KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kansas City, Missouri, Mayor Quinton Lucas alongside local Jewish leaders Thursday night illuminated the City Hall Menorah to celebrate Hanukkah.

“We are reminded that we all have beloved traditions and even share cultural themes and values in common,” said Neta Meltzer, the interim executive director for the American Jewish Committee. “We all share this community and each of our thriving is tied to, and dependent on the thriving of others.”

Across the globe, 15.7 million Jews are celebrating Hanukkah, known as the “Festival of Lights.” In Hebrew, Hanukkah translates to “dedication.” The holiday commemorates the rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem.

In 164 BC, a group of Jewish fighters, Maccabees, at the command of Judah of Maccabees engaged in battle with the Greek army, which captured the city of Jerusalem in 200 BC.

Judah and his fighters took back the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. They attempted to re-light their menorah, a then oil-based candelabra, used in Jewish worship.

The fighters found there was only enough oil to hold light for one day. In a miracle, the menorah remained lit for eight days.

Jews commemorate ancestral efforts in the annual Hanukkah holiday, celebrating freedom from injustice.

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“The Jews have absolutely become a resilient people. Certainly back in the times of Hanukkah but so many different times during our history,” explained Jay Lewis, the president and CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater Kansas City. “Now today and in the post-October 7th world, there is rising anti-semitism. Our resilience gets tested again and Hanukkah is a good reminder we are resilient, we are a strong people, and we prevailed many times and we’ll prevail again this year.”

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The 2024 Menorah Lighting celebration at Kansas City’s City Hall has only taken place a handful of times. This year, it symbolizes the Jewish community’s presence in the Metro.

“We started it to make sure everybody knew they were welcome, from all faith communities in Kansas City. But certainly for our Jewish sisters and brothers, that you knew you always have a home here at City Hall,” Mayor Lucas told those in attendance.

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For the first time since 2005, the first night of Hanukkah fell on Dec. 25, Christmas Day. Since 1900, the holiday’s first night has fallen on Christmas five times: 1910, 1921, 1959, 2005, and now 2024.

Judaism follows the 354-day-long lunar calendar, following the length of time it takes for the moon to revolve around the sun.

Hanukkah lasts eight nights. The shorter lunar calendar means each year, the holiday starts 11 days earlier and can begin as early as Thanksgiving.

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“It’s a beautiful metaphor that Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa are all right here at the same time. They’re all about light, warmth, and bringing more light into the world. The Jewish community feels totally integrated in the Kansas City Community,” added Lewis. “It’s not this way in every city. In Kansas City, we have multiple religions and cultures that can all be intertwined the way Christmas, Kwanzaa, and Hanukkah are. The fact we can be inside City Hall having this kind of celebration, I don’t think it gets any better than that.”

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Lewis says Jewish communities have remained safe in history during times of strife through their healthy relationship with elected officials and the government.

Thursday night’s display offered Marcee Levin, an Overland Park native, the chance to become more connected in her hometown.

“I just moved back home after being gone for 40 years,” Levin said. “This ceremony shows strength. Having city hall sponsor this shows the Jewish community in Kansas City is so strong and tight-knit.”

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The first night of Hanukkah was Dec. 25 and the final night is Jan. 2. The 12-foot blue menorah located outside City Hall will illuminate a new candle each night of Hanukkah at 7 p.m.

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The Kansas State Wildcats decided to switch things up a bit by wearing alternate uniforms for Thursday’s Rate Bowl against Rutgers in Phoenix.

The biggest difference was trading in silver for a white helmet. While most fans liked the look, there were some who weren’t impressed. They felt the Wildcats unis were fine as they were.

Many were more concerned with the Wildcats’ bad luck wearing new digs. They entered having lost the previous four games in a different uniform. It didn’t help K-State trailed 27-17 at halftime to make more fans dislike the new look.

Here are some first-half highlights:

RUTGERS 27 – WILDCATS 17

Rutgers added to their lead with a field goal after picking off Wildcats quarterback Johnson.

RUTGERS 24 – WILDCATS 17

Raymond rushes for another touchdown with a 24-yard run to regain the lead.

RUTGERS 17 – WILDCATS 17

Jayce Brown’s 34-yard rush set up a Dylan Edwards touchdown reception. The offense gets creative utilizing receivers in the run game and the backs coming out the backfield.

RUTGERS 17 – WILDCATS 10

Running back Raymond’s 65-yard run sets up the score by Ja’shon Benjamin.

RUTGERS 10 – WILDCATS 10

The Scarlet Knight failed to capitalize on Ian Strong’s 60-yard reception, and instead have to settle for a field goal to start the second quarter.

RUTGERS 7 – WILDCATS 10

Avery Johnson caps off a Wildcats touchdown drive with a red zone rush. He connected with top receiver Jayce Brown.

RUTGERS 7 – WILDCATS 3

Rutgers running back Antwan Raymond put the Scarlet Knights up 7-3 midway through the first quarter. A few big runs by quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis highlighted the touchdown drive.

Shandel Richardson is the publisher of Kansas State Wildcats On SI. He can be reached at shandelrich@gmail.com

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The statistics aren’t kind. Eighty percent of pro athletes go broke soon after retiring. Kansas City Chiefs‘ Marquise “Hollywood” Brown will not be among them. Despite NFL stars’ eight-figure contracts, in most cases, their financial literacy does not match their salaries. Brown wants to change that.

“Players often leave their finances up to financial advisers who tend to invest in more traditional avenues, like stocks, because those methods also earn money for the advisers,” Brown told Mansion Global.

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“It hurts, seeing the stories of these guys who end up with nothing,” he said. “It’s a problem within the NFL, specifically for guys like myself who come from a background without a lot of money. We’re not educated on how to handle finances,” Brown, who has earned $25 million during a five-year career, continued.

The Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver, who was first drafted to the NFL in 2019 – first playing for the Arizona Cardinals and Baltimore Ravens before signing with the Chiefs this year – has cofounded Platinum Pro Capital, a private equity real estate firm with his wife, real estate influencer Zoei Brown. The firm has joined Jason Caraway of Island Sky Investments to educate professional athletes on the advantages of luxury real estate investing – in their case – in the Caribbean and other resort areas.

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According to Bloomberg, the company has backed an oceanfront luxury condo development in the U.S. Virgin Islands, is renovating a resort in Grand Bahama Island and is planning other projects in South Florida and Costa Rica.

Player investors are not urged to buy high-end rental properties from Brown’s company. Rather, they invest in his fund passively for returns on their money and the option to stay in vacation properties for free during the off-season.

“A lot of guys in our field, they like luxurious things, they are drawn to attractive places,” Brown said. “And a lot of us travel in the offseason, so instead of having a traditional house, they are drawn to places that feel like a vacation. That’s appealing to guys. I feel like it creates a sense of unity. So, owning property on Caribbean islands saves money in the long term because that’s where everybody wants to travel in the offseason. It really caught the eye of a lot of people.”

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