Lisa Bernard:
We enjoy living in Kansas City because it is an open community, accepting people no matter where they are on the Jewish journey.  People are welcomed into the community whether they live in the Eruv or outside. This isn't necessarily true of other communities.  The congregation warmly embraces and invites the participation of all, especially newcomers.  People are encouraged to volunteer and you don't have to wait years to participate in programming or the Chevra Kadisha. Everyone's level of involvement is always greatly appreciated.  When we moved to KC we didn't live in the Eruv.  However, we wanted our four children, ages 10-16 to feel connected to Judaism so we moved closer to the synagogue.  The proximity to other kids of similar ages and the synagogue has enhanced the quality of our Jewish life.

Matthew and Bonnie Siegel:
Twenty years have passed and we are still thrilled with our decision to build a life here in Kansas City.  We were newlyweds in 1986, and we now have two children, a wonderful home, great commitment to the Jewish community both through BIAV as well as many other Jewish organizations that we found ourselves in a lifestyle that is uncompromised.  As ex-New Yorkers we came here with a bit of an attitude that nothing could replace what we had back East.  This was clearly the first of many misconceptions about the Midwest.  We absolutely love it here.  So do every one of our friends and family who make their way out here to "Kvel" over the lives we have built for ourselves.

BIAV Synagogue houses a membership of loving, warm and dedicated individuals making up the modern Orthodox community.  Our experience here is not easily replicated anywhere else.  It is observant without being judgmental, it is welcoming without being invasive, and most appropriately it provides a center of learning for Torah and Mitzvot that would be difficult to replicate in any other large city.

This is simply a great way to live!

Todd Cohn, Youth Director, Kansas City NCSY

Growing up in Kansas City, Shabbat was a very lonely experience for me. Today with our weekly NCSY Onegs and the strong teen participation in services, Shabbat is very much alive for the youth in the entire Kansas City Jewish community.

It is not unusual to have 15 or more teens or more at Shabbat services Friday night and Seudah Shlishit.  Proportionally there are probably few to no other communities in the world with that type of turnout. It's really a beautiful thing and says alot about our shul and our community.

Upwards of four to five times a year we have local Shabbatonim where members of our community open their homes to our teens --- often hosting 20 or more kids for a meal or for sleeping over.  These host families serve as positive Jewish role models in a day and age when an intact family that lives Jewish values is an unfortunate rarity.

It is no wonder Kansas City holds the title for most teens participating in NCSY summer programs than any other city in the America.  There are over 200 active, local teens in the KCNCSY and for the past three years, we've twice held the title of Chapter of the Year, the highest possible honor bestowed upon a chapter, and once a runner-up as Chapter of Excellence.

As a member of the community and a young adult raising a family, I'd like to speak to the fact that there's a special romance to being a big fish in a small sea.  You count.

At BIAV you're much more than just another congregant.  And the people care much more about who you are than what you wear or what you drive. It's a heimeshe (homey) community...family rather. 

Ron and Ellen Dimbert:
We came to Kansas City from New York and fell in love with the pace of life in Kansas.  We were able to raise our children in a safe environment free of many of the problems that plague major metropolitan areas.  The community offers everything one needs to live an observant life yet is small enough that people really care about each other.  If we miss Shabbat services we know we will get visits or calls of concern on Sunday.

Howard and Brenda Rosenthal:
We originally moved to Kansas City from Phoenix, AZ, in 1985, to attend the KU (Kansas University) medical school's orthopedic residency program. Although we had no intention of living in this area of the country, we developed friendships, which have turned out to be life long. At that time, we were actually unaffiliated with any synagogue. We kept Shabbat in our home, and obtained kosher meat from what was then the only kosher butcher shop in town, Epstein’s.  We had three of our children during this stint at K.U. and went home to Phoenix for the chagim.

After a fellowship in NY, KU Medical Center offered Howard an academic appointment, which we viewed as a first job.  We thought we would come back to KC for a few years at most. That was 15 years ago.  In that time, we have fallen in love with the people and the lifestyle that living in KC affords us.  We arrived back in Kansas City just a few days after Rabbi Schwartz, a young dynamic rabbi, arrived.  At that point in our lives, we became interested in establishing a relationship with the orthodox synagogue, which, at that time, was a small group of mostly older members. We moved into the area where we were told BIAV was moving but found ourselves walking through muddy, icy canals, to an old office building that had 15 – 20 folding chairs, an Aron Kodesh, a table with a box of matzot. This was to be our shul. Of course, we fell in love with it. That single box of matzot lasted three years as our shalos seudot meal, the folding chairs were never completely filled, and we ended up moving three times. But this was our shul. Over the next few years, with great rabbinic and lay leadership, Kansas City has grown into a thriving orthodox community with much to offer and even greater potential. Through our many travels, we have seen various communities but we are always glad to be coming home to KC.  Our children developed lifelong friendships and are proud to say they are from Kansas. All four of our children have sensitivity and compassion for people, which we believe, was cultivated from having grown up in the Midwest.

Our children have had the opportunity to witness and be part of the building of a community. Although sometimes challenging living outside the major metropolitan Jewish communities, we have all developed an appreciation for our Judaism and Judaic values, not frequently replicated elsewhere. Our ruach, our community, our friendships, we believe, stem from the BIAV community.