Unless otherwise noted, all events are virtual. Some events require an RSVP or enrollment in our programs, so please confirm your spot in advance. Please check directly with JFS on program dates, as dates may change.
An exclusive sneak peek screening and discussion hosted by JFS and the Greater Kansas City Mental Health Coalition. Clips from the four-part series to be broadcast in June on PBS will be shown followed by discussion.
Join on Facebook Live facebook.com/jfskc
OR Join on Zoom
Meeting ID: 358 566 1652
Your mental health is just as important as your physical health and must be a priority. Join JFS and Erik Hulse, Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) teacher at the Midwest Alliance for Mindfulness, who will guide participants through his Loving Kindness program to help establish routines and habits to strengthen mental health.
-
- Join on Facebook Live facebook.com/jfskc
OR Join on Zoom
Meeting ID: 964 8553 4851
This year’s Tisha B’Av observances will include a virtual discussion at 4 p.m., July 18: From Destruction to Redemption: Personal Stories of Addiction and Recovery hosted by the Rabbinical Association and Jewish Family Services of Greater Kansas City.
Hear from members of the community who have suffered personally or have a loved one who has suffered from addiction. The program will also include reflection of the path from addiction to recovery as a form of transition from destruction to redemption.
Participants will include: Rabbi David M. Glickman, Congregation Beth Shalom, who will share the story of his brother’s struggles with addiction; Mia Cohen, a recording artist and social media branding specialist currently working for Jewish Family and Career Services in Atlanta; a college student; an adult who has struggled with addiction; and Marla Kauffman, executive director and founder of Jewish Addiction Awareness Network (JAAN), whose son is in a long-term recovery from substance use disorder. Kauffman has been active in the Seattle Jewish community since relocating there with her husband, Joe, in November 2019.
Sarah Link Ferguson, development officer at First Call and member of Congregation Koi Ami, will moderate the discussion. Ferguson is also a member of the recovery community and has written about her experience as a Jewish person in recovery for outlets such as Tablet magazine and the Temper. She is passionate about destigmatizing issues such as mental illness and substance use disorder especially within the Jewish community.
“We are excited to hold this important community discussion especially at this time. Talking about addiction has always been somewhat of a taboo subject in the Jewish community, but the number of individuals with substance abuse disorder has dramatically increased due to the pandemic,” said Rabbi Jonathan Rudnick, Community Chaplain at Jewish Family Services and co-organizer of the event. “We are hoping this will be the beginning of many more discussions and a pathway to help for many individuals.”
Register for the virtual program : https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSer_AM1wqqIJlc75r4FTpuiercPI_eRPrjOM9rBJK28LRcDsQ/viewform.
Tisha B’Av (The nineth day of the Hebrew month of Av) is a day of national mourning. The holiday primarily commemorates the destruction of the 1st and 2nd Temples, but also other tragedies of the Jewish people. The community Tisha B’Av observance will be held at 9:30 p.m. July 17 at Beth Shalom and online.
For more information, visit kcrabbi.org or contact Annette Fish, Rabbinical Association Administrator/Program Director at afprogram@aol.com or 913-327-8226.
We live in a hectic, fast-paced world now made more challenging by the ongoing pandemic. More people are experiencing stress and anxiety and are reaching out for tools to help them cope with our complex reality.
To address the rising need, Jewish Family Services is offering Mindful Mondays, a free, virtual mindful training program offered every Monday from 11:30 a.m. to noon through Dec. 13.
Using the Zoom platform, the sessions are free, but registration is required at Mindful Mondays registration link. Once registered, participants will receive a link to join each session. Participants may attend one or all virtual sessions.
Mindfulness is a practice anchored in science and focused on being intensely aware of what an individual is sensing and feeling in the moment without interpretation of judgement.
Led by Sondra Wallace, MSED, JFS YouBeYou and Mental Health Coalition Coordinator and Julia Grimm, LMLP, JFS therapist.
Weekly themes:
Sept. 27: Self-Compassion
Oct. 4: Generosity
Oct. 11: Non-Judging
Oct. 18: Body Scan
Oct. 25: Letting Go
Nov. 1: Sitting with Emotions
Nov. 8: Trust
Nov. 15: Values
Nov. 29: Generosity
Dec. 6: Acceptance
Dec. 13: Patience
For more information, contact Sondra Wallace at swallace@jfskc.org.
Learn more about the critical challenges facing Kansas Citians and how JFS is responding during our virtual speaker series.
For our last session, Sondra Wallace, YouBeYou and Mental Health Coalition Coordinator and chair of the Johnson County Suicide Prevention Coalition will share how our youth, schools, and adults are using the YouBeYou resources, Sources of Strength model, and JFS services to build communities of strength anchored in caring, connected, positive relationships and social networks. Register here.
“Working with more than 10,000 individuals a year, our team has a unique lens into the complicated problems facing Kansas Citians. This series is an opportunity for the public to learn more about the critical social issues we’re collectively tackling,” said Don Goldman, Executive Director and CEO of JFS. “It’s also an opportunity to have a dialog with us about the evolving challenges due to the pandemic.”
Jewish Family Services of Greater Kansas City is partnering with the Kansas City Public Library for the free virtual One Word Intention Workshop that will take place on Zoom on Friday, February 18 from 12 to 1 pm.
Millions of people across the globe identified a traditional New Year’s Resolution in January and millions of people have already forgotten their resolution in February…how about we consider ONE Word for 2022?
The concept of “Just One Word that will change your life” has been around for many years, in fact, after 20 years it continues to be a proven way to “create clarity, power, passion and life changes.” Join us for a guided process for choosing a one-word intention for the year and learn how to create a digital vision board to keep your one word at the forefront of your mind.
You can register for the event at One Word Intention Workshop | Kansas City Public Library (kclibrary.org).
Did you know that experiences children have, especially between birth to 5 years, can increase OR decrease their likelihood of mental health concerns, cancer, diabetes, obesity, heart disease, and suicide later in life? Research and evidence that the number one way to reduce these mental, physical, and behavioral problems is through a safe, stable nurturing relationship between an adult and child. Join us to learn more about the science, the stories, and the opportunities we have to DECREASE mental, physical, and behavioral problems that present later in life. Join our own Sondra Wallace, JFSKC’s Director of Mental Health Programs, the Greater Kansas City Mental Health Coalition, and the Kansas City Public Library for a free virtual conversation on Thursday, April 12. The event will take place from Noon to 1 PM. Register for this free event here.
Mental Health is essential to our well-being. In this program, we will demystify mental health jargon and share mental health resources to support yourself and others. Join our own Sondra Wallace, JFSKC’s Director of Mental Health Programs, the Greater Kansas City Mental Health Coalition, and the Kansas City Public Library for a free virtual conversation that will take place from 4 PM to 5 PM. Register for this free event here.
The JFSKC Grief and Loss Support Group meet each first and third Wednesday of each month.
The ongoing support group is for individuals grieving
the death of a loved one. The group provides an opportunity
to address issues of loss and grief within a Jewish spiritual
context in a warm and confidential environment.
The program is co-facilitated by
Sondra Wallace, and Rabbi Mark Levin.
To register for the support group, contact Sondra Wallace at 913-730-1452.
The JFSKC Grief and Loss Support Group meet each first and third Wednesday of each month.
The ongoing support group is for individuals grieving
the death of a loved one. The group provides an opportunity
to address issues of loss and grief within a Jewish spiritual
context in a warm and confidential environment.
The program is co-facilitated by
Sondra Wallace, and Rabbi Mark Levin.
To register for the support group, contact Sondra Wallace at 913-730-1452.