Listening Post

 

AN EXPANSION ON THE ­HORIZON — Sunday evening’s KC SuperStar was a rousing success, raising more than $1.2 million for scholarships at The Jewish Community Center of Greater Kansas City. (See more page 21) That night The J’s President & CEO Jim Sluyter announced The J will soon embark on a major building expansion.
Want to know more? So do we. We’re told there will be more details involving this exciting news soon. Stay tuned.

YACHAD — THE JEWISH ­COMMUNITY KOSHER FOOD ­PANTRY UPDATE — This week on page 1 we tell the story of the Chabad House’s journey following the two devastating floods last summer.
Yachad − The Jewish Community Kosher Food Pantry, is operated by Chabad and before the flood was located at Chabad House on Indian Creek Parkway. Due to last year’s flooding, the only completely kosher food pantry in the Jewish community transitioned to a food gift voucher system to help those in need. That system has worked well and will remain the model for Yachad in the future.
To learn how to make a donation, or to request assistance, call 913-649-4852. All requests remain confidential.

TEL AVIV LAUNCHES CAMPAIGN TO GET RESIDENTS TO DISCONNECT FROM CELLPHONES (JNS) — Tel Aviv high school students will take to the streets to encourage pedestrians to take time away from their cellphones, according to a new campaign launched by the city of Tel Aviv.
In a campaign begun on Sunday on Facebook, Instagram and on billboards around the city, Tel Aviv’s municipality is initiating an effort to get parents, students and the public to get “out of the screen.”
Among the goals of the initiative are “mobile-less” restaurants, playgrounds, kindergartens and public events.
Slogans include “a hug without a phone,” and a day in which high-schoolers stand in public locations and hand out candies to anyone not currently engaged with their mobile device.
Educational activities for youth groups and the larger public will emphasize the importance of human relationships over electronic devices.