It is a tree of life to those who hold fast to it
and all of its supporters are happy.
The tree of life is symbolized throughout the Kehilath Israel
Synagogue building. The congregation's members will celebrate the
roots of its tree of life and continue to strengthen its branches
during its centennial celebration which continues through the end
of 2010. Those roots can be traced back to 1910 when Melech and Ida
Brown held services in their home and founded Tifereth Sforad along
with Bennett and Rebecca Tranin. Both the Brown and Tranin families
still maintain ties with KI.
The congregation became known as Kehilath Israel in 1945. By
that time five different Orthodox congregations had come together
in one way or another, including Tifereth Sforad.
The other congregations that joined to make up KI were
established by 1920. Their names and locations were:
- She'erith Israel d'Lubavitz, 924 Olive St.
- Tifereth Israel, Admiral Boulevard and Tracy Street
- Kerem Israel, 39th and Montgall streets
- Beth Jacob, 2704 E. Linwood Blvd.
Rabbi Maurice D. Solomon joined the congregation, in 1934. Sam
Gould, a former KI president who has been affiliated with the
congregation for 86 years, said he believes Tifereth Sforad "was
the only Orthodox congregation that had its own rabbi" at the time.
Gould serves as one of the honorary co-chairs of the centennial
celebration, along with Maria Devinki and Irene Dreiseszun.
In 1945 the combined membership of the new Kehilath Israel
numbered 425 families, resulting in an enrollment of 368 children
in the religious school. During this time the congregation actually
owned two buildings, but none were large enough to contain all the
students or the more than 1,000 people expected to attend High Holy
Day services. So later that year members decided to build a new
structure for the growing congregation. Names well-known in the KI
family - Harry B. Strauss, Jacob Mnookin and Louis Walter - chaired
the committee that eventually chose the site at Meyer and Rockhill,
which was to house the synagogue from 1951 to 1983.
"It was a bold step, and because it was so far out, we lost 100
members immediately," Gould said.
Because the Jewish community was committed to taking care of the
great needs overseas in the late 1940s, the building campaign for
the new structure began to lag. So leaders had to choose whether to
build a school building or a sanctuary. The school building, which
included an assembly hall that pulled double duty as a sanctuary,
took precedent and the building was dedicated in May 1951.
By the time the sanctuary opened in 1959, KI members had
demanded the end to a ------ mechitza, ------ or divider between
men and women. But mixed seating spelled the beginning of the end
for KI's affiliation with the Union of Orthodox Jewish
Congregations of America.
Holocaust survivors were moving to Kansas City at the same time
KI was raising funds to build its new building. The congregation
became the religious home of many survivors, including Fred and
Maria Devinki. Maria recalls that when they first moved here, the
couple didn't have the money to join a congregation. But they
greatly enjoyed attending Shabbat worship at KI. When Rabbi Solomon
learned that the Devinki family couldn't afford membership, he
offered them a free membership - complete with religious school
training for her son.
Three years ago, as a nod to the synagogue's original kindness
to the family, Maria and her children-Sam, Karen and Ida- created
an endowment in memory of her husband, Fred, to provide free
religious school education to the children of KI members.
Rabbi Solomon's brother, Ben, joined the congregation in 1947 as
its cantor and stayed until 1986. He passed away in 2003. Cantor
Solomon's widow, Dr.
Rochelle Solomon, is still a member of K.I. and lives in Kansas
City.
Rabbi Solomon remained at Kehilath Israel - his first and only
pulpit - until he retired in 1973, at which time he made aliyah to
Israel with his wife, Betty, and daughter, Sheila. He passed away
in Israel in 1983 at the age of 71. Betty Solomon passed away in
2003. Sheila still lives in Israel along with her two sons and
grandson.
Seymour Krinsky served as Associate Rabbi from 1952-1955 and
then after changing professions served KI since then as a member,
volunteer and leader .
Following Rabbi Solomon's retirement, Rabbi Gilbert Shoham and
Rabbi Avraham Radzik served as spiritual leaders. Rabbi Herbert
Mandl became the congregation's spiritual leader in 1977 .
The synagogue remained at its Meyer and Rockhill location until
1983, when the move to Johnson County was finalized. When the
building was sold and the congregation moved across the street into
temporary quarters at the Cleveland Chiropractic College, Rabbi
Mandl said: "The secret of our shul is not only a location, but the
people and the activities which bring them closer to our synagogue.
The warmth and special nature of the congregational family will
continue and - hopefully - grow both during and following this
transitionary stage."
After three years in the temporary location, Rabbi Mandl said,
"We have finished our 'wandering through the desert' and are now
preparing to enter 'our promised land.'"
The building was dedicated during a three-day celebration Feb.
25-March 2, 1986.
Rabbi Mandl has led the congregation for 32 years and the
congregation's membership is growing with many younger families and
individuals joining. Total membership is approaching 600 families
and individuals. Its staff has grown to include a second full-time
rabbi, Rabbi David Bauman; a rabbi who serves as education and
youth director, Rabbi Meir Wexler; and a
chazzan-rabbi-mohel, Rabbi Jeffrey Shron. Today
KI, the largest Traditional synagogue in the Midwest, strives to be
a warm and welcoming congregation, proud of its traditional values
of learning Torah, engaging in meaningful and inspirational prayer
and practices, and performing acts of loving kindness.
Maps
