idea was for him to take some of the ideas brought up at the convention back to BBYO. It was something we’d discussed in advance, and we both thought it would be a good idea for him to come.”
In return, Cohn spoke at the Mid-America Region BBYO Spring Regional Convention. “This relationship has been growing for a long time,” he said, “and we’re really trying to break down the barriers.”
Aryn Rosenthal, president of NCSY’s Kansas City chapter, said that it was a great way for the two youth groups to grow on each other.
“We all have a common goal,” she said, “and this way we can show our commonalities. We’re hoping to make it an annual thing.”
Rissien said the same thing.
“Because BBYO is so big, we decided to keep the first part of the convention to just BBYO leaders and the older NCSY kids …. We’re going to focus on bringing our strengths together.
“However, on Saturday night, we’re going to have an all–BBYO and all-NCSY limousine scavenger hunt, and then a big NCSY/BBYO get-together afterward.”
Rissien said many BBYO members have little knowledge about the Orthodox Jewish lifestyle. The BBYO participants will be housed overnight by members of the local Orthodox community.
“I think this weekend may really spark some of the BBYO leaders to want to bring more Judaism into our programming,” Rissien said.
