Listening Post - Kansas City Jewish Chronicle

As far as we know, HBHA was the only school to embrace last week’s Royals celebration parade as a schoolwide activity. The school took fourth- through 12th-graders to the parade, and its kindergarten through third-graders stayed behind for a fun watch party at school. With 120 students and approximately 45 parent and teacher chaperones to ensure safety, HBHA had a large group attending the parade. Joining in with the rest of the KC community to cheer on the Royals was a very special way to celebrate HBHA’s 50th Anniversary! As it says in Ethics of Our Fathers: Don’t separate yourself from the community. Shown: Third- grader Eli Jacobson (who came along with his mother, who chaperoned the parade), along with sixth-graders Olivia Balanoff, Zakaiyah Gillom, Shefer Rudnick, Emma Jacobson, Balloon Lady, Madeline Bell and Audrey Brand. The students definitely met some interesting Royals fans during the parade!

RABBI’S NEW DO — Last week at the Union for Reform Judaism Biennial, Rabbi Vered Harris had her long locks snipped to be donated to Zichron Menachem in Jerusalem, where it will be used to make a human-hair wig for someone who has lost their hair due to cancer treatment. The former Congregation Beth Torah education rabbi who is now spiritual leader of Temple B’nai Israel in Oklahoma City, hopes to deliver it in person next month.

After the long hair was saved, the rabbi had her head shaved as part of #36Rabbis. {mprestriction ids="1,3"}The group of rabbis raised more than $36,000, which she says is being matched by a generous donor. Of that, her head of hair brought in $10,086 dollars as of Nov. 9. That includes a $3,600 donation from the Muslim community of Oklahoma City. And it will be doubled by the matching donor! While her head was shaved, she quoted her grandmother saying, “A bad haircut cannot ruin a good person!” Later that evening she posted on Facebook, “I am overwhelmed by all of this, and by all of you, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart (and the tips of my former hair).” Way to go Rabbi Harris. While the temperatures in Oklahoma are a tad warmer than they are in K.C., we hope you have a lot of hats to keep you warm this winter!

GET READY FOR HANUKKAH ART CONTEST — The deadline for this year’s Hanukkah Art Contest is less than two weeks away! Deadline for entries is 5 p.m. Monday, Nov. 24. The contest is sponsored by Chabad House Center and The Jewish Chronicle. This year’s grand prize, provided by Chabad House, is an iWatch.

The contest is open to all students in grades K-8. For the second year, entrants will all be judged together in one level. One grand prize will be awarded. Three first prizes — gift cards to Target or Michael’s — will be awarded. This year the name of every child who enters the contest will be recognized in The Chronicle’s Hanukkah edition. Art projects must relate to the story or celebration of Hanukkah and will be judged in three categories.

Photography/Graphic Design: (Can be a single picture, photo collage or something designed on the computer.)

Writing: Poem or Essay on the meaning of Chanukah

Art: May be either two- or three-dimensional (for example paint, drawing, craft or sculpture). Art must be original. Entries created from kits will be disqualified.

For questions or more information, visit www.ChabadKC.org, call the Chabad House at 913-649-4852 or email .{/mprestriction}