100 Years Ago
(From the Feb. 5, 1926 issue of The Kansas City Jewish Chronicle)
The second annual National Tournament of the Aleph Zadik Aleph Fraternity will be held this year at Lincoln, Neb., Feb. 12-14. Nineteen chapters will meet in a basketball and oratorical tournament and the Kansas City chapter will be forced to limit to defend the honors they won last year in Omaha. At present, Kansas City AZA #2 holds both cups.
“The loss of some of our best members who are school,” says Max Wolfe, “is a great handicap to the team. However, in spite of this fact, the basketball team is making progress under the coaching of Joe Lapine and is expected to make a worthy showing.”
In the oratorical contest, the local chapter will sadly miss Lewis Sutin, who is unable to leave school to make the trip. Keen competition is expected in this event, and Max Kroloff of Sioux City, Iowa, winner of The Star’s contest last year, who will represent the Sioux City chapter, is the heavy favorite.
The probable lineup for the basketball team, according to Max K. Wolfe, local tournament manager, is: Julius Peltzman and Joe Lapine, guards; Philip Copland and Is Pessman, forwards; and Harry Kaufman, center. One other man is yet to be chosen.
As yet, no representative for the oratorical contest has been chosen. A final elimination will be held Sunday, February 7. The subject is “The Contribution of the Jew to American Civilization.”
70 Years Ago
(From the Feb. 3, 1956 issue of The Kansas City Jewish Chronicle)
AZA Chapter 2 will hold its formal installation of officers at 8:30 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 4 at the Wishbone, 45th and Main. Members are urged to attend and bring a date. For reservations contact Jerry Klopper, social committee chairman….
The National B’nai B’rith Bowling Association opens a 3-day conference here tonight at the Hotel Muehlbach.Highlight of the 3-day conference is a banquet Saturday night at the Hotel Muehlbach at which the principal speaker will be Philip M. Klutznick, world president of B’nai B’rith (and charter member of AZA #2).
Mr. Klutznick, a national figure because of his government and United Nations associations, was born and reared in Kansas City. After graduating from Manual High School in 1924, he went to the University of Kanas, and later received a law degree at Creighton University. Together, with other Kansas City and Omaha youths, he helped to found Aleph Zadik Aleph, the national junior B’nai B’rith organization.
Following a successful law career in Omaha, he was appointed in 1944, Commissioner of the Federal Public Housing Administration by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Since World War II, he has been consultant to many federal and Illinois housing agencies. His United Nations activities have included a vice presidency of a conference on eradicating prejudice and discrimination throughout the world, and he has been a consultant to the U.N. Economic and Social Council.
A courageous and articulate champion of the State of Israel, Klutznick has often conferred with State Department officials on problems of peace in the Middle East. A lifelong Zionist, he has been a leading figure on matters involving Israel. Since he took office as world president of B’nai B’rith, the organization has established a B’nai B’rith Shrine near Jerusalem in conjunction with the Jewish National Fund, dedicated a rehabilitation center for Israeli war veterans, and opened a home for children.
Under his leadership, the Henry Monsky Foundation has begun construction on an 8-story exhibit hall and building in Washington, which serves the B’nai B’rith movement as a youthful and cultural center.
Klutznick is a vice president of both the National Jewish Welfare Board and the World Federation of Jewish Community Centers, and he is a member of the board of directors of the National Jewish Fund, the Rassco Israel Corporation, and the National Council of Boy Scouts of America.
He is chairman of the board of American Community Builders, which built the world-famous Park Forest housing development near Chicago. He is also president of the Old Orchard Business District Inc., and a member of the board at Goldblatt’s Department Stores in Chicago.
40 Years Ago
(From the Feb. 7, 1986 issue of The Kansas City Jewish Chronicle)
Sherman W. Dreiseszun has been unanimously voted “honorary president for life” of Kehilath Israel Synagogue, Peter Levi, chairman of the board of directors, has announced.
The prestigious honor has been bestowed only one other time, to the late Morten Brown.
Dreiseszun’s life experience with the congregation began early as he studied for his Bar Mitzvah with the late Rabbi Maurice D. Solomon in the first year of operation at the 43rd and Prospect location.
