FLOOD IMPACTS YACHAD JEWISH COMMUNITY FOOD PANTRY — A few weeks ago we reported in this column that the Chabad House — its preschool in particular — was greatly affected by the flood caused by Indian Creek overflowing. The Yachad Food Pantry has been facing challenges since the flood as well.
Director Rabbi Zevi Wineberg reports that the flood damaged food items on the lower shelves and has forced remodeling in the entire pantry. Consequently, needy recipients who come from all walks of life — “We do not discriminate based on race, religion or gender,” he said — are not able to access the pantry right now.
Instead, Yachad is distributing gift cards to grocery stores such as Walmart, Hy-Vee, etc. Yachad is asking for contributions of $20 gift cards to be delivered to Chabad to help these people out during this time. For more information, contact Rabbi Zevi Wineberg at 913-649-4852 or .
CHABAD FLOOD UPDATE, PART II — Rabbi Mendy Wineberg reports that remodeling is currently underway at Gan Chabad Preschool following the flood on Thursday, July 27. He said the response from the community and from preschool parents to assist with the cleanup and remodeling has been “absolutely amazing.”
“In six days, I think we had more than 400 volunteer hours,” Rabbi Mendy Wineberg said.
School was originally set to open on Aug. 21, but classrooms are not expected to be ready until the following Monday. Congregation Beth Shalom has a little bit of extra space in its Rose Family Early Childhood Education Center, and offered two rooms for Gan Chabad to use in the interim.
“We’ll have a preschool camp for those who need daycare during that time,” Rabbi Mendy Wineberg said, “and we’ll add a week at the end of the year for the regular preschool kids. “Many organizations publicized our situation and the whole community has stepped up in an incredible way.”
JEWISH CULTURE FEST NEEDS VOLUNTEERS — It will take hundreds of volunteers to make the Jewish Culture Fest run smoothly, and organizers are on the hunt for volunteers right now. You can sign up to volunteer from your computer, phone or tablet by going to the website, thejkc.org/volunteer. Questions? You can contact Linda Sander () or Rhonda Fromm (). If you’re not a fan of email, you can call The J as well at 913-327-8000. Read more about the Culture Fest on Page 4.
FOX 4 INTERVIEWS SURVIVOR — Following the events in Charlottesville, Virginia, last weekend (see more Pages 1 and 5), Fox 4 reached out to local Holocaust survivors and met up with Sonia Warshawski. Warshawski told reporter Alex Burns, ‘It can happen again.” She also told him she’s speaking out now because she believes there are chilling similarities between the mood in Germany and Poland all those years ago and what she’s seeing in America in 2017. To see the interview, visit Fox4kc.com and search Warshawski.