Passover begins:Friday, March 30

Candle lighting is at 7:22 pm

Passover ends:Friday, April 6

Candle lighting is at 7:29 pm

Sixth Annual Reel Judaism . . .Explore the Modern JewishExperience in Film

Join other members of the congregation in thiswonderful “night at the movies.” All movies areshown at the Sulgrave Condominium ScreeningRoom at 121 West 48th Street, KCMO and begin at7:00 p.m. The series is free. Non-members arewelcome. Reservations are required, please call theNRT office at 816-523-7809 to RSVP.

Shanghai Ghetto Thursday, April 19, 7pm. Length: 95 minutes

This movie recalls the truestory of thousands ofEuropean Jews who wereshut out of country aftercountry while trying toescape Nazi persecution inthe late 1930's. Left withoutoptions or entrance visas, abeacon of hope materializedfor them on the other side ofthe world, and in theunlikeliness of places,

Japanese controlled Shanghai.

Passover Is Nearing…. Are WeReady?Rabbi Alan D. Londy

The celebration of Passover each year is central to myJewish life. Preparing the house for Passoverincluding ridding our home of chametz (leavenproducts), cleaning out the cabinets, changing dishes,and buying Kosher for Passover food makes Passoverpreparation both difficult and meaningful. Iexperience the stress and hard work of Passoverpreparation as an essential part of my Jewish identity.

The preparation for the Passover seder is timeintensive. Yet, when it has all been accomplished andwe sit down for the seder, I feel an incredible sense ofaccomplishment. Because there has been so muchpreparation, the actual experience of the sederbecomes especially meaningful. My grandmothertaught me all of this. I learned Passover Judaism bywatching my grandmother, Satie Goldstein. Myemotional connection to Passover preparationconnects me with how she prepared for Passover. Mywife, Jane, had a similar experience. Her wonderfulgrandmother, Goldie Weinstein, would beginpreparing for Passover immediately after Hanukkah!Passover is woven into the core experiences of ourfamily. We have tried to pass these traditions unto ourchildren.

When our house is ready for Passover, we havecreated in our home a kind of alternate reality whichwe experience for eight days. This alternate Passoveruniverse is intense and restrictive. But, the demandsthat Passover places upon me gives this Festival ofFreedom a special meaning.

Continued on page 3

April 2018 Vol. 52, No. 7

Please note that Shabbat Services onMarch 30 will begin at 5:00 pm and willend by 5:30 pm. This will enablemembers to attend Friday night worshipand participate in their Passover Seders.

THE NEW REFORM TEMPLE7100 Main Street at GregoryKansas City, Missouri 64114

Phone: 816-523-7809 Fax: 816-523-2454E-Mail: nrt7100@aol.com

Rabbi Alan Londy, D. Min.

Board of Directors

Ann L. Darke Irwin E. BlondPresident Robert N. Epsten

Bradley Freilich, M.D.Tom Barnett Barb KovacsFirst Vice President Todd Lieberman

Barbara MacArthurAnn K. Baum Sue McCord-BelzerSecond Vice President Theodore Prince

John RubensteinLeslie Mark Sarah SoslandSecretary Steven R. Unterman, M.D.

Tom IsenbergTreasurer

Daniel FrommMichael Grossman

Past Presidents

Arthur L. SternLife Director

Worship Hours

April 6. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6:00 p.m.Shabbat Service

April 7. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9:00 a.m.Torah Study

April 13. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6:00 p.m.Shabbat Service

April 14. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9:00 a.m.Torah Study

April 20. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6:00 p.m.Shabbat Service

April 21. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9:00 a.m.Torah Study

April 27. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6:00 p.m.Shabbat Service

April 28. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9:00 a.m.Torah Study

We Gratefully Acknowledge theFollowing Contributions toThe New Reform Temple

To the Marion & Henry Bloch Religious SchoolHenry Bloch

To the Music Fund

To the Rabbi’s Discretionary Fund

In Appreciation of Rabbi Londy & Movie NightSharon Poisner

To the Shabbat FlowersIrv Belzer & Sue McCord-BelzerHoward & Judith BoasbergJohn & Ann BrendlePhillip & Janelle BrownGregg & Sirenna DavidsonLarry PoisnerArthur & Barbara SternKen Weiner & Pam FleischerCraig & Carol Wilson

To the TempleStephen Pociluyko

To the Tree of Life

To the Yahrzeit Memorial

April Anniversaries

07 Michael & Susan Fate13 Keith & Amy Copaken22 Keith & Victoria Novorr28 Todd & Erika Lieberman

Tree of Life

Consider recognizing a special event or someonespecial with a leaf on our Tree of Life located in ourTemple’s lobby. Temple members can commemoratebirths, birthdays, Bar/Bat Mitzvahs, graduations,weddings, anniversaries – essentially any life cycleevent. Individual leaves are $300 each. Please contactthe Temple office at 816-523-7809 for moreinformation.