As an adult, he became actively involved after leaving the service in 1946, when Kehilath Israel made the decision to relocate to Meyerand Rockhill. According to Sam Gould, past president and close associate, Dreiseszun made a stirring speech and then made the first building fund contribution which served as an impetus for others to contribute funds to purchase land.
Dreiseszun also played an integral role when he and members of his family contributed not only the land but funds to build the school building that served K.I. at 108th and Nall.
He served as president of the congregation in 1959-60 and in 1978. He and Levi were co-chairmen of the synagogue planning committee when the decision was made to sell the building at Meyer and Rockhill and to relocate.
(Dreiseszun is an alumnus of Kansas City AZA #2.)
20 Years Ago
(From the Feb. 3, 2006 issue of The Kansas City Jewish Chronicle)
Hyman Brand Hebrew Academy senior Ari Horing on Wednesday signed a letter of intent to play NCAA Division 1 soccer at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston. Thus, he fulfilled a lifelong dream, and became the first HBHA student to enter the highest ranks of the National Collegiate Athletic Association.
But his dreams hardly end here.
“I envision myself competing for a national championship,” Ari said in an interview this week, “making the all-conference team, making the all-freshman team – just playing competitive soccer. I’m ready to take my game to the next level.”
The son of Michael and Shoula Horing, Ari established himself as a force in Kansas City soccer circles, putting 81 balls Into the net for HBHA during his four years on the varsity team. He led all Johnson County high school scorers in the fall of 2004 with 29 goals. He did all this on a team that was often overmatched against teams from much larger schools.
HBHA Head of School Adam Holden, who himself played soccer semi-professionally in England before coming to Kansas, coached Ari and some other promising local youngsters personally, soon after his arrival at the school.
“Ari is a great student and student athlete for the academy,” Holden said. “He has been a tremendous player on not only the soccer team but also for the basketball program. We are delighted that he has received a Division 1 scholarship to continue his soccer career at the collegiate level.
“Ari has exceptional talent on the soccer field. He is a natural athlete, has great speed and agility and knows how to score goals. He also possesses a strong work ethic and is a true competitor.”
Finding the net
But often it takes more than playing on a high school team to attract the attention of college coaches, so Ari also played with several private, “premiere” clubs, most recently the Blue Valley Stars. He also won a spot on the United States boys’ soccer team that went to the Maccabiah Games in Israel last year. And he also was chosen to play on the Missouri team in the Olympic Development Program.
His coach with the Stars, Chris Duke, echoed Adam Holden’s comments.
“He can score goals,” Duke said . “He has a knack for finding the net . He’s very good one on one. He’s short and stocky and bow-legged , and that makes him solid with the hall. It’s hard to get the ball off his foot.
“When I first got Ari , he could do a lot of things with the hall, but not so much when he didn’t have the ball. Later, he learned how to move off the ball, and he’s become a complete player. He’s a good kid, too. I think he’ll really help that team.”
After a particularly good showing last summer at a showcase tournament In Muscatine, Iowa, several universities invited Ari for official visits. He said Eastern Illinois Head Coach Adam Howarth told him he would have a good chance to play for the Panthers soon, as the team’s top scorer graduates this spring.
“He said I had a lot of potential, and that they need help scoring,” Ari said. “They think I can take the team to the next level.”
EIU plays soccer in the Missouri Valley Conference, which means Ari ‘s Panthers will be competing against such teams as Creighton, Missouri State and Drake. That will make it fairly convenient for family members to travel to see him play. What’s more, EIU has scheduled a home-and- home series next year and the year after that with the University of Missouri-Kansas City. That means the EIU Panthers will probably have a big cheering section for at least one away game during the 2007 season.
Ari credited his mother -the attorney and outspoken Israel advocate, not to mention ex-high school track athlete, Shoula Horlng – for some of his success.
“A lot of my success ls due to the fact that my mom believed in me strongly, even when others doubted me,” Ari said. “If It wasn’t for her, I might not even still be playing soccer now. She always pushed and offered to make sure I got the best coaching, the best team.”
Shoula Horing said she was glad she resisted others’ advice to take Ari out of HBHA and send him to a larger, public school, In order to further his chances of winning an athletic scholarship.
“We are from Israel, so the Hebrew Academy gave us an extended family,” Shoula HorIng said. “It gave him self-confidence to be a leader, and a nurturing environment.”
(Ari Horing is an alumnus of Kansas City AZA #2.)
