Menorah Hospital - courtesy of Addington Design

Achieving a balance that meets the health care needs of the future while honoring the
"The Jewish Memorial Hospital will be a practical demonstration of the sincerity of the Jewish people of Kansas City...to assist the poor; to heal the sick; to relieve distress; to alleviate suffering --not only for our fellow Jews but also for our fellow men of every faith"
- The Jewish Menorial Hospital Association, 1927
commitment to our past continues to be the goal of the Menorah Legacy Foundation. Beginning in 1931, the founders of the Jewish Memorial Hospital, later renamed Menorah Hospital, stepped forth to fill a need for the Kansas City community by establishing a hospital where the doors were open to all who entered with the promise of high quality, progressive health care delivered with compassion.
Throughout the years, Menorah Hospital responded to the challenges of the changing health care needs in its community. During the 60's and 70's hospital and community leaders worked in concert to define the future of health care in Kansas City and with the addition of innovative research, educational programs, services and facility design, Menorah Hospital became Menorah Medical Center.

During these years, grateful patients, families, leaders of the Jewish community and others gave generously, creating the need for a charitable foundation. The Menorah Medical Center Foundation was born to honor those contributions and to serve as a supporting organization for the hospital.
  The New Menorah Medical Center -
  courtesy of Addington Design


With the purchase of the hospital by HCA in 2003, the Menorah Medical Center Foundation concluded
"We have never relied for guidance solely on the past, nor shall we ever rest on the present. Creativity and the courage to pioneer have kept us facing the future since the beginning."
courtesy of -Arthur Mag, Former President of Menorah's Board of Directors, 1975
its affiliation with the hospital and, in August 2003, became an independent, charitable foundation now called Menorah Legacy Foundation with assets totaling $22 million.

While the Foundation no longer lives within the physical walls of the hospital, the spirit of the Foundation remains the same. We continue Menorah's legacy of excellence by balancing the support of innovative health care programs and services throughout the community while maintaining our responsibility to our founders and the people they originally intended to serve.

Our focus continues to serve to meet health needs as directed by our donors, those of the Jewish community and to support care that is designed to empower individuals to embrace their health care by actively participating in the achievement of good health and balance in their lives. In our "Menorah Without Walls" we serve to promote programs that support healthy living throughout all stages of life.

Our donor directed funds support programs and services in a variety of areas,
"We hereby establish the Menorah Medical Center Foundation for the purpose of perpetuating Menorah's tradition of excellence in health care through initiatives in education, research and technology." Menorah Physicians and Board Members, 1957
including but not limited to, cardiology, CPR training, diabetes, indigent care, medical education mental health and prescription assistance. We have significant funds dedicated to supporting the health care needs of the Kansas City Jewish community. The Foundation also has dedicated monies to supporting programs or services that assess an individual's health status and address any physical, mental, spiritual or emotional barriers that preclude one from being "healthy for life".

The Constitution of the World Health Organization defines health as "a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity". It is the Menorah Legacy Foundation's goal to support and pursue programs and services in the greater Kansas City area whose goals mirror this outcome.

Our Board of Directors