Passover Is Nearing…. Are WeReady?Continued from page 1

Every Jewish ritual has a deep meaning behind it.According to Chasidic approach to Passover, bread andchametz (leaven) symbolize the egotism andhaughtiness within each of us. Chametz puffs up like ahaughty person’s chest, swells, like an egotistical head.Matzah, on the other hand, is flat, low and humble.Even the fact that its flavor is bland, nearly tasteless,attest to its modesty.

Please don’t misunderstand what I have described.Passover is not some mindless, neurotic, and oppressiveritual for me which I observe out of some compulsion.Rather, the rituals and traditions enable me to engagethe eternal values of Judaism: our belief in freedom, ourconcern for the oppressed, our celebration of ourunique history, and our obligation to work to repair theworld. In my life, these traditions create the frameworkfor me to experience the profound teachings ofJudaism.

In my personal life, I have chosen a rather stringentapproach to Passover observance. My choices are mine.They reflect what I think is valuable and meaningful asI try to create Jewish meaning for myself. Other peoplecreate alternate ways to experience their Judaism. Thisrespect for the choices that our fellow Jews make isessential to religious teachings concerning freedom andthe dignity of all human beings. Each of us needs tofind our own connection to Jewish life and living. Whatmakes Reform Judaism compelling is the responsibilityit places on individuals to create their own meaningfulJewish existence. The classical Reform Jews wereconcerned that traditional Judaism’s emphasis on theminutia of Jewish ritual practice was overshadowing themoral and spiritual values of Judaism. They develop anapproach to Judaism that was more in keeping with thesensibilities of modern life.

Even though classical Reform Judaism developed aselective approach to Jewish practice, both in thesynagogue and in the home, the observance of thebasic requirements of Passover, as taught in the Bible,were expected. As members of The New ReformTemple, these are my suggestions as to how amember of our congregation can meaningfully bringPassover into their lives.

1. Refrain from bread, pasta, and other bakedgoods (chametz) during the 8 days ofPassover. Put them away during the festival.

2. Eat Passover matzah and other Kosher forPassover foods. The supermarkets are full ofthem.

3. Get a good Jewish cookbook and try outsome Passover recipes.

4. Give tzedakah in honor of Passover especiallyto charities that deal with hunger.

5. Participate in a Passover Seder. Making ourown seder is easier than we think. Anessential part of it is finding an appropriatehaggadah for our seders.

Here are three Haggadot that would be suitable foryour seder.

The New Union Haggadah: Revised Edition edited byRabbi Howard Berman(This haggadah best reflects the spirit of Classical ReformJudaism.)A Family Haggadah edited by Shoshana Silberman(This haggadah is both learned and family friendly.)The Open Door: A Passover Haggadah edited by SueLevi Elwell(This haggadah reflects the latest creativity in modern ReformJudaism.)

Jewish meaning is found through the rituals,teachings, experiences, and celebrations that are thefoundation of Jewish life. By linking ourselves tothese traditions, we become connected to the 3000years of Jewish history. Our tradition offers so much.Passover is a time to explore the riches of Judaismand to make them part of our lives.

I wish all the members of our congregation and theirextended families a joyful and meaningful Passover.

Principal’s CornerUpdates from the Marion and HenryBloch Religious SchoolBecky Poskin

The past couple of weeks have been wonderful forstudents and families of the Marion and Henry BlochReligious School. The Purim Carnival was a greatsuccess. Students decorated masks, made their ownMegillah scrolls, bejeweled crowns, groggers, and ofcourse, Ms. Patti helped students make hamantaschenand “pizza-taschen.” The biggest hit during the carnivalwas Bingo, because who doesn’t love Bingo? (And therewere prizes). I was fortunate enough to witness a reallyspecial moment between two of our students. One ofour students saw the bag of prizes early on, anddesperately wanted to win so she could take home themagic eight ball. Round after round, she came so closeto winning, but alas, someone else called Bingo beforeshe completed her row. In her final attempt she wasdevastated when another student called out Bingo!, andeven more distraught when he picked the magic eightball as his prize. But he surprised us all and simply giftedthe eight ball to her, completely making herday/week/maybe even year. He did it without wantingto be recognized or praised, simply to be kind. I was inawe.

All the while, the Torah Tots were busy singing anddancing to music with Brendan, and making theirown hamantaschen with Ms. Smithy. At the end ofthe day we all came together to watch the Purim Play.Our actors were AMAZING and the play was a bighit, thanks to the amazing writing, directing, andproducing of Lynn Poskin (I am not biased, but yes,she is my mother). We concluded the day with aservice where Jane Londy read from the Megillahwhile everyone booed each time we heard Haman’sname. It was a great day!

The positivity continued the following week as we allparticipated in the Spring 2018 Mitzvah Day. Somestudents were still on a high from Purim CarnivalBingo so they signed up to go to Village Shalom toplay bingo with the residents. We had a group rakingleaves for an elderly woman (as part of JFS springclean up), another group taking care of animals atWayside Waifs, and another crew worked hard atManheim Garden. All in all, we had over 65 people(students, parents, and members of the congregation)spread out in Kansas City doing mitzvot. Anothergreat success!

Looking ahead we’re excited for Matzah BallMadness, our pre-Passover celebration on March25th. Be on the lookout for emails with more detailsabout the event in the coming weeks. Enjoy springbreak and we’ll see you soon!

All the best,Becky

April Birthdays

01 Sue McCord-Belzer01 Debra Parmet01 Lynnette Siegel02 Steve Bresky02 Errol Copilevitz02 Maggie Harper03 Phoebe Unterman04 Kay Schoenfeld04 Frank Wasserman05 Bill Reisler06 Samantha Barnett06 Irv Belzer07 Beckett Angrist

07 Susan Strauss08 Lily Wilson09 Phil Brown09 David Goldberg09 Susie Thill11 Victoria Novorr11 Margaret Schoenfeld12 Jim Holzmark13 Bunni Copaken13 Jeanne Sosland16 John Rubenstein18 Madeline Epsten

20 Jack Brozman20 Joseph Levin20 Jon Wilson21 Katherine Copaken21 Beth Thompson22 Elizabeth Helzberg23 Aaron Arneson23 Ellie Davis23 Walter Fromm23 Haleigh Harper23 John Slegman24 Charles Fromm

25 Thelma Dreyer25 Cary Fox25 Dan Fromm25 Amy Sachse26 Chuck Gilbert27 Reesa Helzberg27 Symie Menitove28 Maura Mitchelson 28 Nancy Sachse29 Gardiner Davis29 Caroline Fromm30 Sam Epsten30 Adele Levi

Spring Family Mitzvah Day: ASuccess!

On Sunday, March 4, 2018, dozens of participants andmembers of The New Reform Temple congregationgave back to the community for our Spring FamilyMitzvah Day. Everyone who participated had an enjoyable morningof mitzvah while volunteering at four differentlocations throughout the Kansas City area. Participantsplayed bingo and drew beautiful pictures at VillageShalom. Folks assisted with shelter animals andprepared support materials at Wayside Waifs. Childrenand adults raked leaves and cleaned up Manheim Parkand Garden. Last but certainly not least, the Poskinfamily and friends, including Rabbi Alan Londy,cleaned up one family’s backyard in ColemanHighlands as part of the Jewish Family Services (JFS)spring cleanup. The team filled 26 yard-waste bags!

The bi-annual Family Mitzvah Day was organized byNRT’s Social Justice Committee. If you are interestedin getting involved or participating in upcomingevents, contact the Temple office at 816-523-7809 ornrt7100@aol.com.

Wayside Waifs

JFS Spring Cleanup

Village Shalom

Manheim Park & Garden

YAHRZEITS

“The memory of the righteous shall be for a blessing.”

April 6F. Arnold AlpertAlan AngristStanford S. BlockFred Goldman, Sr.Leon KatzbergWilliam G. LeviEugene L. NovorrHannah Rothberg RosenJessica StaufferArthur J. SternEugene TaxmanBeverly Wolfe

April 13Sidney GrossmanRichard L. HolzmarkEdith KrissErnest KrissRosalind NachmanMirah RostovIrving C. RubinMargery VogelJames M. WolfBen WolfeVirginia WrightAshley Zack

April 20Mabel AdlerRella BraunJennie CohenRegina HolzmarkHoward HoneckElaine KaplanHerbert H. Kaufmann, M.D.Erwin LewandowskiBert LyonAudrey ManneJanie McBridePhilip ModellStephen J. Morris, Ph.D.Estelle Teller NeimanRobert E. RosenwaldLottie RothbergElias SiegelEvelyn SpitcaufskyHortense StarrBertram SternHenrietta TraktmanSelma UhlmannAdeline WeissmanBeatrice WolfeDavid A. Zale

April 27Dr. Hans J. AdlerGeorge K. BaumMarcia BerkleyEugene C. Dreyer, IIEdna Wessel GoldbergFannie GoldsteinMarian K. GreenwoodBernard T. HurwitzHarvey MandelHarvey L. McBrideElky Shifrin